The Cult of the Expert

There is something alarming going on in our world today. I call it the cult of the expert. It has been brought to my mind several times in the last couple of weeks. It is a trend toward silencing others through the intimidating using of the word “expert” (or the implication thereof).

More and more we see that “the average person” is less and less capable of making decisions without some kind of help from an expert. We also see that opinions or beliefs are quickly shut down when there is some “expert” who disagrees.

You must follow what the “experts” say or otherwise who knows what harm you may cause to others. One news item that has brought this to mind is the recent uproar caused by a California court basically declaring parents unfit to teach their children unless the state “experts” have approved that parent with a teaching credential.

This court is saying that state educators are “experts” and need to first approve and confirm that the parents are able to teach. Even more frightening is the state believes it is responsible for protecting the children from harm.

Notice this quote from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, speaking of Leslie Heimov of the Children’s Law Center of Los Angeles:

Heimov said her organization’s chief concern was not the quality of the children’s education, but their “being in a place daily where they would be observed by people who had a duty to ensure their ongoing safety.”

Notice, it is no longer parents who ensure their children’s safety by watching over the school (or schooling their own children) it is the state who must ensure the safety of the children. In other word, the parents are not expert enough and the children must go to some other place “daily” to be institutionalized by “experts”.

This is not only happening in regards to eduction in California. Phillip E. Johnson has an excellent article in the latest Touchstone magazine called “Science by Consensus” in which he sees the same kind of situation in the scientific world. Once the so-called “experts” have reached their consensus then it can no longer be questioned. If the subject is evolution, global warming, or some other scientific “consensus”. Once someone disagrees they are no longer part of the consensus, but they are also no longer part of the “reputable scientific community”. (I tried to find a link to the article, but they magazine’s site is down).

I do not think that most people, especially American’s have even questioned their blind allegiance to “experts”. I’m not talking about conspiracy theories. I do not believe that these “experts” have ulterior motives or that they are hiding some truth that they know just for profit or power. I think most of those who claim to be experts have spent many hours studying their subjects. However, they also have their own outside influences, presuppositions, and desires than can influence what they see. With some self-education I believe most “average people” are intelligent enough to be able to make decisions and understand the issues right along with the experts.

Most of us just assume the “experts” are all knowing. I read one comment where a person said something to the effect “We don’t allow parents to practice medicine on their children, so we shouldn’t allow them to educate them either”. This is the fallacy of the expert. We do practice medicine on our children! We give them Tylenol or Pepto Bismal when their sick. We have them rest or eat certain foods for recovery. Certainly there are times when we need to find someone with more experience, like a doctor, who can increase our knowledge or give us more powerful medicines. However, for most sickness cannot the parents handle the problem? Is this not the same with education? Are not the parents who are willing to teach their children at home generally capable? With the need for outside help on occasion?

For many this isn’t the case. Everything must be done outside the family, outside themselves, where the “experts” are waiting to do the work for you.

The experts have done the learning for you.

• To tell you what you believe.
• To instruct you in how to act.
• To make sure you eat and eat how they want you to.
• To know how to spend your money better than you.
• To tell you how to save the environment and what it will require you to do.
• To tell you that your home did not pass inspection because each room in your private house does not have a dimmer switch on it (This happened to a friend of mine)
• To tell you the ship is impossible to sink

Juice