Tyler Cowen explores the growing public skepticism towards elites, citing events like the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic as major contributing factors. He notes that both events exposed significant failures, leading to a loss of faith in authority figures and institutions.
Cowen points out that the election of Donald Trump, regardless of political affiliation, highlights a widespread failure of the elite class. His rise and presidency, in either positive or negative contexts, underscores the significant failures of established power structures.
The decline in trust in elites has facilitated the spread of misinformation, ranging from conspiracy theories to distortions of historical events. This, Cowen argues, is further evidence of the failure of elite institutions to maintain public confidence and effectively combat the spread of false narratives. The author notes that a rejection of expert opinions and a disregard for established legal processes contribute to the issue.
Cowen advocates for a redefined concept of 'elitism,' prioritizing a commitment to scientific principles, open inquiry, and a dedication to truth-seeking above mere credentials or titles. The solution, he argues, lies not in rejecting expertise, but in demanding a higher standard of behavior and accountability from those in positions of authority.
How did we get to a place where there is extreme mistrust in the supposed elites?
It is no surprise that we are especially skeptical of elites these days. The Great Financial Crisis did not exactly go well, and the Covid pandemic was only slightly more than five years ago. Plenty of mistakes were made in both, even if parties do not always agree in which direction. Or consider the election of Donald Trump. If you like Trump, his rise is a sign of how far wrong things have gone. If you don’t like Trump, you still have to admit your elites let him win the presidency twice, surely a major failing.
As trust recedes in authorities, and also in legacy outlets, strange beliefs are proliferating, whether it is about life extension, global conspiracies, or even whether Hitler was the chief villain of World War II. If the elites tell us to reject such opinions, we might ignore them. President Trump often governs without caring what experts think, for instance when virtually all professional economists excoriate his recent tariff policy. His legal strategy is about overwhelming the system with cases and attempts, rather than maximum respect for the law as is commonly understood.
I am here to speak up for intellectual elitism, albeit with some important qualifications. I prefer elitism over the elites. That is to say, credentials themselves do not make for truth. Instead, usually the malady is that the elites do not take their own elitism seriously enough. A truly elite method is based in science, open-ended inquiry, and truth-seeking behavior.
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