Quote:One of the overriding things I learned there was critical thinking.
I think this is an excellent point, Soz. I believe the great writers, science and philosophers invite critical thinking. Especially scientists, or most of them. And if critical thinking makes you a liberal then I think many conservative or narrow minded "liberals" will stand to gain from exposure to it. My definition of conservative, or my generalized definition is someone who resists change and avoids critical thinking, regardless of whether that person identifies himself as a liberal or a conservative. Analytic thinking is liberal in my opinion.
So Rose, if you're worried about changing your mind, you probably will be challenged when you get to the university. But it seems you have an inquiring mind, so I suspect you'll enjoy it. And I'll add my welcome to you. You seem like you can hold your own just fine.
Now nimh,
Your wrote:
Quote:. . . implying that studying works like the list of authors you summed up is what one does when one attends college. That seems like a great idealisation of what is taught and studied at college, regardless of which books you yourself read in or after attending college.
That was basically all of my point on that one.
PS - what did you study? That would probably be a relevant question here too ... not an overwhelming number of chemistry students who habitually finish Ulysses only to pick up A la reserche du temps perdu next ...
It was late last night and I didn't express my ideas clearly enough perhaps. I said this:
Quote:I'm running out of breath....but how can someone read and study these great works of literature, philosophy and science, together with the great artists and maintain a resistance to change?
Which admittedly was not as clear as I could have been on the subject you address. But to expand on it, I think students in the sciences are especially exposed to the concept of the scientific method, e.i. critical thinking right away. It's hard to stay a conservative while studying critical thinking, that was my point. A point Soz made much better than I. Any subject requires a person to think critically....well except maybe business administration. But even those students are required to take at least one English lit course and usually two years of science. So if you'd said Business majors rather than students in Chemistry, I would agree with you. But even business majors are exposed to ideas they have not come across before and most are challenged to think and defend their positions.
I think most students, both conservative and liberal can expect a challenge to their pre-conceived notions in college. The idea that college can make you either liberal or conservative is a flawed idea, I'd say.
Perhaps I'm letting my experience on another similar (in some ways) thread, Foxfire's Diversity in Everything but Thought, color my response. I think it's foolish to blame a professor or professors or any experience, for that matte,r for anything a person believes. College will open a person's mind and expose them to ideas other than the ones they've ever encountered before (for most students.) If the students come out more liberal than conservative, then that's the way it is.
Rather than say that this phenomenon is caused by college or liberal professors, one might instead wonder why it's so. I think it's because critical thinking, the scientific method and complex characters and situations in literature challenge the conservative mindset and expose students to doubt. Doubt is a freedom and a necessary component for the scientific method. In my experience, many conservative homes teach their children to avoid doubt. How can anyone be educated and do that?
Sorry if I wasn't clear before.
In answer to your question. I studied Psychology and Sociology. Actually I eventually graduated as a sociology major (and went on to graduate school in Social Work) with a minor in Psych. But I was fascinated by English lit, and almost had a minor there as well. I also was profoundly interested in science, math (especially geometry), art and philosophy (especially logic), but one eventually has to choose. College was a wonderful experience and I would not be the same person I am today without it. It opened my world.
And panz.........no, we don't. Bernie just likes to complain about all the work he has to do while I play on a2k.
