In 1964 Dr. Mark went on the part-time staff of the Massachusetts General Hospital. He became the Director of Neurosurgery at the Boston City Hospital which position he held until 1986. He and Dr. William Sweet and Dr. Frank Ervin implanted electrodes in the amygdala and hippocampus of patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy and aggressive behavior, with Dr. Jose Delgado.
“Explosive and violent behavior can occur with focal brain lesions as well as with diffuse damage to the central nervous system. in this article, we review neuroanato- mical structures implicated in violence and the neuro- transmitters believed to modulate aggressive behavior. we then discuss common neurological and medical conditions related to aggressive behavior.”
Blumer, D. P., Williams, H. W., & Mark, V. H.. (1974). The Study and Treatment, on a Neurological Ward, of Abnormally Aggressive Patients with Focal Brain Disease (Part 2 of 2). Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery
Social disparity has reached an extreme level and current statistics indicate that an ultra-rich segment (>1% of the total population) owns ≈50% of the worlds entire wealth, i.e., ≈$140 trillion are owned by a infinitesimal small minority of humanity; but see the Credit Suisse Research Institute “Global Wealth Report” from 2018.
URL: www.credit-suisse.com/corporate/en/research/research-institute/global-wealth-report.html
“Credit suisse research institute is proud to launch the credit suisse global wealth databook 2010, which offers investors the most comprehensive study of world wealth it is the first study to analyze the wealth of all the world’s 4.4 billion adults. research for the credit suisse global wealth databook has been undertaken on behalf of the credit suisse research institute by professors anthony shorrocks and jim davies, recognized authorities on this topic, and the architects and principal authors of ‘personal wealth from a global perspective,’ oxford university press, 2008. the aim of the credit suisse global wealth project is to provide the best available estimates of the wealth holdings of households around the world for the period since the year 2000. while the credit suisse global wealth report highlights the main findings of our study, the 128-page databook underlines the extent of our analysis. more importantly, it sets out in detail the data employed in our global wealth project, the methodology used to calculate estimates of wealth and how this may differ from other reports in this field. the credit suisse global wealth databook also details the evolution of household wealth levels through the period 2000 to 2010, providing data at the regional level on high net worth individuals, and highlighting the wealth pyramid in addition to wealth analysis for 160 countries. finally, the databook presents detailed data on relatively under-researched areas such as gender and the composition of household portfolios (assets and debts).”
“The structure of the control network of transnational corporations affects global market competition and financial stability. so far, only small national samples were studied and there was no appropriate methodology to assess control globally. we present the first investigation of the architecture of the international ownership network, along with the computation of the control held by each global player. we find that transnational corporations form a giant bow-tie structure and that a large portion of control flows to a small tightly-knit core of financial institutions. this core can be seen as an economic ‘super-entity’ that raises new important issues both for researchers and policy makers.”
‘In which case, the wisdom of a city founded on natural principles
depends entirely on its smallest group and element – the leading and
ruling element — and the knowledge that element possesses. The class
which can be expected to share in this branch of knowledge, which of all
branches of knowledge is the only one we can call wisdom, is by its nature,
apparently, the smallest class.’
Socrates in dialogue with Glaucon
‘Well, I think the first one to catch the eye is wisdom. And it seems to
have an unusual feature.’
‘What is that?’
‘It is truly wise, I think, this city we have described. It has good judg¬
ment, doesn’t it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Now this thing, judgment, is clearly knowledge of some sort. Good
decisions, I take it, are the result of knowledge, not ignorance.’
‘Obviously.’
‘But our city contains many types of knowledge, of very different
kinds.’
‘Of course it does.’
‘Is it the knowledge possessed by its carpenters which entitles us to call
c our city wise, and say it possesses good judgment?’
‘Certainly not,’ he said. ‘That merely entitles us to call it good at car¬
pentry.’
‘So a city is not to be called wise because of its knowledge and judg¬
ment in making the best possible wooden furniture.’
‘Absolutely not.’
‘How about its knowledge of making things out of bronze, or any other
knowledge of that kind?’
‘No, nothing like that,’ he said.
‘Nor the knowledge of how to grow crops from the soil, since that’s
called farming.’
‘So I believe.’
‘Is there, then,’ I asked, ‘among any of the citizens of this city we have
d just founded, any branch of knowledge which makes decisions about the
city as a whole – deciding on the best approach to itself and to other cities
– and not about one particular element in the city?’
‘There most certainly is.’
‘What is this knowledge, and in which group is it to be found?’
‘It is the knowledge possessed by the guardians,’ he said. ‘And it is
to be found in the rulers, whom we have just been calling the perfect
guardians.’ 11
‘And what is the label you give your city on the strength of this know¬
ledge?’
‘I call it sound in judgment, and truly wise.’
e ‘So which do you think our city will have more of? Metalworkers, or
these true guardians?’
‘Metalworkers,’ he said. ‘Far more.’
‘Of all the groups which have a branch of knowledge of their own, and
which are identified as a group, wouldn’t the guardians be the smallest?’
‘Easily the smallest.’
