2006-11-30

The Modern University

From an interview with Dr. David A. White, Professor of Literature at the U.S. Naval Academy - posted by The Cornell Society for a Good Time: Q - [W]hy is the modern university not the place to go for a bright mind? A number of traditional faithful seem to think modern university and college is a non-negotiable norm for men and women. A - I have spent my entire life in modern universities. I first entered the university in the fall of 1966 as an undergraduate and I hope to retire within the next year or two, so it has been an entire lifetime. All I can say is that in the modern university there are a few un-stated, unofficial functions that they pursue above all others: (1) First and most importantly – to destroy any corpuscle of true faith that might reside in any young man or woman. (2) To render those same young men and women incapable of even dealing with questions of faith, goodness, truth, and beauty, to render them incapable of dealing with those questions in any serious way. (3) To distance them from and destroy any respect they might have for family, nation, superiors, and any authority figure whatsoever. (4) To indoctrinate them with liberal social doctrine and make them little machines that will make them spout automatically the liberal dogmas that are pounded into them every second they are in a modern university. (5) And, finally, to lead them into corrupt personal behavior that will sink them so in sin that they will be incapable of self-knowledge, self-analysis, and any kind of self-reflection that could pull them out of the degenerate pit that surrounds the modern university. Under no circumstances whatsoever would I recommend anyone send any child to any modern university.

4 comments:

dog-eared soul said...

that's a little harsh. i have a feeling dude doesn't watch tv and only listens to rush limbaugh on the radio. scary.

VL said...

No, probably not Rush Limbaugh ... more likely Bishop Williamson. (Dr White does not appear to be a political person.)

Scary? Yes. But true too? That is the question.

dog-eared soul said...

true? i don't know. liberal social doctrine, most definitely. except, of course, in the commerce/business schools. corrupt personal behaviour? i'd aruge that individuals are already on that path before they hit university and would blame the failure on the disintegration of the family and traditional family values. poor parenting is more likely the cause in my opinion.

VL said...

... and poor parenting is a result of ... ?!

Actually, the funny thing is that this enumeration of the evils of modern universities followed on from Dr White's claim (earlier in the interview) that Pope Benedict's bright young mind had been warped by his exposure to the modern university!