How to Acquire Knowledge, High Culture, and Scientific Expertise

Practical steps to counter knowledge-acquisition discrimination

There was once a time when the academic strength of America was unparalleled. A largely meritocratic system yielded some of the best science imaginable. Over the course of many decades, the system became corrupted by the steady encroachment of a dysfunctional ideology, in many cases indistinguishable from the discredited theories of Marx and Lysenko. The events of recent months may have triggered its final death spasm. Therefore, we live in an age of great chaos, but also of great potential.

While I have no illusions regarding the competency or efficacy of the current presidential administration, I do believe that it is performing an unpleasant but necessary task of eliminating institutions too decrepit to repair. Therefore, this is a rare and valuable opportunity in which to create new institutions to further the intellectual development of our society. It has been the custom for the past several decades to fund such arcane studies as X-ray astronomy through taxpayer dollars. It is unfortunate that many experts in these scientific fields too abstract to generate quarterly profits are finding their positions indiscriminately eliminated along with the erstwhile high priests of the progressive civil religion. However, if we, the independent thinkers fail to provide an environment in which those experts can pursue their studies in peace, they shall naturally advocate for, and hope to reconvene in progressive government structures similar to those in which they formerly inhabited either in Europe or in a hypothetical progressive presidency of the future. Therefore, we ignore the concerns of these unmoored and disoriented former elite at our own peril. This task is not as Herculean as it might have been only a few decades ago, as many of the universities of this nation have made it increasingly difficult to justify their own existence. For example, the University of West Virginia demands a yearly budget upwards of one billion dollars, yet eliminated mathematics as a field of study, as well as its entire foreign language department. Replacing such sclerotic and corrupt institutions is therefore a fruitful and desirable task.

This brings us to the fundamental question of this article. How should a young man of ambition surpass the arbitrary barriers of knowledge acquisition discrimination? Knowledge-acquisition discrimination is perhaps best described as the preference of employers, and society at large for credentials such as college degrees rather than raw knowledge and ability. The origins of this phenomenon, as well as some potential legal remedies are perhaps best described by Theon Ultima in this rather well-reasoned essay.

Colleges used to impart the cultural background of Western civilization, a fairly stable body of knowledge; this included an appreciation for great art, music, and at least a rudimentary understanding of Latin and Greek. This knowledge is what formerly set the university graduate apart from the self-taught man. While this culture is for the most part no longer imparted through the universities, the universities themselves have become the status symbol, a false proxy for true culture. For this reason the key to countering knowledge-acquisition discrimination is to develop the ability to obtain culture outside an academic context. Whosoever does so successfully will be able to converse and be at ease with the elite — and do so far better than your typical college graduate.

There are many institutions that have emerged of late for the purpose of rapid, focused instruction in a technical field, most commonly data science or full stack development. They are often called “boot camps” and purport to offer the same technical content as a college degree at vastly reduced prices. However, these would-be competitors to universities fail to solve two fundamental problems. Boot camp graduates, and to a certain extent the general population of STEM students, fail to acquire a cultural background befitting their technical acumen. Furthermore, they often graduate bereft of social connections within industry, and have little to show for their efforts beyond a “capstone project” which is usually abstruse, bearing little resemblance to the kinds of tasks encountered on the job. For these reasons we must become elite ourselves. To do so, it is helpful if one acquires additional languages, and develops a durable attention span suitable for the perusal of literary classics. It is also essential to develop an appreciation of such elements of high culture as classical music or great films. One easy way is to elevate one’s tastes in science fiction, substituting consumer pablum such as Star Wars with intellectually stimulating authors like Heinlein. However, such efforts are best undertaken not in isolation, but within a society of like-minded and highly motivated individuals. It is for this reason that I joined the Tortuga Society.

Indeed, I predict that there will soon be many such organizations, but they are all as yet in their infancy. These organizations shall not only serve as places to learn science and mathematics efficiently. They shall also serve as places for discussion of art and culture, thereby serving as environments which prepare these ambitions young men to navigate the upper echelons of society with confidence and success. There is no better way to cultivate ones verbal skills than intellectual discussion. In time, these new societies shall take on a more difficult task: the reorganization of artistic patronage and scientific investigation within a private context.

As discussed at length within The Gentleman Scientist, this state of affairs in which most scientific investigation is conducted within the confines of the federal government is quite abnormal and has come into existence only within the past six or seven decades. As it collapses, many scientists might flee for Europe or Asia, perceiving a more stable environment for research. However, this can be avoided if a few farsighted individuals create private infrastructure for funding and developing science. Science need not be seen purely as a dedicated career, but also as a gentleman’s hobby, and can be conducted after hours by the intelligent programmer or engineer as a pleasant diversion. In time, this will lead to scientific investigation again becoming the Faustian pursuit of gentlemen, rather than a bureaucratic undertaking of governments. The same set of actions can be taken with regards to the arts. Private associations can promote the study of great books, the learning of foreign languages, and the development of classical architecture. Membership in such an association will go a long way in making the self-taught man a legitimate member of the new society.

Therefore, the solution to the Elite Human Capital question which has caused so much rancor within the intellectual right lies within the realm of private action. To prevent the reemergence of nostalgia for our erstwhile liberal institutions, we must prove that we can create something superior to them. What once was can surely be again...