‘In which case, the wisdom of a city founded on natural principles
depends entirely on its smallest group and element – the leading and
ruling element — and the knowledge that element possesses. The class
which can be expected to share in this branch of knowledge, which of all
branches of knowledge is the only one we can call wisdom, is by its nature,
apparently, the smallest class.’
Jacobsen, A.. (2015). The Pentagon’s brain : an uncensored history of DARPA, America’s top secret military research agency. Little, Brown US
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“First edition. since its inception in 1958, the defense advanced research projects agency, or darpa, has grown to become the defense department’s most secret, most powerful, and most controversial military science research and development agency. created by president eisenhower to prevent another sputnik, and to focus primarily on defensive programs against nuclear weapons, the agency–and its imagination and scope–has expanded enormously with each passing year. from agent orange in vietnam to insect-sized drones in use today, from the earliest networked computers and the internet to smart rockets and war zones under 24-hour video surveillance, darpa is responsible for innovations that have changed the course of war, national security, and strategic planning at the highest levels. to uncover the secret history of darpa in action, journalist annie jacobsen tracked down key players in darpa’s smart weapons program, past and present; neuroscientists building an artificial brain, cell biologists working on limb regeneration, the nobel laureate who invented the laser. from darpa’s earliest defensive advances to hundreds of ongoing programs, jacobsen exposes both sides of the darpa coin: the fantastic technological advances from which we all benefit, and the darker side drawn up in a race for military supremacy. based on information from inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos, the pentagon’s brain reads like science fiction but is absolutely true, a groundbreaking look behind the scenes at the clandestine intersection of science and the american military.–publisher information. the cold war : the evil thing ; war games and computing machines ; vast weapons systems of the future ; emergency plans ; sixteen hundred seconds until doomsday ; psychological operations — the vietnam war : techniques and gadgets ; rand and coin ; command and control ; motivation and morale ; the jasons enter vietnam ; the electronic fence ; the end of vietnam — operations other than war : rise of the machines ; star wars and tank wars ; the gulf war and operations other than war ; biological weapons ; transforming humans for war — the war on terror : terror strikes ; total information awareness ; ied war ; combat zones that see ; human terrain — future war : drone wars ; brain wars ; the pentagon’s brain.”
Moreno, J. D.. (2012). Mind wars : brain science and the military in the twenty-first century. Bellevue Literary Press
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“Minority report meets dr. strangelove in the true story of how neuroscience and related technologies are shaping national defense. acknowledgments; introduction; 1. darpa on your mind; 2. of machines and men; 3. mind games; 4. how to think about the brain; 5. brain reading; 6. building better soldiers; 7. enter the nonlethals; 8. toward an ethics of neurosecurity; sources; index; about the author.”
Miranda, R. A., Casebeer, W. D., Hein, A. M., Judy, J. W., Krotkov, E. P., Laabs, T. L., … Ling, G. S. F.. (2014). DARPA-funded efforts in the development of novel brain-computer interface technologies.. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 244, 52–67.
“The defense advanced research projects agency (darpa) has funded innovative scientific research and technology developments in the field of brain-computer interfaces (bci) since the 1970s. this review highlights some of darpa’s major advances in the field of bci, particularly those made in recent years. two broad categories of darpa programs are presented with respect to the ultimate goals of supporting the nation’s warfighters: (1) bci efforts aimed at restoring neural and/or behavioral function, and (2) bci efforts aimed at improving human training and performance. the programs discussed are synergistic and complementary to one another, and, moreover, promote interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers, engineers, and clinicians. finally, this review includes a summary of some of the remaining challenges for the field of bci, as well as the goals of new darpa efforts in this domain.”
Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell (1872 – 1970) was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, political activist and Nobel laureate. He led the British "revolt against idealism" in the early 1900s and is considered one of the founders of analytic philosophy along with his predecessor Gottlob Frege and his protégé Ludwig Wittgenstein. In this book, written in 1918, he offers his assessment of three competing streams in the thought of the political left: Marxian socialism, anarchism and syndicalism.
(Summary by Wikipedia/Carl Manchester)
Sir Francis Galton, was an English Victorian era statistician, polymath, sociologist, psychologist, anthropologist, eugenicist, tropical explorer, geographer, inventor, meteorologist, proto-geneticist, and psychometrician. He was knighted in 1909.
Galton produced over 340 papers and books. He also created the statistical concept of correlation and widely promoted regression toward the mean. He was the first to apply statistical methods to the study of human differences and inheritance of intelligence, and introduced the use of questionnaires and surveys for collecting data on human communities, which he needed for genealogical and biographical works and for his anthropometric studies.
He was a pioneer in eugenics, coining the term itself and the phrase “nature versus nurture”. His book Hereditary Genius (1869) was the first social scientific attempt to study genius and greatness.
As an investigator of the human mind, he founded psychometrics (the science of measuring mental faculties) and differential psychology and the lexical hypothesis of personality. He devised a method for classifying fingerprints that proved useful in forensic science. He also conducted research on the power of prayer, concluding it had none by its null effects on the longevity of those prayed for. His quest for the scientific principles of diverse phenomena extended even to the optimal method for making tea.
