Elf Sternberg

The Quakers, then, are different that others I've encountered, at least.

I was raised Catholic, so I already knew about the Jesuits. I also know that other Catholics see the Jesuits as just one of the monastic orders. The Jesuit dedication to education does not, alas, represent the church laitey at-large. The parish where I was confirmed was unusual in that it had a priest who was of a more scholarly nature. But that was just one priest, in one parish. No others I attended before I left had clergy who did more than parrot dogma.



Getting back to those you named: You're right in that they all made great contributions to human knowledge. I'm glad that you admire them for their intellectual achievements, and not merely their fame. For my part, I certainly admire Ben Franklin for all that he did. But Edision… I prefer Nikolai Tesla. And I used to know who Booker T. Washington was, and what he did, and once knew what Mr. Brandeis accomplished. But now? I'd have to hit wikipedia. And I'm a fairly well-educated guy who cares about knowledge.

How would the average American react to these names? (You and I, shunra, and everyone else who moves in Elf's LJ circle, we are not average.) Most Americans would know Ben Franklin as, "being famous for inventing electricity," and for being a Founding Father^TM.

They'll know Thomas Alva Edison for being a famous inventor, and most will know that he invented the light bulb. A few will know that he invented the phonograph. Only a few will know that he promoted residential DC electric power over AC. But I have to wonder if any of those people will really admire Edison for his intellectual achievements, or because he got rich inventing things.

Most Americans, I expect, won't recognize the name, "Booker T. Washington." Or they'll think he's the guy that invented peanut butter.

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What about everyone else? How far back do you think hostility to intellectual pursuits goes in the US?