Our age of ideology
Written by Dr. Troy Smith
Professor of Political Science =96 BYU Hawaii
Thursday, 16 October 2008
=93Keeping an open mind ... is necessary, because things may be
connected in ways not explained by an ideology.=94
What distinguishes Mormons?=94 I asked two non-Mormon friends after
they had completed two years of teaching at BYU in Provo. Their answer
offended me at first; =93Mormons reason backwards,=94 they both said. They
meant that many Mormons they met would select a conclusion first and
then find reasons to justify that conclusion. They acknowledged this
tendency isn=92t specific to Mormons, but claimed we are quite apt at
it.
Humans, unfortunately, are prone to a number of bad tendencies that
make careful and clear thinking preciously rare. We remember evidence
that confirms our biases and forget evidence that contradicts our
biases. We apply withering critical analysis to things we dislike and
glibly accept with little thought the things we like. Indeed, =93we
choke on gnats and swallow camels.=94
We work feverishly to solve problems that would resolve themselves if
left alone, and neglect problems that need our attention (like that
term paper you are supposed to be writing). Sometimes our efforts
create the very conditions that prevent us from achieving our goal
(like staying up late studying and then being too tired the next day
to concentrate on the test).
We even develop logic to avoid the real problem and evade facing our
bad thinking. Some construct a false but comfortable version of
reality to evade difficult problems or impending failure. Others deny
the complexity of an issue by defining the problem in small and
manageable terms that do not reflect the real issue. These evasive
techniques lead to failure.
Our age is characterized by another gross distortion of reason =96
ideology. Ideology provides a simplistic explanation of reality and
offers a simplistic solution. When we believe and trust an ideology,
however, we deny our own perceptive, rational and spiritual abilities
to see and understand. We place hope and pride in our ideology and
neglect the lessons of history and requirements of practical reason.
George Orwell, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and V=E1clav Havel all warned of
the growing tendency of leaders, intellectuals, and others to =93think
solely, or mainly, in terms of competitive prestige.=94 Hence, once
someone picks a side, =93he persuades himself that it is the strongest,
and is able to stick to his belief even when the facts are
overwhelmingly against him.=94 This leads to =93self-deception,=94 =93the
m=
ost
flagrant dishonesty,=94 and the inability to think rationally about
certain topics. Barbara Tuchman, an eminent historian, called this
wooden-headedness.
The problem with ideology is, as modern science amply demonstrates, no
system or ideology can comprehend all the details, complexities, and
problems of reality, nor provide solutions to every problem we will
experience. Is it any wonder Joseph Smith and David O. McKay shared a
distrust for creeds, even of the Mormon persuasion?
Ideologies impair clear thinking and do not work for solving complex
problems. Complex problems require clearly identifying what to
preserve as well as what to change. Ideologies ignore implicit
contradictions within goals =96 when this happens good results may
appear in the short-term, but bad results prevail in the long-run.
Ideologies look at a few key indicator variables which often fail to
measure the true thing. Keeping an open mind and looking at all
available variables and data is necessary, because things may be
connected in ways not explained by an ideology. Rather than relying on
ideological thinking to define what matters and what we should do, we
need to develop honest, pragmatic, practical, and balanced reasoning
skills.
The moral of this column is that neither academics nor Mormons, who
both have just claims for a privileged means of knowing and
understanding truth, are immune from the human tendency to think
poorly or seek simplistic solutions to complex problems. Reason and
revelation are valuable methods of knowing, but also vital is an
awareness of our own thinking and belief patterns so we may recognize
when we might be amiss.
http://www.truthandgrace.com/Mormon.htm
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