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Why Scientists and extremely smart people are usually socialist/leftist
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:40 pm
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:40 pm
No, I am not claiming that socialism and planned economies are smart, I am merely discussing the interesting nature of political views on the part of scientists, intellectuals, engineers, etc, namely, that they, historically, have largely favored economic planning on the part of the state (socialism).
This was extensively talked about by Hayek, but I think Bastiat gave us the best insight: Scientists lean leftist and socialist because socialism itself makes the politician a scientist:
Indeed, during the 19th and 20th centuries, when central planning still had a large amount of support, it was the physicists, the scientifically minded folks, who were some of the biggest proponents of such powerful statism.
This explains why SpidermanTUba things the way he does.
This was extensively talked about by Hayek, but I think Bastiat gave us the best insight: Scientists lean leftist and socialist because socialism itself makes the politician a scientist:
quote:
The modern politicians, particularly those of the Socialist school, found their different theories upon one common hypothesis; and surely a more strange, a more presumptuous notion, could never have entered a human brain.
They divide mankind into two parts. Men in general, except one, form the first; the politician himself forms the second, which is by far the most important.
In fact, they begin by supposing that men are devoid of any principle of action, and of any means of discernment in themselves; that they have no initiative; that they are inert matter, passive particles, atoms without impulse; at best a vegetation indifferent to its own mode of existence, susceptible of assuming, from an exterior will and hand an infinite number of forms, more or less symmetrical, artistic, and perfected.
Moreover, every one of these politicians does not hesitate to assume that he himself is, under the names of organizer, discoverer, legislator, institutor, or founder, this will and hand, this universal initiative, this creative power, whose sublime mission it is to gather together these scattered materials, that is, men, into society.
Starting from these data, as a gardener according to his caprice shapes his trees into pyramids, parasols, cubes, cones, vases, espaliers, distaffs, or fans; so the Socialist, following his chimera, shapes poor humanity into groups, series, circles, subcircles, honeycombs, or social workshops, with all kinds of variations. And as the gardener, to bring his trees into shape, needs hatchets, pruning hooks, saws, and shears, so the politician, to bring society into shape, needs the forces which he can only find in the laws; the law of tariffs, the law of taxation, the law of assistance, and the law of education.
Indeed, during the 19th and 20th centuries, when central planning still had a large amount of support, it was the physicists, the scientifically minded folks, who were some of the biggest proponents of such powerful statism.
This explains why SpidermanTUba things the way he does.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:43 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
This explains why SpidermanTUba things the way he does.
....smarter than Einstein when it comes to books....but dumber than pigshit when it comes to reality.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:43 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
Extremely intelligent people are also agnostic / atheist by a disproportionate amount.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:43 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
It's because they're pretentious asses who think they know what is best for the people, even more so than the people themselves.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:53 pm to SirWinston
quote:Intelligence is a measure of knowledge about provable things, and (religious) faith is confidence in things that cannot be proven.
Extremely intelligent people are also agnostic / atheist by a disproportionate amount.
You are judging fish on their ability to fly.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:55 pm to Sellecks Moustache
quote:
It's because they're pretentious asses who think they know what is best for the people, even more so than the people themselves.
As a holder of a professional degree(and therefore experience with the "type"), this is pretty much it. Many truly believe they are smart enough to figure out what's best for everyone. They believe that if they read about being a mechanic, they could pass a regulation to make repair shops run better. They don't require experience, just their perfect brains. And for some, the whole time they don't realize how little they think/respect the people they wish to regulate.
And God forbid someone thinks differently, you must be crazy.
However, in the end they are still by and large generally good people who contribute economically to society, so that's alright by me.
This post was edited on 8/29/14 at 5:58 pm
Posted on 8/29/14 at 5:59 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
Brobots need to read Road to Serfdom and Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth.
Man will never be smart enough to plan other men effectively as they could as individuals.
Man will never be smart enough to plan other men effectively as they could as individuals.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:10 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
and (religious) faith is confidence in things that cannot be proven.
Wrong. Religious faith is confidence in things BECAUSE they cannot be proven. In other words, insanity.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:15 pm to Big Scrub TX
quote:
Wrong. Religious faith is confidence in things BECAUSE they cannot be proven. In other words, insanity.
I apologize to you on behalf of whoever treated you poorly in a religious setting.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:17 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
They live their career in academia and are surrounded by leftism. Universities are so suffused with Leftism and they are not immune to the influence of others and would be somewhat ostracized for thinking differently or independently. When I went to college, "critical thinking" always meant taking the left side of any argument. It was laughable.
This post was edited on 8/29/14 at 6:20 pm
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:19 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
Why Scientists and extremely smart people are usually socialist/leftist
I disagree with this entire premise.
I do not think scientists or extremely smart people are usually leftist/socialist. In reality I think scientists/intelligent people fall equally between let leaning and right leaning views.
The reason why it may seem like there are more of these people that lean way left is because of the abundance of leftists in academia.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:24 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
I don't know, most of the scientists I know are rather apolitical and just like order.
I think the disorder of the free market just looks like an unsolvable equation with too many unknown variables.
They also tend to laugh at people who consider themselves 'political scientists'.
I think the disorder of the free market just looks like an unsolvable equation with too many unknown variables.
They also tend to laugh at people who consider themselves 'political scientists'.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:30 pm to Jake88
quote:
They live their career in academia
And are largely insulated from the real world along with the day to day consequence for those on the receiving end of their great ideas.
Talk with the "working" advance degree holders / educated and a different point of view emerges.
Idealism vs reality
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:34 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
I wouldn't confuse education level with intelligence either. There are a ton of very stupid people with Ph.D. after their names. Their is also a very strong conformist attitude within any given academic circle.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:44 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
Intelligent people solve problems. Because they solve problems they make the mistake that there are many like them that will solve problems as well. Also because smart people notice how dumb some people are, they think they have an obligation to save them from themselves. Problem is other smart people don't want to live by their obligated rules because they can think for themselves. Thus creating the "elite" class that does not have to follow the rules. As long as you get into the elite class the overbearing govt regulation doesn't have any real affect on you.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:52 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
Nothing is more Earth shaking than such time when a reasonably intelligent person realizes that all of the people that are running things, with few exceptions, are no different than they are.
We grow up assuming that people in positions of power and/or influence are magical creatures. It is scary when you realize it isn't true.
We grow up assuming that people in positions of power and/or influence are magical creatures. It is scary when you realize it isn't true.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:54 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
Intelligence is a measure of knowledge about provable things,
that is not what intelligence is
Posted on 8/29/14 at 6:58 pm to SirWinston
quote:
Extremely intelligent people are also agnostic / atheist by a disproportionate amount.
There's a physicist at Ole Miss who is a big Christian and apparently every time he explains how something works he throws in "ALMOST like it was planned be that way"
Posted on 8/29/14 at 7:04 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
This was extensively talked about by Hayek
Damn, if youre talking about Salma then i might have to get on board.
Posted on 8/29/14 at 7:13 pm to HailHailtoMichigan!
quote:
This explains why SpidermanTUba things the way he does.
He doesn't have a PhD, nor is he that intelligent.
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