Re: (Il)Literacy Problem in the West
Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2023 12:34 pm
Repost of OP, Page 11:
Wizard22 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 16, 2023 11:20 amHave you noticed the glaring problem of Illiteracy in the West?
A core function of Literacy is to read something, and repeat it back (voice or text) word-for-word, letter-for-letter. It seems that most Westerners cannot do this. It should be easy, especially through textual interface, which the internet was/is built for. All you have to do, is press the 'Quote' function, and you should be able to reproduce what others have said. But it seems, most are incapable even of this.
The first part of Literacy is Copying text and integrating it into memory, something the ancient Greeks and Hellenes were particularly skilled and proud of, hence their exceptional skill in Philosophical Dialogues and conversation.
The second part of Literacy is Interpretation, which means proving that you understand the Intent of the Author, the Author agrees with your re-wording, and that you have a response or reaction beyond the interpretation. Without Understanding, there is *NO LITERACY*.
You have not understood the Author.
You CANNOT even repeat what the Author did say or write.
A primary indication I experience with illiteracy of my philosophical adversaries and opponents is Intellectual Dishonesty.
I presume, as a matter of practice, to go into every thread and response with a "clean slate" of sorts. Opponents should be allowed to change their minds, to be persuaded by higher reasoning. Philosophers and their Hobbyists, hypothetically, begin from a position of Ignorance rather than Knowing. In other words, in a Philosophical context, you should have an open-mind and presume that nobody is beginning from a position of Truth or Righteousness. Rather these values come toward the End of arguments and conversation, if at all. This is categorically opposed to the Religious and Fundamentalist mind, who begin with either Truth or Righteousness, or Both from the onset.
When you confront these types in Philosophy, it becomes very clear, very immediately, who and what they are.
Because they have a Bias, an Agenda, an underlying Morality and Metaphysics operating, from whence they Rationalization and Reason. Everybody does, but in the context of philosophy, they are unpracticed in Suppressing these biases so that an "Alternate Choice" can exist. Fundamentalists cannot do this, for many reasons, some of which are a mental (brain) inability to consider and rationalize 'oppositional' worldviews. They can lack Imagination. They can lack Tolerance. They lack Sympathy and Patience (for an inferior perspective).
All of these Blockade the capacity and potential for Literacy.
Because when anybody begins Philosophy from a position of 'Knowing' (in advance), then you cannot be Literate, because you cannot tolerate any points which contradict your own.
This is especially apparent in people with a very low tolerance for Cognitive Dissonance.
They cannot read books, argue well, cannot be Learned, because immediate contradictions disallow them from reading extensively into an oppositional Metaphysic and foreign Perspective (lacking Empathy).