Why is Intellectualism not Consistent with Traditionalism?

John Savage has an interesting couple of connected posts over at Brave New World Watch that deal with this question. In the original entry entitled Have We Always Had Lindsay Lohans? John cites a marxist author, Dwight Macdonald, whose writings he used to read and have an affinity for. I can't make heads or tails out of what Mr. Macdonald is saying, to be candid, but that's beside the point.

John's post, having been inspired by VA's post on the same subject, which is from an opposing view which I find myself more in agreement with, seems to equate VA's position (and my position via my agreement with hers) with that of Mr. Macdonald's on some level. If I'm misinterpreting him, I trust he'll set me straight...

John goes on to explain in his sentence following the excerpted quote that writings like Mr. Macdonald's, which stimulated some of his youthful exuberance about the superiority of 'intellectualism' caused him to speak in similarly elitist styles of 'proper' marxist prose during his more formidable years, but that now having lost much of that passion, he regards with a great deal of skepticism the charge often leveled from traditionalist circles that today's America is uniquely 'dumbed down.' John's position seems to be that the accusation itself emanates more from a liberal perspective on the subject than from a traditionalist one. But is this true?

John seems to believe that the founding generation was simply an exception to the rule that Americans have otherwise lived and conducted themselves by regarding their approach to 'education,' which to him is one of a tradition of anti-intellectualism, which he dates back to the election of the non-intellectual President, Andrew Jackson, following what some of us would term 'Western Expansion and Deterioration.' John and I would agree that the founding generation was an exceptional one educationally speaking, but in what way?

On the point that the founding generation was an exception to the rule as per its emphasis on education, I would disagree simply on the basis that the generations preceding the founding generation seem to have placed a great deal of emphasis on providing their youth with a quality education, “...dreading to leave an illiterate ministry to the churches.” I quote here from “New England's First Fruits,” c. 1643, so it would appear, in light of the whole document, that unless John believes the founding generation to have extended to the establishment of the first colonies in America, his thought that that generation was an exception, at least to that point, is misplaced. I would further disagree on the basis that it simply seems logical to me that the deterioration in the quality of education in America thereafter, given that John acknowledges at least a peak in education level during the founding generation, must have occurred at a slow and something of a steady rate; probably at a rate that was not that noticeable, or that was not that alarmingly noticeable to most except academics of the time(s). This would imply to me that Americans, rather than having always had a 'contempt for learning' as John asserts, rather developed a contempt for it over time.

John seems to think that Americans have always rejected intellectualism; that this is one of the essences of American 'traditionalism,' and that today's traditionalists, to be true to their 'traditionalism,' would also tend to reject the idea of 'intellectualism.' This is where I might agree with John, though perhaps for different reasons than he. I've been critical of 'intellectualism' on numerous occasions here and elsewhere. And here again I think we might need to properly define our terms.

My view of modern intellectualism (and to be fair to John, he doesn't use the term with the suffix attached) is consistent with John's view, I think, that it is an 'elitist' idea at its core. In this sense I reject intellectualism, and I've always considered that to be consistent with my 'traditionalism.' 'Intellectuals,' particularly the self-proclaimed types, tend to see themselves as possessing a higher order of knowledge that puts them in the unique position of always knowing the better way. In a very real sense these folks tend to think of themselves as being almost 'all-knowing.' I once read it expressed by one of these self proclaimed types as “knowledge is power; anything else isn't.” And though the author of that quote feigned a belief that the 'lower classes' had big enough brains to become intellectuals themselves, this was really not consistent with his true view of the subject, which he simply could not help but make known in his other writings. His way was the better way because his intellect was superior, and until everyone else's intellect had been raised to his level, he and his type were in a unique position to rule over the lower classes.

But to get back to this idea that American traditionalism and intellect just don't, and never have mixed well, I often lament that the level of education of the average person is far inferior today than it was many years ago. Personally I think that children have a higher capacity for learning than our educational institutions lend themselves to. I believe that the main reason for this is a 'non-traditionalist' philosophy and methodology of education in this country, and that can be reduced to the undue influence of government on education in America. So, while I would agree with John that the quality of education in America has been low for a long time by a certain standard, I would disagree that genuine traditionalism endorses and encourages this on the grounds that a different standard was once applied as regards education, and the kind of 'literacy' it was once supposed to produce.

My position on the subject is consistent with that of “America's Schoolmaster,” Noah Webster, who defined in his 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, the term “education” this way:

EDUCATION: Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations...

Mr. Webster goes on to explain that:

To give children a good education in manners, arts and sciences, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.

To me this is the true 'traditionalist' view of education, as well as the measure of 'literacy' and of intellect, and one that developed over the years from 1620 to 1776. But I think it very interesting that 'traditionalists' disagree as to what constitutes 'traditionalism,' on this question as well as others. I should like to hear some of your thoughts on what you consider to be 'traditionalism,' and why. It is interesting that the term "intellectualism" was not an entry in Webster's 1828, but the term "intellectualist" is, and the definition Webster offers us is itself intriguing in light of this conversation. You may go to the online version of this dictionary at the link provided for it in the right sidebar of this blog.

-DW