are old people useless

[theredphoenix2]

I love sensational titles. Maybe it's because I like to mildly offend people and then say, no, no, it's okay, we cool, right? So here is another vaguely political entry, because I have a few curious ideas floating around

Comments

[ballcoach]

In short, there is less of an emphasis on propriety of relationships (between the youth and parents, elders, authority) for the sake of emboldening individual rights. Not all bad, I reiterate, but the side-effects are starting to show. Obedience is utterly passe. Moral authority is passing from the hands of the well-established traditions and authorities to individual consciences. This move towards individual conscience reflects some sort of truth regarding the process of moral decision-making, but not in terms of determining moral truth itself (another subject for another time). However, the individual is becoming the ruler of his or her own world and (key point) is closing himself or herself off to the rest of the world.

There is a lack of openness to things they feel they do not want to hear. It's a paradox - opinions become fixed and held onto as if they were dogma, yet everyone is said to be entitled to their own opinion and it's okay to have it: "Let's not step on anyone's toes ... but, really, I'm right." So much the worse for being open to truth and being and reality.

Relationships of respect are being transferred to other role models, so the elderly are viewed with some more circumspection rather than admiration. Traditions and the old values are being lost, being labeled as the products of an outdated world-view. The elderly and the wise, too, might become frustrated with this; it could also cause them to either stop caring to divulge wisdom or become less able to muster the energy to express it in the face of a changing world. Who knows. What we have here could be a breakdown in communication - or expression (step (3) above).

Nevertheless, with the dominant emphasis on individual well-being, there's a lot of distraction and attractive noise out there for younger folk, such that the experience of age has a hard time wedging its way into our cognitive space - and when it does it might not have its proper weight.

Lastly, another remark regarding authority and moral wisdom: you make the analogy to a contractor or mechanic. Well said - though I think there's something to be clarified. The kind of knowledge that morality entails is of a different sort than the sort of knowledge a contractor, mechanic, or a doctor would have (at least on a virtue ethical world view). The latter is scientia, knowledge of facts, systematic and functional knowledge, problem-solving knowledge. The former is more inclusive - sapientia - wisdom, a sort of understanding; there are some facts to be known, but it is primarily based in prudence (i.e., the way in which one's facts and knowledge come to bear on one's action; practical wisdom). I may be mischaracterizing the dichotomy, but it's late and I think it's close enough.

However, even in the case of the mechanic, the knowledge of experience can still be telling. The mechanic may hear your car 10 miles down the road and know exactly what the problem is, while it takes the hot-shot newbie with all his gadgets and machines 2 hours to figure out the issue. And that matters when you're paying for labor ;-). In short, prudence and wisdom count much more than just rote knowledge of facts and figures.

The knowledge of experience is at play even in fields of work where more scientia (functional knowledge) is needed than, say, the role of a priest or other moral authority. Where that knowledge is silenced, we are left the worse off. In terms of morality, even more so is the knowledge that comes from prudence and wisdom to be trusted. As such, priests and the like ARE to be trusted more in these matters. Their primary field of study tends to be in both functional knowledge and prudential knowledge of the human person - differences notwithstanding. To reject their general wisdom on ideological grounds seems to me another illustration of the regrettable move towards individualization in morality.

This move, more broadly conceived, is also causing the young to shut out the old more decisively. Add to that an ever widening gap between the old and the young and a socially reinforced lack of respect and you speak truly when you say old people might seem useless.

Another top notch post, my friend! I apologize for not replying more often.

[theredphoenix2]

Very, very good points, sorry it took a while to respond to them but it requires much thought. I think it's interesting why the gap between young and old is so great now. The analogy in the end was kind of in haste and now I see enormous problems with it. It's another debate, but I've always believed there's a false dichotomy between scientia and and sapienta. As Maslov says, "dichotomizing pathologizes" (though he referenced science and religion, I think the principle is close). In conclusion, I concur with your argument in the end about the priest example.

Anyway, thanks for the Aristotle reference, at least they're teaching you well in your program.