Over-educated and Under-employed.

Further to my previous post regarding the confounding of education on the one hand and training on the other: I see “Fever” (no “Dr” for that impostor!) has popped up again protesting my claim that education properly conceived concerns participating” (not “postulating,” you cretin) in “the great conversation of mankind.” This is why the OP is so depressed. It all comes from misconceiving the nature of what education is all about. I hope his mother speaks sharply to him.

Cheerio!

: “Fever” (no “Dr” thanks) is back up claiming that the B.Comm and the MBA “could be considered training for a career (i.e., a job).” Unusually, Fever is right! This is confirmed by his sarcastic comment, “But hey, let’s let the Intellegentia of the world have their sanctimonious wanker sessions.” You do see Fever’s fevered anti-intellectualism don’t you, one which, in his view, trumps the “Intellegentia.” Get back to the counting house Fever, and have YOUR OWN wanker sessions! (That is, after you and your kind have raped the economy!)

A pleasure as always.

Cheerio!

Good evening.

Further to “Dr” Fever’s observations, I have always maintained that Bachelor of Commmerce and MBS graduates should, at convocation, be given a pair of red braces rather than a gown and hood (and maybe a mortarboard). They (the braces, not the gown and hood) symbolize their new owners’ primary attachment and concerns.

Of course, Fever is letting his Underclass mentality show – I have nowhere maintained that university is for the “privileged few” (how’s my quoting skills, Fever?). On the contrary. It shold be open to EVERYONE OF TALENT which, “ipso facto,” excludes the red braces. (Can you get past your Underclass anger and resentments to grasp that, Fever?).

But I was particularly intrigued by Fever’s claim that “A Ph.D. in Philosophy is not a real doctorate.” Really, Fever, is that so? I hope everyone is waiting and watching because I want Fever to specify just WHY this is so. You must give reasons for your assertions, Fever. It’s what they teach you, among other things, to do in university. To simply assert something without evidence or reasons is the quintessential mark of membership in the Underclass all of whom – obviously including you – think that they automatically should be given doctorates (or at least masters degrees) for making unsupported assertions such as your own. By the way, Fever, did you ever attend university?

We’re waiting Fever, we’re waiting!

A pleasure as always.

Cheerio!

Still waiting for Fever to support his fatuous claim that a Ph.D. in philosophy is not a “real” doctorate. In the meantime we have two comments I’d like to quickly dismiss:

: Any comments by, to, or about Smegface will in future be replied to by me with “cf: Comment #432, ‘Going fishing on Friday.'” In its abbreviated form, this will simply be “#432.”

: The Gargoyle is back up giving her profound “thoughts” on the subject of Ph.D.s in Philosophy. Such “thoughts,” of course, begin and end with money. It appears, sadly, that’s what The Gargoyle is all about.

: I hope that others who are more enlightened are sharpening their pencils (and their wits) in preparation for Fever’s DEMONSTRATION – don’t just tell us, Fever, SHOW us! – that a Ph.D. in Philosophy is not a “real” doctorate. Now is the time to prepare for your initiation into critical thinking. But don’t worry, I’ll be backing you up.
Let’s hold Fever’s feet to the fire!

Cheerio!

Oh no, it’s Dim Bro Tim back up and asking his usual pedestrian and vacuous questions.

Well Dim Bro, to answer your question, a Ph.D. is required to have an informed and critical public, at least at the upper end of the social spectrum (one with which, of course, you are clearly not familiar). I know that this will not be a satisfactory answer for you Dim Bro, since it is not directly connected to a job of some sort, the only thing that appears to focus your attention. But, Dim Bro, there we are. All I know is that I can say – and that you will understand – nothing more.

But where is “Dr” Fever? Where is that boy? We’re waiting Fever! Show yourself!

Cheerio!

“Well, class, it appears that Mr. Fever will not be visitng us today to defend his view that a Ph.D. in Philosophy is not a ‘real doctorate,’ to use his expression. However, I don’t think that we should let the opportunity slip through our fingers. Hands only now, does anyone want to express their opinion about Mr. Fever and his views? Yes John, what do you want to say?

Please sir, I think that Mr. Fever might just be afraid of us. He knows that we will be criticizing him and he wants to hide. He might be even be hiding in that broom closet over there.

(Laughing) Thank you John. You could be right. Let me write that down on the board:

(1) Mr. Fever is afraid and might be hiding in the broom closet. Anyone else? Yes Mary?

I don’t know, sir, but I think it might be more than just being afraid. I think he might be jealous of you having a Ph.D. in Philosophy and just wants to vent his spite.

Thank you Mary, unfortunately some people do react that way, particularly when they haven’t attended university at all. Let me write that down on the board:

2. Mr. Fever is jealous because he doesn’t have a Ph.D. in Philosophy. Anyone else? Yes Crispin?

I think it’s more than just psychological with Mr. Fever, sir. I don’t think he knows what Philosophy is. I don’t think he understands the three main branches of Philosophy – ontology, epistemology and ethics – nor does he understand the specific applications of Philosophy such as the Philosophy of History, the Philosophy of Science, and so on.