LibriVox
Hereditary Genius
A biographical summary of the pre-eminent men of Britain grouped by profession. The extensive survey draws from information including college graduation, reputation during career, fellowships, and even known relatives. Includes discussions on findings and observations as well as referenced appendices. - Summary by Leon Harvey
Breggin, P. R.. (1998). Analysis of Adverse Behavioral Effects of Benzodiazepines With a Discussion on Drawing Scientific Conclusions from the FDA’s Spontaneous Reporting System. The Institute of Mind and Behavior, Inc.
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“Thc benzodiazepines can produce a wide variety uf abnormal mental responses and hazardous behavourial abnormalities, including rebound anxiety and insomnia, mania and other forms of psychosis, paranoia, violence, antisocial acts depression, and suicide. these drugs can impair confusion, especially memory, and can result in confu-sion. they can induce dependence and addiction. severe withdrawal syndromes with psychosis, seizures, and death can develop. the short-acting benzodiozepines, alprazolam (xanax) and triazolam (halcion), are especially prone to cause psychological and behavioral abnormalities. the sources of data to support these observations and conclusions are discussed in regard to the scientific method. these adverse drug effects can wreck havoc in the lives of individuals and their families.”
Breggin, P. R.. (2000). The NIMH multimodal study of treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A critical analysis. [References]. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine
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“On earlier occasions this journal has devoted attention to the question of ‘attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd).’ a not uncommon diagnosis in american children, the very existence of the condition is denied by many pediatricians and psychiatrists elsewhere, as is the propriety of treating these ‘hyperactive’ children with stimulant drugs such as ritalinreg. (methylphenidate, mph). late in 1999 the debate entered a new phase with the publication in the usa of the ‘mta study’ which set out to examine the condition and its treatment and which was claimed to provide a vindication of the use of drugs in these young individuals. bearing in mind the evident risks of widespread use of stimulants in children, the entire issue of ‘adhd’ deserves careful and ongoing attention. in this paper, dr peter breggin examines the significance of this latest study. for those readers of the journal concerned primarily with pharmaceuticals, the criteria against which he assesses the merits of this study will be familiar. (psycinfo database record (c) 2010 apa, all rights reserved)”
Breggin, P. R.. (1998). Electroshock: scientific, ethical, and political issues *. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine
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“Electroconvulsive treatment (ect) is increasingly used in north america and there are attempts to promote its further use worldwide. however, most controlled studies of efficacy in depression indicate that the treatment is no better than placebo with no positive effect on the rate of suicide. ect is closed-head electrical injury, typically producing a delirium with global mental dysfunction (an acute organic brain syndrome). significant irreversible effects from ect are demonstrated by many studies, including: (1) inventories of autobio-graphic and current events memories before and after ect; (2) retrospective subjective observations on memory; (3) autopsy studies of animals and some of humans. ect causes severe and irreversible brain neuropathology, including cell death. it can wipe out vast amounts of retrograde memory while producing permanent cognitive dysfunction. contemporary ect is more dangerous since the current doses are larger than those employed in earlier clinical and research studies. elderly women, an especially vulnerable group, are becoming the most common target of ect. because of the lopsided risk/benefit ratio, because it is fundamentally traumatic in nature, because so many of the patients are vulnerable and unable to protect themselves, and because advocates of ect fail to provide informed consent to patients-ect should be banned.”
Breggin, P. R.. (2014). The rights of children and parents in regard to children receiving psychiatric diagnoses and drugs. Children and Society
Breggin, P. R.. (2004). Recent U.S., Canadian and British regulatory agency actions concerning antidepressant-induced harm to self and others: A review and analysis. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine
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“Drug regulatory agencies in the united states, great britain, and canada have recently issued warnings concerning the use of antidepressants. considerable attention has been placed on regulatory agency conclusions that antidepressants are associated with increased rates of suicidality in children. in the united states (the fda) and canada (health canada), new warnings have also been issued for children and adults concerning the production of an activation or stimulant syndrome that is known to be associated with violence and suicide. health canada requires a warning that selective serotonin inhibitors (ssris) and other newer antidepressants produce in children and adults ‘agitation-type adverse events coupled with self-harm or harm to other,’ including ‘akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), agitation, disinhibition, emotional lability, hostility, aggression, depersonalization.’ the fda requires a warning that ‘the following symptoms; anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia, hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric.’ recent studies confirm that antidepressants are associated with adverse events that can cause aggression, hostility, and violence, as well as suicidality, in both children and adults. (psycinfo database record (c) 2012 apa, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)”
Breggin, P. R.. (2006). Intoxication Anosognosia: The Spellbinding Effect of Psychiatric Drugs. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 8(3), 201–216.
