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The Thomas Sowell Thread

simosfrostyone said:
Great man. Not easy to be a black conservative.
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Those quotes are fantastic. "The next time academics tell you how important diversity is, ask them how many Republicans there are in their sociology department." Cold-blooded.
 
jhmd2000 said:
Those quotes are fantastic. "The next time academics tell you how important diversity is, ask them how many Republicans there are in their sociology department." Cold-blooded.
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Did y'all ever check out that article I posted by Neil Gross? I think BSF4L did, but I don't recall you ever responding. You should check out his work if not.

There are a few self-selection processes that explain the lack of Republicans in sociology (and in the social sciences) rather than "diversity is bad." Furthermore, the discipline isn't really that incompatible with conservative ideology (particularly in demography/family sociology, economic sociology, sociology of religion, and political sociology subfields). I'm not talking about Trumpism, but there are moderates and libertarians in my department and some prominent scholars in the field lean center-right ideologically. Hell, sociology gifted the world Mark Regnerus (if that's the caliber scholar that gets you off).

I understand the sentiment (and appreciate the wit), but I'm not sure that it's doing the work that he thinks that it's doing.
 
Is anyone else wondering why conservatives are obsessed with the sociology department?
 
ImTheCaptain said:
Is anyone else wondering why conservatives are obsessed with the sociology department?
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Obsession is a bit strong, on the other hand:

1. Sociologists have for a long, long time - at least half a century - enjoyed a well-earned reputation for excessive and superfluous verbiage, known by the great unwashed as bullshitting.

2. We have our very own resident sociologist here, who loves to play to that stereotype.
 
An econ professor I know always joked that sociology was a great department for people who weren't smart enough to do the math in econ. Well, at least I think he was joking.

I always liked Ian Taplin's classes at Wake. Good dude.
 
I must say that I rarely agree with anything he writes but I always read his article in the Greensboro Daily just to give myself exposure to conservative thought. Something we all should do.
 
For some of the old-timers here.....did you ever have a professor who was more boring than Clarence Patrick (you know, you see....he must have said those words 25 times or more in every 50-minute class)?
 
Was he the guy who was so old his chin trembled all the time? I had him for Intro Sociology. Worst prof ever. I think I went to 2 classes max.
 
I took sociology in summer school and had Patrick, there were only 6 of us in the class, having to go every day for 1and1/2 hours was an exercise in wakefulness.
 
Those who oppose sociology departments are like those who think "advanced stats" explain everything. Some things aren't easily seen on the surface just like because he plays with great defensive teammates doesn't make JJ Redick a Top 5 defender at his position.
 
I had Gulley (sp?), who apparently was not much better. There is an old adage about sociologists, namely that they are either brilliant or quite mediocre. Unlike other disciplines, there seems to be little or no middle class in the field. I don't know how much that is still true but I have read some brilliant ones - Durkheim, Weber, Marion J. Levy - and known more than a few mediocrities.
 
jhmd2000 said:
Those quotes are fantastic. "The next time academics tell you how important diversity is, ask them how many Republicans there are in their sociology department." Cold-blooded.
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I know, right? He's basically just calling Republicans dumb to their face. Who needs academia anyway? Bunch of know it alls trying to trick us with their science.
 
I was waiting for the part in his last column where he complained about his neighbor's kids constantly going on his lawn.
 
TheTwinAndreBen said:
I know, right? He's basically just calling Republicans dumb to their face. Who needs academia anyway? Bunch of know it alls trying to trick us with their science.
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“The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive.”

- T.S.
 
jhmd2000 said:
“The most fundamental fact about the ideas of the political left is that they do not work. Therefore we should not be surprised to find the left concentrated in institutions where ideas do not have to work in order to survive.”

- T.S.
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See also: talk radio, op-ed journalism.
 
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