
Why I Quit Academia - luu
https://aardvark-lily-k2lz.squarespace.com/transcripts/archives/quit-academia
======
rubidium
“ None of us in this seminar were able to mount any plausible arguments
against Nozick, not because he’s correct, but because we had so little
experience arguing against anything that far right.“

Author discovered a PhD thesis topic worth writing, perhaps without knowing
it.

Overall, the article gives the impression the author correctly realized
academia grinds up cogs in the wheel; but didn’t have the desire/ability to
tilt against the system (eg not be a cog), and so quit. Fair enough, but not
really worth reading about.

~~~
notsag-hn
It is worth reading for people that are in the same situation feeling there's
something wrong with them just for not fitting in a certain academic
environment. There's bullshit everywhere, but when you're not experienced
enough to have seen that by yourself you are likely to think you're the
problem, so it's good somebody points that out, even if the actual cogs say
it's not worth the read.

------
raincom
Interesting to see how some sections of academia is dumbing down the future
generations: "Anyway, the low point of this guy’s endless, beginningless,
argument-free impromptu lectures came when he baldly asserted that the poetry
of Milton had a direct influence on the workings of ISIS. Yes, this would be
John Milton, the 17th century English poet, and ISIS, the contemporary Syrian
terrorist organization. And what evidence did the professor adduce in support
of this outrageous claim? None whatso-fucking-ever. And the other grad
students in the room just sat there nodding knowingly, taking notes like a
bunch of sycophants. No one raised their hand, no one said, “Excuse me
professor, but what in Jesus’ name are you fucking talking about?” I didn’t
even say anything. I had no spine!"

------
igorkraw
For context: this should be named "Why I quit academia", it is the transcript
of a by now un-published YouTube video by YouTuber Contrapoints
[https://www.contrapoints.com/transcripts](https://www.contrapoints.com/transcripts)

who now does (very insightful) video essays on YouTube.

------
cafard
Uber driver? Well, the pay, benefits, and power there must be more or less
comparable to what an adjunct gets...

~~~
Zuider
And I suppose cleaning the occasional strawberry dachary puke is less onerous
than cleaning up a whole swath of term papers.

------
dzogchen
Boy am I happy I figured this out in my first undergraduate year of studying
philosophy.

------
uniqueid
I like ContraPoints, but...

    
    
        > You have to go to YouTube for the 
        > real entertainment, and also, frankly, for the 
        > real debate.
    

My take is that academics came to consensus on some debates, and moved on. If
it's a far left consensus, well, they're the experts. History shows us we
should be wary about pressuring academia to conform to popular opinion
(astronomy and Catholicism, academia and Nazism, academia and the USSR)

We could as easily apply her complaint to Science; the "real entertainment"
and "real debate" about whether Earth is flat also happens on Youtube.

~~~
drewcoo
I don't think that ContraPoints of all people meant hard right reactionaries
when she wrote about real debates on YouTube.

Now where can I find this far left consensus? The closest I've been able to
find is a soft left toothless socialism, the tepid centrism of FDR
cheerleaders, and the soft right wing stance of the modern liberal, seeking a
more inclusive-looking, more profitable status quo. I'd love to find like-
minded leftists!

~~~
uniqueid

        > where can I find this far left consensus?
    

Most academics today are opposed to racism, classism and fascism. Those
positions, which were up for debate not a century ago, are essentially first
principles now (outside of social media).

------
skrebbel
The copywriting example is amazing indeed.

