[PEN-L:11438] Addendum--Cognitive Dissonance

["James Michael Craven" <CRAVJM@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I apologize for this addendum but I was interrupted before all of my
thoughts on "mathematics and formalism" were finished. To the
previous list of some factors leading to bankrupt as opposed to
progressive mathematics and "formalism", we might add "congnitive
dissonance." When there is a contradiction between fact and belief or
between belief and emotion or between emotion and fact supposedly a
certain mentally de-stabilizing "dissonance" ensues.

Take for example an academic who deep in his/her own heart believes
that much of "mainstream" economics--particularly the neoclassical
stuff--is inherently bankrupt in terms of content and application.
This mytical academic however, is dedicated to "infiltrating the
system, getting tenure and then coming out of the "closet"
metaphorically speaking". To get into and remain within the "right"
academic circles, often to survive graduate school, to be hired at
the "right" schools and then to survive to get tenure, often his/her
CV has to have publications dealing with the "permissible" subjects,
utilizing the "permissible" theoretical approaches, utilizing the
"right" state-of-the-art techniques (even if totally mis-applied) and
published in the "right" journals and/or delivered to the "right"
conferences thus yielding approval from the "right" authorities and
"grand masters" of "the profession."

So now this mythical academic does all of this and successfully
infiltrates or even comes to a realization after tenure that his/her
previous work was crap. How to handle the congnitive dissonance: you
thought you had "the truth" then, and now you say you have "the truth"
how do you know you won't find another "the truth"; or, your CV is
full of neoclassical stuff which you now say is crap, does that mean
you were whoring and deceptive all along or does it mean that you
have simply found a new more trendier "market niche" in which to
continue to "publish-or-perish".

Then of course there is the problem of when do you come out of the
ideological closet. Even after tenure, there is still the problem of
promotions, class assignments, grants etc and the usual rules apply:
"right" perspective on the "right" topics utilizing the "right"
methodologies in the service of the "right" masters in the "right"
media...  I suspect the realities and imperatives of imperial
academia also have something to do with the more bankrupt
versions/uses of mathematics and formalism.

                                Jim Craven

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