“Why do so many individuals persist in taking psychoactive substances, including psychiatric drugs, after adverse mental and behavioral effects have become severe and even disabling? the author has previously proposed the brain-disabling principle of psychiatric treatment that all somatic psychiatric treatments impair the function of the brain and mind. intoxication anosognosia (medication spellbinding) is an expression of this drug-induced mental disability. intoxication anosognosia causes the victim to underestimate the degree of drug-induced mental impairment, to deny the harmful role that the drug plays in the person’s altered state, and in many cases compel the individual to mistakenly believe that he or she is functioning better. in the extreme, the individual displays out-of-character compulsively destructive behaviors, including violence toward self and others.”
Breggin, P. R.. (2003). Psychopharmacology And Human Values. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 43(2), 34–49.
“Psychopharmacology and biological psychiatry now dominate the mental health field. even humanistic and existential therapists are likely to refer difficult or disturbed clients to physicians, especially psychiatrists, for possible medication. the prevailing professional tendency is to conceptualize the conflict between psychotherapy and drug treatment as a scientific one; but it is at root a conflict between two different views of human nature. we need to renew our faith in the psychiatric drug-free human being in both our personal and professional lives.”
Karon, P., & Breggin, R.. (2012). Review of Psychiatric drug withdrawal: A guide for prescribers, therapists, patients and their families.. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry: An International Journal of Critical Inquiry
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“Reviews the book, psychiatric drug withdrawal: a guide for prescribers, therapists, patients and their families by peter r. breggin (2012). thoughtful clinicians, including psychiatrists, other prescribing physicians, clinical psychologists, social workers, and other therapists, frequently think their patients should be withdrawn from psychiatric medication, but they are not sure. in addition, they do not know the best way to help the patient to safely withdraw from psychiatric medication. the first part of the book is a careful and relatively complete description of the reasons why one should consider psychiatric drug withdrawal or dose reduction and when. the second part of the book is a detailed description of the best way to withdraw from psychiatric drugs, taking into account the specific drug or multiple drugs, the length of usage, and the characteristics of the individual patient. the most heartening chapter is on children and teenagers. most children and teenagers can be withdrawn with relative ease and safety, if their parents are cooperative. withdrawal from stimulants is easily accomplished with children and teens diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd) if sensible family therapy and possible consultation with the child’s teachers are provided. not only will they be off the medication, but their troubling symptoms will also be gone. of course, it would have been better to provide family therapy without medication from the beginning. peter breggin has more experience in safely withdrawing psychiatric patients from medication than any other psychiatrist. in this book, he shares his lifetime of experience. all of our patients deserve the benefit of our obtaining that knowledge. (psycinfo database record (c) 2012 apa, all rights reserved)”
Breggin, P. R.. (2002). Fluvoxamine as a cause of stimulation, mania and aggression: A critical analysis of the FDA-approved label. Ethical Human Sciences & Services
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“The contents of the fda-approved label for luvox (fluvoxamine) are compared to the known risks of fluvoxamine-induced stimulation, mania, and aggression in children and adults. it is found that the label in many ways fails to communicate the severity and range of these drug-induced adverse mental and behavioral drug effects. health professionals need to approach government-approved labels with skepticism and scientific sophistication, especially in regard to evaluating the risks of medications.”
Breggin, P. R.. (2010). Antidepressant-induced suicide, violence and mania: Risks for military personnel. International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine
The newer antidepressants frequently cause suicide, violence, and manic-like symptoms of activation or overstimulation, presenting serious hazards to active-duty soldiers who carry weapons under stressful conditions. these antidepressant-induced symptoms of activation can mimic posttraumatic stress disorder and are likely to worsen this common disorder in soldiers, increasing the hazard when they are prescribed to military personnel. antidepressants should not be prescribed to soldiers during or after deployment.
”
Breggin, P. R.. (2011). Psychiatric drug-induced Chronic Brain Impairment (CBI): Implications for long-term treatment with psychiatric medication. International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine
“Understanding the hazards associated with long-term exposure to psychiatric drugs is very important but rarely emphasized in the scientific literature and clinical practice. drawing on the scientific literature and clinical experience, the author describes the syndrome of chronic brain impairment (cbi) which can be caused by any trauma to the brain including traumatic brain injury (tbi), electroconvulsive therapy (ect), and long-term exposure to psychiatric medications. knowledge of the syndrome should enable clinicians to more easily identify long-term adverse effects caused by psychiatric drugs while enabling researchers to approach the problem with a more comprehensive understanding of the common elements of brain injury as they are manifested after long-term exposure to psychiatric medications. treatment options are also discussed.”
Breggin, P. R., & Breggin, G.. (2008). Exposure to SSRI Antidepressants In Utero Causes Birth Defects, Neonatal Withdrawal Symptoms, and Brain Damage. Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, 10(1), 5–9.
“Pregnant mothers should avoid taking ssri antidepressants—they are hazardous to the developing fetus, cause withdrawal symptoms in the newborn baby, and induce biochemical and morphological abnormalities in the brain. if pregnant mothers need help with sad or anxious feelings, they should seek counseling or psychotherapy, especially family therapy involving the child’s father, as well as other sources of emotional support.”
Breggin, P. R.. (2016). Rational Principles of Psychopharmacology for Therapists, Healthcare Providers and Clients. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 46(1), 1–13.
