The Disadvantages of Being Educated & Other Essays by Albert J. Nock

In our present age of egalitarianism and paternalistic government (the two being completely related), Albert Jay Nock's essays are a breath of fresh air. Every bit as good a writer, and strong a critic, as H.L. Mencken, Nock has the added benefit of writing more to argue than to shock.

Nock is often written off as a curmudgeonly elitist, and while there is some elitism in his thought, it is of the "common sense" kind that simply acknowledges that some will emerge better skilled, smarter, and more successful than others. Essays like "The Disadvantages of Being Educated," "The Classicist's Opportunity" and "Toward a New Quality Product," focus on American educational trends. Nock writes with skepticism and disdain for American education's egalitarian premise - that all people are educable and, therefore, if all students are not successful, we must keep diluting the quality of education until we have forced this premise to be accurate. In so doing, he reminds us, we are turning "education" into "training" and simply calling the latter by the name of the former. Nock reminds us that there is simply no reason to think that most or all people are capable of being EDUCATED rather than TRAINED (an readers will find that Nock doesn't mean this in a demeaning way; he has respect for training, but simply wishes that it not be conflated with education).

Along these lines, Nock differentiates in several of his essays between those (perhaps the masses in Ortega y Gassett's The Revolt of the Masses) who live for immediate pleasures and day-to-day securities, and those who care less for expediency and immediate satisfaction and live instead by manners, the quest to "see things as they are," etc. "The Value of Useless Knowledge" celebrates those who, through the learning of culture, develop sharp minds and clearer thought, rather than offer here-and-now opinion. "Free Speech and Plain Language" excoriates those who, out of fear of communism, socialism, fascism, etc, would gladly apply the first amendment's protection of speech only to that speech they approve of. In so doing, reminds Nock, we not only wreck a valuable tradition in the name of expediency, but bolster a view of government-as-care-taker that is incompatible with real freedom. "Earning Immortality" opines that the then-decline of belief in immortality (life after death) may be due to the unhappy lives people lead ('happiness' meaning something like Aristotle meant in Nicomachean Ethics).

There are too many very interesting essays to go over one by one. Several - "On Making Low People Interesting," for instance - focus on art and its purpose. Others - "New York's Jeffersonian Mayor" - are political writings expressing Nock's protolibertarian leanings. This collection is a sparkling representation of the wide-ranging thought of Albert Jay Nock. Some really interesting stuff here.

Albert J. Nock's book titled THE DISADVANTAGES OF BEING EDUCATED & OTHER ESSAYS is an interesting anthology of a learned man who applied reason and knowledge while exposing hypocrisy re religion and political power. Nock showed serious concern about the lack of respect for historical lessons and inability to understand the abuse of power and language.

Nock started this book with an explanation of the difference between knowledge and training. Nock did NOT disavow training and mentioned that training has improved our lives. Nock argued that there was more to life than "economism" and acquisition. Nock showed serious concern about the anniliation of history in the name of "progress." Nock knew history very well and that the politics of Vox Populi Vox Dei could lead to mob rule, tryanny, and tragedy.

Nock then examined the concept of liberty. Nock noticed that wealthy people were often not any happier than those less wealthy because wealthy people were too concerned about their wealth and reputation. Nocked mocked the notion that government authority should make everyone the same which would make them happier when many people prefer to be left alone. Or to quote the late US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis (1856-1941),"No government has made everyone equally happy. Too many governments have made too many people equally miserable." An intrusive political system staffed by "uplifters" and hypocrites conceal tyranny by useless laws and attempts at imposed conformity.

When a political candidate cited the book titled THE FEDERALIST PAPERS that government is based on majoritarian tyranny,Nock asked readers to actually read THE FEDERALIST PAPERS which had dire warnings of majority rule which could lead to tyranny. Recently political candidates blundered by making erronous statements re US History.

As noted above, Nock had serious concern about historical studies. He contrasted the current fad of "fifteen minutes of fame" with what is actually immortal. Nock contrasted Homer (c.750 BC)and biblical writers and characters as immortal because they dealt with "ultimate questions" and spiritual values. Nock stated that so many modern men and women are so spiritually and intellectually dead that they are dead while alive. Too few men and women find joy and bona fide happiness due to concern over trivialities.

Nock feared the abuse of language and the lack of clear thinking. He commented written expression and language had become so corrupt that the lack of clarity and precision of thought could lead to the most absurd and corrupt conditions. Nock could have cited Thucydides' (c460-c400 BC) book titled THE PELOPONESIAN WAR in which Thucydides denounced the lack of manners, abuse of language, etc. when political power was at stake. Had Nock lived long enough, he would have appreciated Orwell's (1903-1950)concern about abuse of language especially in Orwell's book titled 1984.

Nock's emphasis for manners extended to women. Nock noticed that women do not often get public attention and popularity, but women have clout and have control "the purse strings." Nock noted that women civilize society,and, as G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) noted,all of us are womanized the minute we are born. Woman give us life and are our first nurses, teachers, etc.

Nock appreciated "spiritual values" and the Bible. He wrote that those who know biblical history and ENJOYED the Bible were closer to truth and wisdom as opposed to those pick the Bible to pieces. Nock remarked that religion can bring joy if people if people knew God without trying to define him.

Nock's historical concerns extended to Free Speech/Press. Nock had an amsuing anecdote that "...license is when some scoundrel, who ought to be hanged anyway,gets up and says something that is true." Nock condemned those who distorted the Bill of Rights for some political advantage. Nock quoted Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)who wrote "...to make one half of the people foolskand the other half hypocrites, and to support roguery and error all over the earth..." When government authorities and professional anti-communists complained that young people would be corrupted by Communism, Nock was sure they would get over it. Nock commented that one sure way to get young people interested in Communism was to outlaw it. While Nock was certain that young people would recover from their interest in Communism, he wrote that recovery from hypocricy and roguery was not as certain. Nock thought that the statue book was so big that the laws could not be enforced and no sane person would want to enforce them. Nock diagnosed pious people who obeyed useless laws as not pious but bilious.

Nock's concern re law extended to the business community. He remarked that while many CEOs talk about a just legal system, it is the last thing they want. Nock refuted the notion that somehow the 19th. century was one of free trade and open competion. The tariff laws, licensing restrictions, huge government subsidies to business and industry, etc. were designed to eliminate competition.

Nock was accused of being a snob. He was not. He said that "low people" could be interesting people and that interesting people, "high or low" were those whom we want to visit again. Nock knew that interesting people came from the learned and those who are so learned.

Nock's book should be read only for the record. The undersigned does not see, "any change for the better." Nock wrote that we could learn by a careful study of history and the use of reason. This book should be read and discussed.

James E. Egolf

June 13, 2011