[MD] Value and the Individual

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting Christoffer Ivarsson <IvarssonChristoffer at hotmail.com>:

> Platt
> 
> >> [Chris]
> >> >> All this said as one who studies history full time. Worth mentioning.
> >>
> >> [Platt]
> >> > I can only wonder what history you are studying.
> 
> >> Quality History. The kind that is the hardest to get, but the most 
> >> beautiful
> >> one. Where there is no easy answers, and no models to follow. Free 
> >> Thinking.
> >> Free Thinking that has always been the most important thing within the
> >> faculty of the humanities, and as a member of the board at the Student 
> >> Union
> >> of the Faculty of Humanities in Lund, I find it quite funny to see that
> >> there is a clear dominance of people with more left inspired political
> >> opinions then others, especially within the fields of history and 
> >> philosophy
> >> and anthropology.  From both what I have noticed in the people around me 
> >> and
> >> from what others have told me from what their experience, this movement 
> >> to
> >> the left very often starts after the students have been studying for a 
> >> year
> >> or so within the mentioned areas. This will of course be regarded by you
> >> only as a measure of the indoctrination and propaganda these educations 
> >> have
> >> in them, am I right? Well, as a member of the board at the Student Union 
> >> of
> >> the Faculty of Humanities, with the explicit task of working to make sure
> >> that the education holds as High Quality as possible and is as free from
> >> political agendas as anything can be, And as someone studying within 
> >> these
> >> areas I can say that this is definitely not the case. Neither the course
> >> literatures or the teachers is allowed to express political agendas, but 
> >> are
> >> to keep as "objective" as possible. On these grounds, I find this
> >> left-dominance that grows into free thinking historians and philosophers 
> >> to
> >> indeed be Quality assessments.
> 
> [Platt]
> > Your loyalty to your university is admirable. But as for free-thinking, do
> > you find it somewhat "unbalanced" that so many of the faculty are 
> > leftists?
> 
> You mean the students? no, why would it? 

No, I mean the faculty, as you described above. 

> If a majority of the students make 
> a Value assesment based on the historical and philosophical education they 
> get that leads them to have a more center/left position in questions of 
> politics in general I really only see that as people recognizing Quality 
> when they see it.

For a higher Quality result, you've recommended balance. I don't see much here.

> [Platt]
> > Also, do you have data, such as a list of required reading materials, to
> > indicate that the rightist view is represented at least as much as the
> > leftist view?
> 
> Yes, that is part of what the Student Union does - makes sure that the 
> required reading materials is as impartial as possible, and that teachers 
> aren't imposing their values on the students.

What I meant was not that the reading materials be impartial (that's impossible)
but that students read materials that present intellectual arguments on both 
sides of the political spectrum.  

> [Platt]
> >Finally, is the university financed by the state?
> 
> Of course. What do you think we pay so much taxes for? It also makes it 
> possible for anyone in the country to get student loans for up to 6 years 
> with 0% interest.

Since the state pays for the university would it surprise you that those
who run the university and the students who benefit from it just might be
biased in favor of the state?

Regards,
Platt



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