> I'm also not sure what the heck he is talking about in the conclusion - people without a liberal education are unable to make their own choices about what to buy?
In my opinion he is talking about an uneven playing field.
There is a multi million dollar advertising industry which is applying psychological tricks to lure people into buying goods which might not be in those peoples best interest.
On the other hand there are many studies that show that people do not feel any luckier above a certain money threshold, that a larger car makes you only slightly happier for a couple of months and that most people on their death bed regret not having spent enough time with their family.
Of course this is nothing you hear about in the superbowl half time since it is not in the "interest of capitalism" as the author states it.
Maybe those things should be taught at school to counterbalance the effects of advertising.
Comments
> I'm also not sure what the heck he is talking about in the conclusion - people without a liberal education are unable to make their own choices about what to buy?
In my opinion he is talking about an uneven playing field.
There is a multi million dollar advertising industry which is applying psychological tricks to lure people into buying goods which might not be in those peoples best interest.
On the other hand there are many studies that show that people do not feel any luckier above a certain money threshold, that a larger car makes you only slightly happier for a couple of months and that most people on their death bed regret not having spent enough time with their family.
Of course this is nothing you hear about in the superbowl half time since it is not in the "interest of capitalism" as the author states it.
Maybe those things should be taught at school to counterbalance the effects of advertising.
"Such freedom in turn requires a liberating education, one centered not on indoctrination or social conditioning."
And yet, it would be easy to consider the education the author envisions as indoctrination and social conditioning itself.