“Because the epidemic dispensing of psychiatric drugs is based on misinformation, it is important for all health professionals, consumers, and most citizens (including patients and their family members) to have a more rational understanding of how psychiatric drugs actually ‘work.’ instead of enforcing authoritarian ‘medication compliance’ in obedience to the prescriber’s orders, informed therapists and healthcare providers have an ethical duty to provide scientific information about the real effects of psychiatric drugs. instead of naively accepting whatever the doctor prescribes to them, consumers need to educate themselves about all medications, but especially about psychiatric ones, which are consistently misrepresented and oversold. this review focuses on three principles of rational psychopharmacology. the first is the brain-disabling principle, which states that all psychoactive substances work by causing dysfunctions of the brain and mind. it further observes that no psychiatric drugs work by improving or correcting biochemical imbalances or any other presumed biological malfunctions. the second principle is intoxication anosognosia (medication spellbinding) which states that all psychoactive substances tend to cause a subjective over-estimation of their positive effects while masking their harmful ones, sometimes resulting in extremely harmful behaviors such as mania, violence and suicide. the third principle is chronic brain impairment (cbi)—that exposure to psychoactive substances, especially long-term, results in impairments of the brain or mind that can become persistent or permanent, including atrophy (shrinkage) of brain tissue. not only are psychiatric drugs likely to do more harm than good, there are more effective and infinitely safer proven psychosocial approaches for treating the whole spectrum of ‘psychiatric disorders’ from ‘adhd’ and ‘major depressive disorder’ to ‘schizophrenia.’ (psycinfo database record (c) 2016 apa, all rights reserved)(journal abstract)”
Breggin, P. R.. (2015). The biological evolution of guilt, shame and anxiety: A new theory of negative legacy emotions. Medical Hypotheses
“Human beings are the most social and the most violent creatures on earth. the combination of cooperation and aggression enabled us to dominate our ecosystem. however, the existence of violent impulses would have made it difficult or impossible for humans to live in close-knit families and clans without destroying each other. nature’s answer was the development of guilt, shame and anxiety-internal emotional inhibitions or restraints specifically against aggressive self-assertion within the family and other close relationships.the theory of negative legacy emotions proposes the first unitary concept for the biopsychosocial function of guilt, shame and anxiety, and seeks their origin in biological evolution and natural selection. natural selection favored individuals with built-in emotional restraints that reduced conflicts within their family and tribal unit, optimizing their capacity to survive and reproduce within the protection of their small, intimate societies, while maintaining their capacity for violence against outsiders. unfortunately, these negative legacy emotions are rudimentary and often ineffective in their psychosocial and developmental function. as a result, they produce many unintended untoward effects, including the frequent breakdown of restraints in the family and the uninhibited unleashing of violence against outsiders.”
„We enter the Reichstag to arm ourselves with democracy’s weapons. If democracy is foolish enough to give us free railway passes and salaries, that is its problem… We are coming neither as friends or neutrals. We come as enemies! As the wolf attacks the sheep, so come we.“ — Joseph Goebbels
„The people’s community must not be a mere phrase, but a revolutionary achievement following from the radical carrying out of the basic life needs of the working class. A ruthless battle against corruption! A war against exploitation, freedom for the workers! The elimination of all economic-capitalist influences on national policy. Maintaining a rotten economic system has nothing to do with nationalism, which is an affirmation of the Fatherland.“ — Joseph Goebbels
A lesser known fact is that Goebbels stratagems were “inspired” by Edward Bernays (who authored the book entitled “Propaganda” in 1928).
Bernays stated the following in his 1965 autobiography:
They were using my books as the basis for a destructive campaign against the Jews of Germany. This shocked me, but I knew any human activity can be used for social purposes or misused for antisocial ones.
Further References
Doob, L. W.. (1950). Goebbels’ Principles of Propaganda. Public Opinion Quarterly
“For almost a dozen years german propaganda minister goebbels was recognized as a master of his trade by those who fought and by those who acclaimed the nazi state. this article, based on both the published and unpublished portions of goebbels’ diary, summarizes the major propaganda principles which he followed.”
Meyer, M., & Welch, D.. (2006). Propaganda and the German Cinema, 1933-1945. The History Teacher
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date of nazi film propaganda in its political, social, and economic contexts, from the pre-war cinema as it fell under the control of the propaganda minister, joseph goebbels, through to the end of the second world war. david welch studies more than one hundred films of all types, identifying those aspects of nazi ideology that were concealed in the framework of popular entertainment.”
Propaganda and mass persuasion: a historical encyclopedia, 1500 to the present. (2013). Choice Reviews Online
“This fascinating survey provides a comprehensive introduction to propaganda, its changing nature, its practitioners, and its impact on the past five centuries of world history. written by leading experts, it covers the masters of the art from joseph goebbels to mohandas gandhi and examines enormously influential works of persuasion such as ‘uncle tom’s cabin,’ techniques such as films and posters, and key concepts like black propaganda and brainwashing. case studies reveal the role of mass persuasion during the reformation, and wars throughout history. regional studies cover propaganda superpowers, such as russia, china, and the united states, as well as little-known propaganda campaigns in southeast asia, ireland, and scandinavia. the book traces the evolution of propaganda from the era of printed handbills to computer fakery, and profiles such brilliant practitioners of the art as third reich film director leni riefenstahl and 19th-century cartoonist thomas nast, whose works helped to bring the notorious boss tweed to justice.”
