That Civil War Movie Is a Symptom of Hollywood’s Problems
There's a Serious Problem With Joe Biden's 'Uncle Eaten By Cannibals' Story
An NPR Editor Had the Perfect 'I Told You So' Moment
Conservatives Should Stop Embracing Liberals Just Because They Say Something We Like
Needed: Regime Change in Iran
OJ Simpson Is Dead -- Ron and Nicole Are Unavailable for Comment
Eroding the Electoral College Erodes Americans' Voting Rights
Is America a 'Failed Historical Model'?
Biden’s Corporate Tax Hike Will Harm U.S Households and Businesses
Our Armchair Revolutionaries
Defend America by Reauthorizing Warrantless Section 702 Queries
Finding Strength in the Light
A Story of the Soil and the Soul
Merrick Garland Accused of Letting Hunter Biden Get Off Easy. Sen. Kennedy Demands...
Trump Is Gaining Speed With the Group That Biden Needs the Most Support...
OPINION

'Intellectual' in America?

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
William Baude, assistant professor of law at the University of Chicago, wrote a New York Times op-ed this week, in which he suggested that President Obama can "bypass" the Supreme Court (in the event of an adverse ruling in King v. Burwell) by simply ignoring the decision. Or, as Professor Baude puts it, by announcing that the administration "is complying with the Supreme Court's judgment -- but only with respect to the four plaintiffs who brought the suit."
Advertisement


Professor Baude describes such an approach as having "a strong legal pedigree." One wonders what he thinks about the "pedigree" of the entire common law system, of which the American legal system has been a part for nearly 400 years. (Yes, I am counting the early colonies.) Judicial decisions in the civil law systems of continental Europe largely bind only the parties to the litigation. But judicial decisions in common law countries -- those that inherited their legal traditions from Great Britain -- have the effect of "stare decisis," or precedent. In other words, judicial decisions bind all lower courts within the same jurisdiction. This is certainly true of the U.S. Supreme Court, whose decisions bind all individuals and enterprises, courts and other branches of government (both state and federal) unless negated by an act of Congress or overturned by the Supreme Court itself.

This is basic first-year law school material. It is curious that a faculty member at one of the country's most esteemed law schools either doesn't understand this principle or thinks it can be summarily dispensed with.

Our president, touted for his time as a Senior Lecturer of constitutional law -- also at the University of Chicago -- has a grasp of it that seems just as tenuous. Obama infamously said in a 2001 interview, "the Constitution says what the federal government can't do to you, but doesn't say what ... (it) must do on your behalf."

That was kind of the point, Mr. President.

What is the problem? Perhaps it has something to do with our current understanding of what it means to be an "intellectual."
Advertisement


It is now considered anti-intellectual to believe in God, for example, despite history's brilliant thinkers who were also people of faith. Many of today's "intellectuals" can't be bothered with the idea of a higher power -- which all-too frequently means that there is no higher power than their own mind. And that has proven to be a dangerous state of affairs, indeed.

The modern intellectual wants brownie points for noble motives, notwithstanding those pesky horrific consequences. Communism is a superb example. Despite the deaths of 100 million people under multiple iterations of that theory, it continues to be defended by soi-disant "intellectuals." And there's the rub: a modern "intellectual" is someone who is willing to keep sending people to their deaths in the hope that next time "we'll get the theory right."

In fact, sometimes death is the theory. Take Princeton's Peter Singer, for example, who can come up with perfectly intellectual reasons why Person A deserves to die or Person B is inferior or Child C has no rights. It is profoundly anti-intellectual -- at least in today's climate -- to suggest that every human being regardless of age or stage of development or physical condition is of inestimable worth, notwithstanding what they "do" for society.

It is considered anti-intellectual to question the politicization of science (witness the attacks on anyone who dares challenge "climate change"). It is considered anti-intellectual to suggest that our political leaders hold themselves to consistent ethical standards, and not wave away accusations of hypocrisy with their "social justice" motivations that excuse all shortcomings.
Advertisement


And as Professor Baude's recent editorial demonstrates, it is considered anti-intellectual to believe that the individuals who drafted the founding documents of this country knew anything about human nature when handed unfettered power, and therefore to insist that our government remain controlled by the checks and balances placed in those documents.
In short, "intellectual" (as distinguished from "intellect") has lost its relationship with wisdom. It has become a word infused with hubris and manifest by condescension, with often disastrous results. It marginalizes experience and dismisses common sense. With all due respect, if this is what passes for "intellectual," perhaps it is time for a new definition. A good start would be one that incorporates a bit of humility.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos