The Cult of Anti-Intellectualism

Anti-intellectualism is the diversion of knowledge and truth that hinders the advancement of human progress. 

The most recent iteration of the cult of anti intellectualism are known as flat earthers. The origins of flat earth theory was an early cosmological model in Mesopotamia, Egypt and China. However in Ancient Greece philosophers and mathematicians like Aristotle and Eratosthenes had provided evidence for Earth's spherical shape, which became the accepted scientific understanding. 

The modern flat Earth movement traces its roots to the 1800s, particularly to Samuel Rowbotham, who published "Zetetic Astronomy" under the pseudonym Parallax. He claimed the Earth was a flat disc centered at the North Pole, with the sun, moon, and stars hovering above. In 1956, Samuel Shenton founded the International Flat Earth Research Society (FERS), which maintained a small following through the 20th century. 

The movement experienced a dramatic resurgence in the social media era, particularly from 2015 onward. Several factors contributed to this revival, the main one being the echo chamber of small social media communities. 

This cult of deceleration shape shifts throughout the centuries. from the christians stoning Hypatia for being a woman scholar to making Socrates drink the poison hemlock for corrupting the youth. The libraries of Alexandria were attacked by christians then muslims in order to snuff out these symbols of pagan learning. 

Science itself is a religion. Its rituals are of observation and data collection. Its cathedrals are its Universities. Where its prophets Einstein, Hawking and Newton once resided in. So in a way Flat-earthers are the atheist of science. 

How did such ignorance spread within modernity? 

The role of technology has a big part to play with the memetic effect of this misinformation. 

The algorithm is the culprit. Tech companies use the algorithms to figure out what content to show people. Topics that are controversial and salacious tend to get prioritised. That mean something is true or untrue but that it grabs attention of the intended audience. 

What is the moral obligation of these attention merchants to curate the content so that the collective consciousness is not contaminated with this virus. Then again should information be regulated or can it be regulated without assuming an authoritative power structure. Information from casinos were used as the founding principles in which these predatory algorithms were trained and constructed. Imagine a code of algorithms written into law so that future generations can build on top of the world that they will inherit.

Maybe we should hold our mental facilities to a higher standard by teaching critical thinking at an early age. What does the curriculum to protect ones mind from parasitic algorithms look like? I think some scientific method should be injected into an early school age along side of learning how to address digital information. Also fact checking should be apart of school curriculum too. Ive been mislead to many times from internet info that ive become accustom to fact checking things I read. Hell i'll whip out my phone while your still talking to fact check you.

The internet is the proto-hive mind. Don’t forget to upload the newest collective consciousness antivirus software also know as critical thinking and logic. 

Although I don't agree with the formulation of the flat earthers ideology. I do respect the nature of the questioning the fundamental reality and its Aristotelian spirt. 

Our goal should be to construct Ideologies that will further the human species and its consciousness. What are the virtues that will propel us into places unkown.

How do you measure the merit of an ideology? by what It contributes to society and its species. 

These are the subjects we will need to flesh out and figure out before humanity can reach its next level of consciousness.