Herf, J.. (2005). The “jewish War”: Goebbels and the antisemitic campaigns of the Nazi propaganda ministry. Holocaust and Genocide Studies
“How the nazi leadership translated radical antisemitism into a narrative of an innocent, besieged germany striking back at an ‘international jewry’ it accused of starting and prolonging world war ii forms the subject of this study. in the nazis’ paranoid conspiracy theory ‘jewry’ comprised powers behind the scenes in london, moscow, and washington. in response to the ‘war of extermination’ that jewry had supposedly launched against germany, the nazi leadership publicly threatened to ‘exterminate’ and ‘annihilate’ the jews as an act of justified retaliation. in their minds and in their policy, the ideological connection between the ‘final solution’ and the second world war was inherent, rather than contingent. the following analysis suggests why a centuries-old hatred led to mass murder between 1941 and 1945.”
Welch, D.. (1993). Manufacturing a consensus: Nazi propaganda and the building of a ‘national community’ (volksgemeinschaft). Contemporary European History
“The point has to be made at once that any attempt to quantify public reaction to nazi propaganda is fraught with difficulties. accurate measurement of the effectiveness of nazi propaganda is weakened by the absence of public opinion surveys and the fact that, in a society that resorted so readily to coercions and terror, reported opinion did not necessarily reflect the true feelings and moods of the public, especially if these views were opposed to the regime. nevertheless, to state that public opinion in the third reich ceased to exist is not strictly true. after the nazi ‘seizure of power’ in 1933, propaganda minister joseph goebbels stressed the importance of co-ordinating propaganda with other activities. in a dictatorship, propaganda must address itself to large masses of people and attempt to move them to a uniformity of opinion and action. but the nazis also understood that propaganda is of little value in isolation. to some extent this explains why goebbels impressed on all his staff at the ministry of popular enlightenment and propaganda the imperative necessity constantly to gauge public moods. goebbels therefore regularly received (as did all the ruling élites) extraordinarily detailed reports from the secret police (sd reports) about the mood of the people and would frequently quote these in his diary. hitler, too, was familiar with these reports, and his recorded determination to avoid increasing food prices at all costs for fear that this would undermine the regime’s popularity suggests a political sensitivity to public opinion. to assure themselves of continued popular support was an unwavering concern of the nazi leadership, and of hitler and goebbels in particular.”
“As a philosophy professor, one of my central goals is to teach students to think critically. however, one difficulty with determining whether critical thinking can be taught, or even measured, is that there is widespread disagreement over what critical thinking actually is. here, i reflect on several conceptions of critical thinking, subjecting them to critical scrutiny. i also distinguish critical thinking from other forms of mental processes with which it is often conflated. next, i present my own conception of critical thinking, wherein it fundamentally consists in acquiring, developing, and exercising the ability to grasp inferential connections holding between statements. finally, given this account of critical thinking, and given recent studies in cognitive science, i suggest the most effective means for teaching students to think critically. [abstract from author]”
Ennis, R. H.. (2011). The Nature of Critical Thinking : An outline of critical thinking dispositions. In Sixth International Conference on Thinking at MIT
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“Critical thinking is reasonable and reflective thinking focused on deciding what to believe or do. this definition i believe captures the core of the way the term is used in the critical thinking movement. in deciding what to believe or do, one is helped by the employment of a set of critical thinking dispositions and abilities that i shall outline. these can serve as a set of comprehensive goals for a critical thinking curriculum and its assessment. usefulness in curriculum decisions, teaching, and assessment, not elegance or mutual exclusiveness, is the purpose of this outline. for the sake of brevity, clarification in the form of examples, qualifications, and more detail, including more criteria, are omitted, but can be found in sources listed below, but most fully in my critical thinking (1996a). this outline is the encapsulation of many years of work in the elaboration of the simple definition of critical thinking given above, and it distinguishes between critical thinking dispositions and abilities. it is only a critical thinking content outline. it does not specify grade level, curriculum sequence, emphasis, teaching approach, or type of subject-matter content involved (standard subject-matter content, general knowledge content, streetwise-knowledge content, special knowledge content, etc.). for assessment purposes it can only provide a basis for developing a table of specifications and the preparation of assessment rubrics. critical thinking dispositions ideal critical thinkers are disposed to 1. care that their beliefs be true ii , and that their decisions be justified; that is, care to ‘get it right’ to the extent possible; including to a. seek alternative hypotheses, explanations, conclusions, plans, sources, etc.; and be open to them b. consider seriously other points of view than their own c. try to be well informed d. endorse a position to the extent that, but only to the extent that, it is justified by the information that is available e. use their critical thinking abilities 2. care to understand and present a position honestly and clearly, theirs as well as others’; including to a. discover and listen to others’ view and reasons b. be clear about the intended meaning of what is said, written, or otherwise communicated, seeking as much precision as the situation requires c. determine, and maintain focus on, the conclusion or question d. seek and offer reasons e. take into account the total situation f. be reflectively aware of their own …”
Kuhn, D.. (2007). A Developmental Model of Critical Thinking. Educational Researcher
“The critical thinking movement, it is suggested, has much to gain from conceptualizing its subject matter in a developmental framework. most instructional programs designed to teach critical thinking do not draw on contemporary empirical research in cognitive development as a potential resource. the developmental model of critical thinking outlined here derives from contemporary empirical research on directions and processes of intellectual development in children and adolescents. it identifies three forms of second-order cognition (meta-knowing) — metacognitive, metastrategic, and epistemological — that constitute an essential part of what develops cognitively to make critical thinking possible.”
