Book Review
Title: The Death of Expertise
Author: Tom Nichols
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (March 1, 2017)
Tom Nichols’ Death of Expertise reminds us of a time when we took expert opinion seriously. Not that we followed blindly because the expert had a PhD, but because we were more thoughtful. We realized a PhD and twenty years’ experience in a scientific field probably indicates greater knowledge in that field than I possess from my Google searches. That has changed. More and more people, apparently almost everyone, deems their Google-search education equal to or greater than the expert’s knowledge.
Nichols observes, “the Internet has politically and intellectually mired millions of Americans in their own biases. Social media outlets such as Facebook amplify this echo chamber.” Even if we don’t intentionally block what we disagree with, Facebook feeds us what we “like” as part of its service. By replacing social life with social media, we reduce or remove exposure to differing views.
Another “knowledge crisis” that Nichols addresses is the collapse of standards and discipline at American universities. The twofold issues are
1. grade inflation
2. reduced requirements
These two facts of the decline of college education in America are conclusively proven in several studies beyond Tom Nichols’ book. But Nichols, himself a professor, gets to the heart of it, and obviously has firsthand knowledge of the decline.
As Nichols observes, “Less is demanded of students now than even a few decades ago. There is less homework, shorter trimester and quarter systems, and technological innovations that make going to college more fun but less rigorous. When college is a business, you can’t flunk the customers.”
Nichols noted, “In the worst cases, degrees affirm neither education nor training, but attendance. At the barest minimum, they certify only the timely payment of tuition,” and adds that “students now graduate believing they know a lot more than they actually do,” while “Intellectual discipline and maturation have fallen by the wayside.”
Nichols points out the disservice to students: “Colleges and universities also mislead their students about their own competence through grade inflation. Collapsing standards so that schoolwork doesn’t interfere with the fun of going to college is one way to ensure a happy student body and relieve the faculty of the pressure of actually failing anyone.”
He warns, “the protective, swaddling environment of the modern university infantilizes students and thus dissolves their ability to conduct a logical and informed argument. When feelings matter more than rationality or facts, education is a doomed enterprise.”
This is a powerful book and a beautifully written story of a terrible trend that is deteriorating and degrading public discourse in our society. It’s a great read, as well as an important message.