Serious question - does education, the pursuit of knowledge, rational thinking and fact based

[malaise]

reality make someone an elite?

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. In its first meaning, yes

But it has also been used to mean "privileged" for a long time. The OED definition:

"The pick or choice part (of society, a group of people, etc.), the flower; spec. (a) a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society; (b) a group or class of people seen as having the most power and influence in a society, especially on account of their wealth or privilege."

The earliest known example from 1738 is about the best pictures, not people:

"In this, and the adjoining Rooms, is the Elite of the Royal Collection of Pitures, tho' not all hung in the best Light."

Then we have Wolf Tone in 1797 describing his plan for a revolt in Ireland:

" The troops should be disembarked, except from 2,500 to 3,000 men of the élite of the army which..should remain on board the frigates."

By 1848 we've probably got into meaning (b):

"The élite of the Russian nobility"

[malaise]

2. These days the Con and his goons use (a) as an insult

I don't buy that unless we buy into the assault on reason

[GeorgeGist]

3. Does misusing the word 'elite' ...

make you smart or stupid? Not referring to OP.

[malaise]

5. But you raise a good question

because in the minds of the Con, ReTHUGs and their collective hacks and goons, anyone who is more educated than them or does not buy their BS is an elite.
What is particularly ironic is that they all still want degrees from Ivy League universities and not their quack colleges like Liberty.

[Thomas Hurt]

4. Fascist Elitism v. Fascist Anti-intellectualism

Elitism is a typical aspect of any reactionary ideology, insofar as it is fundamentally aristocratic, and aristocratic and militaristic elitism cruelly implies contempt for the weak. Ur-Fascism can only advocate a popular elitism. Every citizen belongs to the best people of the world, the members of the party are the best among the citizens, every citizen can (or ought to) become a member of the party. But there cannot be patricians without plebeians. In fact, the Leader, knowing that his power was not delegated to him democratically but was conquered by force, also knows that his force is based upon the weakness of the masses; they are so weak as to need and deserve a ruler. Since the group is hierarchically organized (according to a military model), every subordinate leader despises his own underlings, and each of them despises his inferiors. This reinforces the sense of mass elitism.

Fascist Anti-intellectualism

Traditionalism implies the rejection of modernism. Both Fascists and Nazis worshiped technology, while traditionalist thinkers usually reject it as a negation of traditional spiritual values. However, even though Nazism was proud of its industrial achievements, its praise of modernism was only the surface of an ideology based upon Blood and Earth (Blut and Boden). The rejection of the modern world was disguised as a rebuttal of the capitalistic way of life, but it mainly concerned the rejection of the Spirit of 1789 (and of 1776, of course). The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity. In this sense Ur-Fascism can be defined as irrationalism.

Irrationalism also depends on the cult of action for action's sake. Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation. Therefore culture is suspect insofar as it is identified with critical attitudes. Distrust of the intellectual world has always been a symptom of Ur-Fascism, from Goering's alleged statement ("When I hear talk of culture I reach for my gun&quot to the frequent use of such expressions as "degenerate intellectuals," "eggheads," "effete snobs," "universities are a nest of reds." The official Fascist intellectuals were mainly engaged in attacking modern culture and the liberal intelligentsia for having betrayed traditional values.

Umberto Eco's Essay on Ur-Fascism 1995

[malaise]

6. Yes Fascist anti-intellectualism

runs very deep among them