Ennis, R. H.. (1993). Critical thinking assessment. Theory Into Practice
“Suggests that critical thinking assessment is difficult to do well, but it is possible. notes that difficulties and possibilities vary with the purpose of the assessment and the format used. after examining published critical thinking tests, the paper explains how to create customized tests. (sm)”
Richmond, B.. (1993). Systems thinking: Critical thinking skills for the 1990s and beyond. System Dynamics Review
“Focuses on the transfer of the technologies of systems thinking to the education system. information on systems dynamics and systems thinking; evolution of the education system; placement of the systems of thinking skills into critical thinking skills.”
Siegel, H.. (2010). Critical thinking. In International Encyclopedia of Education
“National governments and employers have argued that it is important for all sectors of education to prepare individuals who are able to think well and for themselves. ‘good thinking’ and ‘thinking well’ are commonly used terms bound up with what is called ‘critical thinking’ in the research literature. evidence is pre- sented in this paper, however, which suggests that not all students may be good at critical thinking; nor do some teachers appear to teach students ‘good think- ing’ skills.a review of the research literature in this area was undertaken and the methods and conceptions of teaching likely to inhibit and enhance critical think- ing are outlined, as well as what is required to improve students’ thinking skills. ways forward in teaching critical thinking, and in helping students to learn to think well and for themselves, are described and discussed.”
Macke, J.. (1991). On Teaching Critical Thinking. Educational Philosophy and Theory
“SignificanceUnderstanding and thinking critically about scientific evidence is a crucial skill in the modern world. we present a simple learning framework that employs cycles of decisions about making and acting on quantitative comparisons between datasets or data and models. with opportunities to improve the data or models, this structure is appropriate for use in any data-driven science-learning setting. this structure led to significant and sustained improvement in students’ critical thinking behaviors, compared with a control group, with effects far beyond that of statistical significance. the ability to make decisions based on data, with its inherent uncertainties and variability, is a complex and vital skill in the modern world. the need for such quantitative critical thinking occurs in many different contexts, and although it is an important goal of education, that goal is seldom being achieved. we argue that the key element for developing this ability is repeated practice in making decisions based on data, with feedback on those decisions. we demonstrate a structure for providing suitable practice that can be applied in any instructional setting that involves the acquisition of data and relating that data to scientific models. this study reports the results of applying that structure in an introductory physics laboratory course. students in an experimental condition were repeatedly instructed to make and act on quantitative comparisons between datasets, and between data and models, an approach that is common to all science disciplines. these instructions were slowly faded across the course. after the instructions had been removed, students in the experimental condition were 12 times more likely to spontaneously propose or make changes to improve their experimental methods than a control group, who performed traditional experimental activities. the students in the experimental condition were also four times more likely to identify and explain a limitation of a physical model using their data. students in the experimental condition also showed much more sophisticated reasoning about their data. these differences between the groups were seen to persist into a subsequent course taken the following year.”
Bailin, S.. (2002). Critical thinking and science education. Science and Education
“It is widely held that developing critical thinking is one of the goals of science education. although there ismuch valuablework in the area, the field lacks a coherent and defensible conception of critical thinking. as a result, many efforts to foster critical thinking in science rest on miscon- ceptions about the nature of critical thinking. this paper examines some of the misconceptions, in particular the characterization of critical thinking in terms of processes or skills and the separation of critical thinking and knowledge. it offers a more philosophically sound and justifiable conception of critical thinking, and demonstrates how this conception could be used to ground science education practice.”
Sanders, M., & Moulenbelt, J.. (2011). Defining Critical Thinking. Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines
“Critical thinking is a skill that most teachers would readily agree is important for students to develop. unfortunately, many of our students have poorly developed critical thinking skills. perhaps the problem is rooted in those who teach. do teachers in career and technical education (cte) understand the concept of critical thinking well enough to teach students to think critically in and about the discipline being studied? good thinking skills will not develop on their own, they must be taught. teaching thinking skills is a difficult endeavor. teaching to promote thinking takes much time to prepare, is difficult to plan, and limits the amount of content ‘taught.’ teachers can no longer be information givers. on the other hand, students must learn thinking and reasoning skills to reach their fullest potential in today’s society. if we are to prepare students for entry and advancement in careers through cte, we must commit to developing problem solving and decision making through teaching critical thinking skills and developing the dispositions necessary to think critically.”
