I recently happened to read the book ‘The Death of Expertise : The Campaign Against Established Knowledge’ written by Tom Nichols. The book is neither a philosophical enquiry nor psychological theorizing that examines this business of burning knowledge alive.
Though it’s a mere agglomeration of reasons with substantial amount of facts on how it happens, it is a significant work in these turbulent times. Ha! Now, why do I now sound like a critical intellectual ?. Good! You caught me
The aim of writing this, is not to claim that every knowledgeable person or established knowledge or piece of literature is right or wrong. This is only a writeup to say what sort of an atmosphere is engineered bt Whatsapp universities, Wikipedia books and Twitter politics. In short, this is an experiential caution notice!
Nichols began this book with Issac Asmivo’s words — “There is a cult of ignorance in the US, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread in history”. Simply put, it is “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge” attitude.
It’s not just a feature of US, but can apply to the entire global village . Nisshanth always speaks on how Indians mimic the west, especially Americans. He says what happens in America today, happens in India a year later.
For example, Mr. Trump asked why can’t we use floor disinfectants to deal with Covid. This was followed by our leaders who pompously boasted that since Indians lacking in hygiene and therefore we have higher immunity.
Yeah I get your mind voice– Ignorance to the core! But this argument ignorance has been there since time immemorial. For instance in Greece and India, the awakening of knowledge was tied to the realization of one’s ignorance. But what is new today is the kind of arrogance that is coextensive with ignorance.
Let me share one of my experiences, to shed some light on this. My teacher failed to update her 1990s notes which said AIDS can spread via simple contact and touch. A simple apology in front of the class would have sufficed. Instead she went on to substantiate her argument by claiming “how do we know that there are no such instances, there are ‘experience’. Don’t be amazed, this is only the tip of iceberg composed of bullshit one finds in third world universities
Here, arises the experience game. I truly, warmly welcome diversity in experience and opinions. But I do not make it a tool to escape from coherent meaningful arguments. This is a curse of postmodernism that has successfully invaded our lives — as a convenient escape mechanism.
As though experience and subjective information, could be scientifically demonstrated and standardised, people tend to use these in academic and intellectual discourse. This has two consequences. One, it distracts in the present from the kind of intellectual rigour that is requires. Second, in the long term, it paves way for a culture of loud ignorance.
But again, I am no expert to academically or epistemologically analyse postmodernism. I request you to read this piece by Nisshanth
Coming back to the experience I had with my professor, I am sceptical of her authority over the subject based on reason, knowledge and scientific literature, which could also be proven in lab if need be. So how do we find who the Experts are?
Who is an ‘Expert’ first of all? I can learn a number of medical texts on my own. It would help me understand the clinical parameters in diagnosing Diabetes Mellitus and look for diabetic symptoms in a patient (because I am a Biochemist). But can I treat a patient suffering from Diabetic Coma and Glucoma? If I can, what’s the need for highly experienced Diabetologists, surgeons and ophthalmologists? We see trainee doctors killing their wives in the name of delivering babies at home.
What is going wrong? Expert is an expert? Oh come on.. Yes, you caught me again. Even I am beating around the bush, without defining an expert. An expert is a specialist with specific knowledge of a specific domain (but not blind to others)- both theoretical and practical. He/She is better informed and proficient to handle the requirements of the profession.
Let’s take the same doctor example. I understand the genuine concern, Indians have about health sector and how it is highly commercialized. But in a public health emergency like Covid, after suffering from 5 days of fever, if you stay at home , refusing to see an allopath, you are making a huge mistake that could possibly cost not just your life but also that of your near and dear ones. There should always be reasonable scepticism, not arrogance.
Any Midwife of a PHC worker can deliver the baby successfully, as long as it doesn’t involve any medical complication. So why has everyone become expert now? The Foremost of the reasons for this is education and the manifold increase in the number of degree holders. Don’t judge me. Come on. I am no exclusionist elite. I am for social justice and welfare. But stay with me while I explain myself.
We all have shades of what is being touted as the Dunning Kruger effect. Let me explain. We all have people in our social gatherings who act as if they know everything. We ,despite knowing this , pander to his pile of lies and tend to agree at least at face value that he is right to some extent. It’s a part of being nice. Unfortunately, now we see not just one, but the hordes of people interacting in this manner where they never get to point out what is wrong with the other.
Education was actually to deal with this confirmation bias. Sadly, universities diverted themselves from this goal. Result? We have lakhs of engineers graduating in India and less than 3% of them are taking up an engineering job. They are not to be blamed as well. Like Gramsci says — All of us are intellectuals, but not all of them are capable of being intellectual by profession in the society.
Yes. There can be only one Socrates, One Plato, One Ambedkar, etc… Ignorance is allowed and Socrates is the wisest man ever because he knew that he knew not most of the things and ideas.
Educational institution and professors who were supposed to meticulously produce the academic spirit and domain knowledge are being increasingly kicked out of mainstream educational institutions .For example, Bret Weinstein, Heather and Jordon Peterson.
It has to be noted that the breeding intolerance and childish rejection of any authority, makes us go along with strongly held opinions however ridiculous they are — even if one is convinced that the torchlight is the same as the sun.
There is an undercurrent of resentment of educated elites in the west and also in India. There is this strange romanticizing of the wisdom of the commons and self-educated geniuses in this country. Democratisation in politics and equality in social sphere, does not mean, there is no truth and falsity, there is no big or small in real worldly experiences. Yes there are differences and inequalities, but you have to get to table! Talk with each other and not talk at each other.
Public debates are supposed to be healthy. To disagree is a fundamental right. But at the same time to disagree is not to disrespect. We have to discuss enough for any change in this culture of intolerance.
And Finally Experts are not infallible. Yes experts produced Nuclear weapons. They have unleashed biowars. But one expert can intellectually thwart another expert. A walk amidst Jokers will be nothing but a cultivated suicide of the entire human race!
