My senior year in high school I had an English/Social Studies teacher that always said she was "learnid." She would say so only when we were questioning something and she knew she was right. Because she had been through college and graduate school, she could speak with more authority than anyone of us on most subjects. At the end of class today, the point was made that no one should speak at or for, but simply speak to a group so that a conversation could ensue. I don't agree with this statement in its entirety. I think that there is a time and place for dialogue, and most often its necessary and productive. However, why do we and those before us bother to go through college and grad school if we don't have the right to speak about what we've learned? By graduation, after hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent, are we not considered learned individuals in our field of expertise? Can we not speak at a group of economically destitute individuals about economics or how about to a racially segregated intercity high school about racism? Sure, these peoples location provides them with more experience-oriented authority, but shouldn't the economist or philosopher's opinion be more valued?
I know there are exceptions to this argument, and as I've said there are certain situations that call for dialogue. I think most of those situations are extremes that cannot be simply written about, but must be lived. The one experience that sticks out in my mind is going to war. Unless you've seen combat first hand then there's no way you can really speak about it. Obviously, I've never been to war, but seeing my Uncle, a US Marine, struggle after coming home from his combat duty makes me certain its not something that I can learn about in a book. But I'm digressing from my original point, I believe the intellectual has the right to speak for, at, and to a group about their subject area. And can someone tell me if "learnid" is a word? I'm not an English major.
President Obama walks fine line on race, justice
11 years ago
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ReplyDeleteI am not sure if I am looking to far into your word choice, but I cannot say that I agree that a learned intellectual should be able to speak "for" and "at" a group about their subject area, especially if they themselves are not part of that group. However, I do believe that they have the right to speak "to" a group about their area of expertise. It is different if they want to voice their opinion and give people the option to listen rather than making them. Granted these scholars have put extensive time and money into their education, I still think that it does not give them the right to tell someone or a particular group of people what to do. A distinguished education does not necessarily mean you know what is best for someone else.
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