You are certainly on to something there Crispin. Here, let me write that down on the board:

(3) Mr. Fever doesn’t understand Philosophy. Very good. Anyone else? Yes Ophelia?

I think that the trouble goes even deeper than that, sir. I think that Mr. Fever is not aware of his own assumptions and preconceptions. He doesn’t seem to understand where he is coming from. Judging by his statement, sir, I would say that Mr. Fever is a narrow pragmatist, one who places value only on material goods. Everything else – the humanities in particular – is irrelevant to Mr. Fever. Paradoxically, sir, Mr. Fever, while criticizing Philosophy, is simply not aware of his own conceptual framework. His conceptual framework, of course, IS his own philosophy!

That is outstanding Ophelia! (She is one of the brightest in the class.) Let me write that down:

(4) Mr. Fever does not understand that he, like everyone else, MUST have his OWN philosophy in terms of which he comprehends the world. Not to realize this is to be truly stupid. Thank you again for that Ophelia.

Well, thank you for your input this morning, class. I think we have managed to salvage some pretty worthwhile thoughts even if Mr. Fever was unable to visit. Class dismissed!

Cheerio!

Good Evening.

Not much in the mailbag:

: The Gargoyle writes that Mr. Fever “has been absent from this board for some time.” Really, Gargoyle? Then what was he doing here on November 29, two days ago?

I guess that’s about it.

Cheerio!

Dear, dear, dear, and I had thought I had cleared away all the detritus and dissolved all those intellectual cramps. Oh well, time to get back to work.

Two comments require my attention, the first positive the second, well, not so much. First the positive:

: The Commandante has asked, whether knowingly or not, one of the two fundamental philosophical questions from which all further reflection springs. In respect to Fever’s claim that a Ph.D. in Philosophy has “no practical use,” he asks, “What do you mean?” (The second fundamental philosophical question, of course, is: “How do you know?”) Does Fever mean “the ability to make a decent living?” Perhaps the “cultivation of scholarly habits of mind?” (Drop the stupid example, Commandante.) Or, finally, does Fever mean “practical use” in its barebones sense of “building a better mousetrap?” Excellent questions, Commandante, but you mustn’t let Fever off the hook since those “scholarly habits of mind” include a terrier-like persistence. Well, then, what DOES Fever mean?

: The short answer is that Fever doesn’t know what he means, but his pure ignorance on the issue is breathtaking. One naturally expected something in its most fundamentally materialistic and pragmatic sense from Fever since his mind clearly does not rise above the “mousetrap” level. But one is gobsmacked at the unadulterated stupidity of his response. By “practical use” Fever means that which will launch one on a career path, and “that’s only one thing; medical doctor.” It’s hard to believe, but the buffoon has confounded the Ph.D. with the M.D.! In other words, Fever doesn’t know the basic distinctions between different sorts of degrees! One cannot enter into a philosophical discussion with someone who is both ignorant – Fever doesn’t know his basic distinctions – and stupid – Fever proceeds to preen smugly on his own ignorance!

How did this fool get out of the broom closet?

A pleasure as always.

Cheerio!

Dear, dear, here we go again.

In response to my claim that he doesn’t know the difference between a M.D. and a Ph.D. (both of which, of course, are called “Dr.” – a title to which he was never entitled but only stole – Fever says “Tsk, tsk, paraphrasing again, a sign of weakness.” Well, Fever, let’s quote you directly. No “paraphrasing.”

Your initial statement read: “Commmandante, let me clarify; ‘practical’ means any field where s Ph.D. is required for you to take the career path. Typically, that’s only one thing; medical doctors.” You do grasp the meaning of your own words, don’t you Fever? You do understand what they mean, don’t you?

Now, in the latest post, you come on chiding me for paraphrasing you, a “sign” as you put it, “of weakness.” But here’s what you said in your most recent post, Fever: “I said that is typically medical doctors that get the most and prominent usage of a Ph.D.”

Two things Fever: First, my quotation was NOT a paraphrase as you maintain but rather an accurate rendering of what you actually said. It was never a “sign of weakness” as you suggest. Rather, it is a sign of YOUR weakness to try and scuttle away from your own words CLAIMING that it was a paraphrase.

Secondly, your sentence is incoherent. Typically, medical doctors NEVER get “their most and prominent usage of a Ph.D.” (whatever that means). Medical doctors never get their “most and prominent usage of a Ph.D.” because – are you sitting down Fever? – they DON’T HAVE ONE! Medical doctors don’t have Ph.D.s, Fever. They have M.D.s. You do grasp that, don’t you Fever?

I knew it was going to be a muddle debating with someone like Fever whose ignorance is compounded by conceptual confusion (aka stupidity). Will someone please push him back into the broom closet?

A pleasure as always.

Cheerio!