Example of promotion of innumeracy, for context? Thanks!
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I have found it common that academics, other "educated" folks, flaunt their own math -phobia and -incompetence: "Yeah, I can't do math. Hahaha." Even: "I *don't* do math," as if they're making a choice of which they're proud. "I can't read" would, by contrast, be mortifying.
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Makes me think where we see similar. Someone mentioned science; I also see it with philosophy, especially scientists who bash philosophy, not understanding the scientific method itself *is* pure philosophy. It's not mere "philosophical illiteracy," it's bizarre antipathy.
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Excellent point. Anecdote: I once told a handful of "colleagues" (college profs) that I began every new program with several hours of epistemology, because understanding how we make claims of truth is necessary to do science. They were baffled, thought it a waste of time.
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Because I am me, I am having a completely unrelated and separate discussion right now with a friend about epistemology, and I just told him how I always start with that, and people often go wrong when they don't. 1/
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As you know, humans are more about self-defense than truth. If I adopt a belief and then try to justify it, I will, because I am defending my belief. That's how we work. In seminary terms, it's eisegesis instead of exegesis. We have to fight it, if we care about truth. 2/2
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Misandry: I can see this in a small number of radical feminist circles maybe But innumeracy? Where is there respect for that? There is certainly a dangerous anti-intellectual or anti-elite fad in this country, but I dont think that's the same.
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I think what she means, or how I took it anyway, is it's much more socially acceptable to say "I hate math", than it is to say, "I can't read."
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Ah. Fair enough. But we read every day. Basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are arguably not even used on a daily basis. And even less common for algebra and beyond. So it's likely more acceptable based on the realities of the average person's daily life
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I’m in sales, I use algebra every day. Algebra is, IMHO, taught very poorly. It’s a super useful ability to have in life. I also dropped out in the tenth grade.
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I would argue that math is everywhere, and is used everyday by those of us who think in math. It enhances our world, renders it more comprehensible. And yes: math is often taught *terribly,* sometimes bc teacher can't teach, sometimes bc teacher him/herself is innumerate.
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I was thinking more in application. I use Excel constantly which is basically an algebra program. No teacher in high school could ever tell me why Algebra is useful, but without it everything I do would be 20 times more complicated.
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And I’m not a computer programmer or engineer, I’m a high school dropout who’s done sales and energy efficiency for the last 15 years.
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You’ve summarized well how bad most formal education is. Many of my best students were people who had been told by school that they were stupid. Some had spent years framing houses, driving forklifts—engaging the physical world, whose feedback doesn’t lie.
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Those are some interesting parallels for sure. That dastardly chattering class!
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Yup. A bunch of dastards. (Looked up "dastard." I assumed it wasn't a word, but it claims to be one. Or, others claim its word-ness on its behalf. We have weakened it by relegating it to perpetual adjective status.)
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Always teaching and always learning

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I'm French-Canadian, so I'm curious - is there a word for those who don't believe in science or take anti-science stance? "Innumeracy" is number-oriented, but what's a good word that encapsulates the denial of science?
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Postmodernist? (Only half joking. It's a good question--what is the science equivalent of innumerate. As far as I know, there is no good word in English. I have, in decades past, argued that every language probably does some things best. Does French have a word for this?)
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HA! I'm an artist who also believes and loves science - and words! So I've wondered this for a while. I don't believe there's a French word for it either. But I think it's time we come up with one because the rate of science denial these days is alarming.
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