The Often Blind Acceptance Of Truth

An Old Blog Entry

The Often Blind Acceptance of Truth

You know, one thing I’ve noticed lately is the tendency for people to generally believe what they are told. Rarely, does one jump out on a limb, to question the truthfulness or degree of accuracy of a statement. Surprisingly, I’ve noticed this to an extensive degree in the academic world. It’s ironic to say the least, as many professors and educators strive relentlessly to teach their students to “question everything.” In a paradoxical fashion that statement is practiced half-heartedly. It’s almost as if those who hold supposed “authoritative views” on a certain subject should “never be doubted,” however students should question any truth from the government, or told to them by society or religion. For fun, I’ll provide an example of a statement that went literally unquestioned during one of my classes at Oakland University.

It’s 1:00 or so, in the afternoon, freezing outside, and I’m staring out the window, preparing my mind for an hour and forty seven minutes of lecture on Comparative Politics. Some hate the idea of being in class, viewing it more as a prison cell, than a class room. I on the other hand, don’t particularly mind it. I find most classes relatively interesting, and if I get bored, I’ll at least be able to play a game on my cell phone or something. (Something I could not get away with back in High School). Anyways, long story short, our professor makes his way to the front of the classroom and begins to lecture. During which, it’s obvious students let their minds wander to just about anywhere they can go, while other display a general indifferent expression, and of course, there are a few intensive listeners. It’s not that students don’t ask their professors questions, heck I rarely go through a class where at student doesn’t have questions, it’s that a student never truly “questions” his or her professor.

The topic of the hour was the birth and evolution of civilizations, and our Prof, was going over what he saw as the “4 types of societies” including: bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states. He referenced that humans have lived in bands (that being a closely knit group of about 20-50 humans, who make their living as hunter-gatherers and lack any type of governmental structure) for about 40 million years. He went on to inform the class of all the characteristics of these civilizations. Pausing to think about everything he was saying, is it anything but “totally weird” that no one questioned exactly how he knows this? I mean, come to think of it, what would his answer be? Would it just be a reference to carbon dating, of supposed prehistoric objects which seems to prove everything nowadays? Now, I am not attempting to write to prove anything about the age of the earth, or creationism, or anything of that sort.. This is pure confusion, to why no one bothers to ask how we know this information is correct or not. I mean, if this type of information is accepted as inherently true, it may be extremely dangerous to the academic world. Students should, and do have the freedom to question the information their given. Yet it seems a rare occasion. I’ll admit it; I’m right with ya in the boat.

Numerous explanations could be given, to why students don’t ever truly question their professor. The most obvious being, that he or she holds the students grade in their hands, and the last thing a student wants, is to be on the bad side of one who “controls” their future. Another reason could be, students don’t want to come across as “prideful” and full of themselves, however one could ask without a tone of pride. Its academic freedom we’re talking about here.