Intellectual Eugenics

Einstein's famous quote, "Imagination is more important than knowledge" could fit in a lot of instances. One way that it fits is to use imaginations in persuasion. Imaginations are designed to simulate situations before being tested to reduce harms and make smart decisions. For example it is your first field in a mountainous or a forest. Though you have never been to mountain or forest but you have heard, read or watched videos about and based on your these knowledge basis you will use your imaginations for upcoming situations. You prepare yourself accordingly. Though your imaginations can't simulate the exact situations but it helps you to be prepared for them. As much you braoden your knowledge base and imagine well you be more prepared and have a secure trip and also have fun.

This is a good part of imaginations. We have used and relied so heavily on our imaginations that sometimes we take them as real. Let me elaborate this. You take math class and your teacher solve math problems and make a lot of propositions by proving them through imaginary scenarios that you become habitual to them and you no longer question them.

All these propositions are based on definition. Once you accept a defination, you make another definition based on first one and create a chains of definitions. It is really intimidating and a lot of people do not dare to question them. They accept them as rational.

This is an unfortunate use of rationality and imaginations. It is even more unfortunate when it is used politically or due to personal prejudices to attack, cultures, religions and social gains. Often people become the victims of these kinds of misuse of imaginations and rationality just because they born in a particular race, religion, cultural or social conditions.

Individuals who use rationality to promote their political or personal prejudices try to create intellectual monopoly by using imaginative definitions and a chain of them to persuade people. I look to these efforts as "intellectual Eugenics".

Just in early few decades of last century, some people thinking that they are doing science by favoring a race against other. Later, genetics proved that no all races have harmful gene mutations and also beneficial gene mutations.

Now, people who advocate that only their position is ultimate truth and all other positions are irrational and should be stopped is an effort of intellectual eugenics. Most unfortunate is that some people do it by name of Science and Philosophy.

To me, intellectual plurity is needed for evolution of logic and rationality and it make us able to distinguish natural evidences from imaginary definitions.

Let me know if you have a different take on th issue. I would like to hear it.