88. Thoughtcrime: How dangerous is anti-intellectualism?

Bad People

BBC

Society & Culture, True Crime, Unknown

4.4 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 13 May 2023

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

There was international outcry in 2011 when the celebrated Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing airport and imprisoned. The charges against him were vague. So what was Ai Weiwei really in prison for? To begin to answer this, we need to understand the historical background: the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Claiming to purge the country of 'impure' elements, students were encouraged to attack their teachers. Intellectuals were exiled. Books were burned. And the purge didn’t stop there. On this episode of Bad People, Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen explore anti-intellectualism, and how politicians have exploited its appeal. What is the difference between intelligence and intellectualism? What can the anti-intellectualism scale teach us about the psychological origins of a lack of trust in experts? And, what does all of this have to do with art? CREDITS Presenters: Dr Julia Shaw and Sofie Hagen Producer: Laura Northedge Assistant Producer: Hannah Ward Editor: Anna Lacey Music: Matt Chandler Commissioning Executive: Dylan Haskins Commissioning Assistant Producer: Adam Eland #BadPeople_BBC

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Adrian Dunbar, and this is a story about a time in Irish society when nothing was ever quite what it seemed.
0:07.6	It was shock and horror that anything could actually happen like that in the Phoenix Park.
0:11.2	It was wrong and violated obscene.
0:13.6	Welcome to obscene, the Dublin scandal.
0:16.8	There's nothing far as up the imagination in a small country more than the idea that someone wandering around
0:21.2	who's going for it, anyone.
0:22.8	We couldn't believe that this culprit for these crimes would have been associated with the most senior law officer in the country.
0:28.8	If this thing is what we think it is, it would bring down the government.
0:32.8	Listen to all of obscene, the Dublin scandal first on BBC Sands.
0:38.8	Three, two, one.
0:40.8	Sophie, would you consider yourself an intellectual?
0:46.8	You know what? I had to Google that to make sure I understood what an intellectual was.
0:52.8	And then I realised as I was doing that, that an intellectual probably wouldn't need to Google it.
0:56.8	So, no?
0:58.8	On this episode, why does anti-intellectualism keep returning and how dangerous is it?
1:06.8	This programme contains descriptions of violence.
1:08.8	And as always, there may be some strong language and definitely, probably very long tricky words.
1:16.8	You've been warned.
1:18.8	I'm Dr Julia Shah, criminal psychologist.
1:20.8	And I'm Sophie Hagan, stand up comedian.
1:22.8	And this is bad people.
1:24.8	We started harmonising.
	...

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