FRIDAY, 10 JUNE 2011
A scourge has been haunting public debate in recent months – on TV, on the internet, on radio, and on other media. This scourge can only be described in one way: false intellectuals.
These people will never make themselves vulnerable in public debates by playing according to the rules of intellectual discourse. Verifiable facts are rarely mentioned during their performances. Self-confidence and tone of voice are used as weapons to “win” the argument – or to at least create the impression that this is the case.
These people contribute nothing to the conversation. Or rather, what they do sometimes contribute is completely overwhelmed by their unsubstantiated allegations, criticism that is not supported by a reasonable, well laid-out argument, and statements that bear little or no semblance to reality – statements made merely for entertainment value, to get applause from their fans.
False intellectuals are indeed the enemy of intelligent discourse.
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