On the Fallacies of Academic Credentials

by Lee Duane FitzSimmons

One of the greatest deceptions of humanity is the alleged superiority of the content created within the academic world. This horrendous misconception only exists because there are not enough members of the species that have the courage or the willpower to think for themselves. Content is content. Truth is the ultimate essence of any work that is created, and no amount of academic credentials can either prove or disprove this ultimate value. This alleged superiority occurs mainly within the realms of the arts, the humanities, and the social sciences; it is also found to a lesser degree within the hard sciences. There are several techniques that are employed by academia that attempt to establish this alleged intellectual dominance of the wealth-driven institutions of higher learning.

One of these techniques is the use of citations in academic writings. According to the standards of the academic world, if any type of written work does not verify its assertions with citations from a "credible source," then a work cannot be labeled as scholarly. This is false. Any work created by a learned individual can be defined as "scholarly" according the basic definition of the word scholarly that can be found in any English dictionary.

There is also another important aspect to be considered; any individual can be an "institution of higher learning." One does not need the degrees given by the state or privately-owned brick and mortar institutions in order to be able to speak the truth. The truth stands alone. Any person in possession of the truth can write about what is true, and the writing is verified by its own merit and not by any type of endorsement from any other entity. Thus, a work by a person with no connections to either a state or privately-owned brick and mortar institution could label her/his work as being academic since any individual can claim that she/he is an institution unto herself/himself.

Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple by Cecco del Caravaggio (1610)

It should also be considered that even if a document uses citations from alleged "credible sources," then the accuracy of its assertions is not necessarily increased. First of all, what justifies and verifies the "credible source?" Does the "credible source" also need to have its assertions reinforced by other "credible sources?" However, all of these sources could be in error.

Also, one could argue that peer review increases the reliability and accuracy of a work; however, one should also consider that cronyism is always a possibility in the highly exclusive realms of peer-reviewed journals. Even if various methods of anonymity or disclosure are alllegedy employed, dishonesty can still occur very easily. Peer review does not necessarily increase the validity of the assertions of any entity. It can also be used as a weapon to discredit others who disagree with the viewpoints of those who stand to lose financial privilege if certain false paradigms of knowledge are shattered.

The truth stands by itself and does not need any overpriced college or university to verify its reality.

Thus, there is no need for any child, woman, or man to feel intimidated by the alleged intellectual superiority of universities or colleges. All that is necessary is to know the truth. No graduate or undergraduate degree can guarantee the accuracy of the content produced by any entity. If one also considers the massive amount of financial privilege that often accompanies the endorsements of such institutions, then it becomes quite obvious that there are very substantial motives for these alleged "institutions of higher learning" to try and maintain this illusion of intellectual superiority. However, this horrendous misconception continually grows weaker as time passes due to the increased proliferation of both raw information and true knowledge.

The truth will always allow for the collective intellectual prowess of the species to continue to develop. The truth will smash down the walls of academia and allow all of humanity to learn and grow either with or without formal education. The truth will always allow for justice to reign supreme.

The truth will always allow for the deliverance of peace...

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