Jackson, M. C.. (2001). Critical systems thinking and practice. European Journal of Operational Research
“Critical systems thinking and the methodologies associated with it were developed precisely to allow analysis of complex societal problems and intervention to resolve such problems. early approaches employing systems ideas, such as operational research, systems analysis and systems engineering, were suitable for tackling certain well-defined problems, but were found to have limitations when faced with complex problems involving people with a variety of viewpoints and frequently at odds with one another. systems thinkers responded with approaches such as system dynamics and organizational cybernetics to tackle complexity; soft systems methodology (ssm) and interactive planning to handle subjectivity; and critical systems heuristics to help the disadvantaged in situations involving conflict. there was a corresponding enlargement of the range of problem contexts in which they felt competent to intervene. it has been critical systems thinking, however, which has supplied the bigger picture, has allowed systems thinking to mature as a discipline and has set out how the variety of methodologies now available can be used together in a coherent manner to promote successful intervention in complex societal problem situations. this paper outlines, at the request of the editor of this special issue, my involvement in developing critical systems thinking and practice, describes its origins, nature and use, and sets out a programme for future research in the area.”
“We are frequently confronted with arguments. arguments are attempts to persuade us – to influence our beliefs and actions – by giving us reasons to believe this or that. critical thinking: a concise guide will equip students with the concepts and techniques used in the identification, analysis and assessment of arguments. through precise and accessible discussion, this book provides the tools to become a successful critical thinker, one who can act and believe in accordance with good reasons, and who can articulate and make explicit those reasons. key topics discussed include: core concepts in argumentation how language can serve to obscure or conceal the real content of arguments; how to distinguish argumentation from rhetoric how to avoid common confusions surrounding words such as ‘truth’, ‘knowledge’ and ‘opinion’ how to identify and evaluate the most common types of argument how to distinguish good reasoning from bad in terms of deductive validly and induction. this fourth edition has been revised and updated throughout, with a new introduction for each chapter and up-to-date topical examples. particular revisions include: practical reasoning; understanding quantitative data, statistics, and the rhetoric used about them; scientific reasoning; the connection to formal logic and the logic of probability; conditionals; ambiguity; vagueness; slippery slope arguments; and arguments by analogy. the dynamic routledge critical thinking companion website provides thoroughly updated resources for both instructors and students including new examples and case studies, flashcards, sample questions, practice questions and answers, student activities and a testbank of questions for use in the classroom.”
Duron, R., Limbach, B., & Waugh, W.. (2006). Critical Thinking Framework For Any Discipline. Interrnational Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
“This paper identifies a 5-step framework that can be implemented in virtually any teaching or training setting to effectively move learners toward critical thinking. this interdisciplinary model, which is built upon existing theory and best practices in cognitive development, effective learning environments, and outcomes-based assessment, provides teachers with a useful framework. this framework can be used to move students toward a more active-learning environment which, ultimately, is more enjoyable and effective for teachers and students alike. an example of the model is applied in the context of accounting education, which represents a business discipline in which critical thinking has been consistently cited as both necessary and difficult to implement. thinking is a natural process, but left to itself, it is often biased, distorted, partial, uninformed, and potentially prejudiced; excellence in thought must be cultivated (scriven and paul, 2004). critical thinking is, very simply stated, the ability to analyze and evaluate information. critical thinkers raise vital questions and problems, formulate them clearly, gather and assess relevant information, use abstract ideas, think open-mindedly, and communicate effectively with others. passive thinkers suffer a limited and ego-centric view of the world; they answer questions with yes or no and view their perspective as the only sensible one and their facts as the only ones relevant. critical thinking is an important and necessary skill because it is required in the workplace, it can help you deal with mental and spiritual questions, and it can be used to evaluate people, policies, and institutions, thereby avoiding social problems (hatcher and spencer, 2005). this paper identifies a 5-step framework that can be implemented in virtually any teaching or training setting to effectively move learners toward critical thinking. this interdisciplinary model, which is built upon existing theory and best practices in cognitive development, effective learning environments, and outcomes-based assessment, provides teachers with a useful framework in which to move students and lecture-based courses toward an active-learning environment. techniques that encourage critical thinking”
Bailin, S., Case, R., Coombs, J. R., & Daniels, L. B.. (1999). Conceptualizing critical thinking. Journal of Curriculum Studies
“In this paper, the second of two, we set out a conception of critical thinking that critical thinking is a normative enterprise in which, to a greater or lesser degree, we apply appropriate criteria and standards to what we or others say, do, or write. the expression ‘critical thinking’ is a normative term. those who become critical thinkers acquire such intellectual resources as background knowledge, operational knowledge of appropriate standards, knowledge of key concepts, possession of effective heuristics, and of certain vital habits of mind. we explain why these intellectual resources are needed and suggest that we can best teach critical thinking by infusing it within any curricular practice in which our students are involved. [abstract from author]”
Mason, M.. (2009). Critical Thinking and Learning. Critical Thinking and Learning
