A proposed perspective:

Postulated: the nature, quality, and extent of American (USA) pre-college and undergraduate education has played a significantly central role in our arrival at the place where we find ourselves at present.  If so, then plausibly we face multiple decades of work to extricate ourselves.  Technology alone isn’t going to get us out of this, even if technology has played a major role in getting to where we are.

Perhaps a multi-focal discussion in depth will ensue?

Best regards,

Waldemar

Waldemar A Schmidt, PhD, MD
(Perseveret et Percipiunt)
Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 5, 2018, at 4:36 AM, Mark Stahlman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> Gregg:
> 
> Good question!  As we've been discussing, we are currently in the middle of a "counter-culture" -- caused by *digital* technology.  So how do we figure this one out?
> 
> These cultural "transition" events happen at roughly 50-60 year intervals.  Unless the structure of these cultural changes is understood, nothing "adaptive" is possible.
> 
> 2018: Brett Kavanaugh nomination
> 
> 1967: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
> 
> 1917: Russian Revolution
> 
> 1848: Communist Manifesto
> 
> 1789: French Revolution
> 
> Your notion of "Culture" based on mythological mentality (c. 50,000 years ago) clearly can't explain any of this.  "Social psychology" is derived from WW II psychological warfare (i.e. formed the basis of the "Cold War"), so it is equally impotent when facing these challenges.  Sociology is equally crippled.
> 
> Without an understanding of *causality* -- which is what Marshall McLuhan tried to provide in the 1960s counter-culture -- it's just another version of the "elephant in the parlor" with people describing the superficial features of the situation (e.g. "figures") without any clues about what is actually going on (e.g. the "ground.")
> 
> No current social science can provide that understanding.  That is why they all need to be replaced.  Every single one of them.
> 
> Without a thorough understanding of how technology *formally* causes us to behave as we do -- which, in turn, requires an understanding of Aristotle's Causes (not Plato's Forms) -- the headlines will continue to baffle (and, for some, bemuse) . . . !!
> 
> Mark
> 
> P.S. As it turns out, I was the person who gave Tom Friedman the basic idea for his "The World is Flat" -- at a 1997 seminar at the Aspen Institute -- after which he became an "expert" in technology (largely supplied to him by Microsoft.)  Alas, from what I can tell, he has forgotten most of what I taught him.  He now appears to be just another blind-man stumbling around in the dark.
> 
> Quoting "Henriques, Gregg - henriqgx" <[log in to unmask]>:
> 
>> Hi List,
>>  As I am sure you saw, Trump mocked Dr. Ford in his speech the other night, to the applause of the crowd.
>> 
>>  Today, there is the following article about academic hoaxers who are following in the footsteps of Alan Sokal<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__en.wikipedia.org_wiki_Sokal-5Faffair&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=9RlRwjqu2YRx0FjmrCZnMIe0QgG43MpG0r7-P4LEKEI&e=> (an event I covered in my final Fifth Joint Point chapter), and attempting to demonstrate the intellectual vacuity of some of the social justice perspectives in the academy: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2018_10_04_arts_academic-2Djournals-2Dhoax.html-3Femc-3Dedit-5Fth-5F181005-26nl-3Dtodaysheadlines-26nlid-3D352238941005&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=_rfnB4Tz9fNM020_wLJHYf0MbzuCp40ogRjmvFlpPKU&e=
>> 
>>  I am sharing these two events for us to reflect on where we are in terms of our social identity, and how to think about it. I think the juxtaposition between these two events is striking. As Tom Friedman put it a couple of days ago<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.nytimes.com_2018_10_02_opinion_the-2Damerican-2Dcivil-2Dwar-2Dpart-2Dii.html&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=VmoIkb7EvrI-13_ZzdVzsboT1sPdzkponDOACNqP5s0&e=> (American Civil War, Part II), we are about as ideologically divided as ever before.
>> 
>>  Given this, and our knowledge of psychology and sociology, what might be some adaptive paths going forward?
>> 
>> Best,
>> Gregg
>> 
>> ___________________________________________
>> Gregg Henriques, Ph.D.
>> Professor
>> Department of Graduate Psychology
>> 216 Johnston Hall
>> MSC 7401
>> James Madison University
>> Harrisonburg, VA 22807
>> (540) 568-7857 (phone)
>> (540) 568-4747 (fax)
>> 
>> Be that which enhances dignity and well-being with integrity.
>> Check out my Theory of Knowledge blog at Psychology Today at:
>> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.psychologytoday.com_blog_theory-2Dknowledge&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=CXs_7BDqrVGSLytuiklmDl7n2aJ2Jv77rxodEPRUnBc&e=
>> 
>> Check out my webpage at:
>> www.gregghenriques.com<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.gregghenriques.com&d=DwIBaQ&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=HPo1IXYDhKClogP-UOpybo6Cfxxz-jIYBgjO2gOz4-A&m=L43AqSoOXAohCdYEQ4Jyyp-oOcHT3mW-x979veW31fU&s=x6pQgSyB_w6HWjhczYxvdgcpUw5HufOBuafQSCY_Pas&e=>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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