Murray is still trying to infuse interesting ideas, often libertarian ones, into public debate. One of his challenges seems to be how to save egalitarianism from the egalitarians:
“Here’s the reality: Everyone in every occupation starts as an apprentice. Those who are good enough become journeymen. The best become master craftsmen. ”
Murray is not so extremely individualist as to not advocate hierarchies, but rather argues that they should be primarily based on economic freedoms and the reward of economic motivations.
He also accepts that:
“…in an increasingly class-riven America…[O]ur obsession with the BA has created a two-tiered entry to adulthood, anointing some for admission to the club and labeling the rest as second-best.”
Over time, if such a trend is statistically valid, it could become dangerous. Murray’s solution however, seems a little drastic:
“The solution is not better degrees, but no degrees.”
Just because the B.A. is becoming over-valued….do we need to scrap it?
Just a thought: In this line of thinking, one could even suggest that one of the reasons why science scores in the U.S. are slipping is because people who aren’t scientists tend to have the most influence educationally and culturally on our youth. But of course, like many people concerned about education, Murray’s in the social sciences.
See Also: Charles Murray In The New Criterion: The Age Of Educational Romanticism
by rsmoffat
