Date: Mon, 8 Mar 1999 09:47:15 -0500 From: Bob <suannschafer-AT-earthlink.net> Subject: Re: R: postmodernism and liberalism Thank you Richard. Very helpful. Inspiring, Thought-provoking. >On Fri, 5 Mar 1999, Bob wrote: > >> Yes, that's very interesting -- intellectually, theoretically, academically >> -- as well as assisting us to understand our world from our own privileged >> positions of power in the West -- but how relevant is it to those involved >> in the resistance? > >It's a very good question to which I can only give anecdotal replies from >my own experience. A couple of things come to mind: > >1. In South Africa professional academics have played very prominent roles >in the struggle. Some academics became popular heros of the struggle and >the state certainly saw progressive academics as a serious threat.... > >Most of >my Department is involved in an ongoing and well organised project to >teach and discuss Political Philosophy with trade unionists and we've also >worked with rural communities. And in fact the university where I work has >made a specific commitment to draw its students from the poorest of the >poor communities.... > >2. There are also a number of examples of intellectuals outside of the >academy who have used theory to make an enormous contribution to society.... > >3. There's also something of a tradition here of academics engaging in >popular journalism .... > >4. Right now, for better or worse, academics play a very large role in >designing government policy and in supporting resistence to it.... > >5. And then of course the intellectual still has a role as a social >critic..... > >But perhaps the bottom >line is that when knowledge is shared as widely as possible it *does* >become empowering.....
Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005