In his book “Twilight of the Idols,” Friedrich Nietzsche identifies two types of psychologists. I could not help but think of some of the professors I have had.
He writes, “This man is a human psychologist: what does he really study men for? He wants to gain little advantages over them, or big ones too — he is a politician!”
This type of professor is difficult to deal with because there is no joy in teaching for them. There is some sort of higher goal he or she wants students to attain and teaching is an act of manipulation of the students — small advantages. A lot of times professors seem to be teaching only because it is custom, and insofar as they are only waiting to take leave in order to write their articles and books; teaching is the act of manipulation toward big advantages. These professors are quick to hide behind their authority instead of really dealing with students. They can meet during office hours only — and only by appointment during those hours. Beware of power plays during class, such as when a basic question is flipped back reflexively. “Hey professor why does?” is thus flipped into, “How much work have you done about this problem outside of class?” No help is offered. No lines of help are offered, either.
Nietzsche thinks there is another, more sinister psychologist. “This other man is also a human psychologist: and you say he wants nothing for himself, that he is ‘impersonal.’ Take a closer look! Perhaps he wants an even worse advantage: to feel himself superior to men, to have the right to look down on them, no longer confuse himself with them. This ‘impersonal’ man is a despiser of men: and the former a more humane species, which may even be clear from appearance.”
These second strings of psychologists are professors who are impersonal. Perhaps this is best seen in the voice of reason. If the professor poses some voice of cool logic, then they are probably ignoring your question for the sake of convenience. These are the types to stay close to their scripts, reading their power points as if power points were the last say on knowledge. Generally speaking, the bigger the class size, the more impersonal it gets.
What a rush of joy it is for these people not to have to answer real problems, real questions, real intelligence. All the while, their colleagues pat them on the backs, “Gee, how do you get the courage to teach so well!” The teaching has not progressed in about one hundred years. Perhaps this professor is from a prestigious graduate school, and his or her thesis was on something different from what he or she teaches, which is something lower, too general, too watered down.
Real relationships, real exchange of teaching and learning are hard to come by. The problem is facilitated by the sleeping student, the texting student and the student on Facebook during class. No one can know the authority is corrupt when they know nothing about the authority. Students need to be responsible before their classes by researching what they are getting into. This means checking course grades from previous semesters on Wolfware, asking advisers, other professors, friends and campus professionals about classes.
Before classes students need to know they have a real interest in the subject. Students need to be responsible during classes, as in working as hard as possible in every course, getting help in the tutoring labs, forming study groups and starting work as soon as possible. Finally, students need to be responsible after classes, being honest in course evaluations about how good professors really are.
