5 pages 1500 words due less than 4 hours

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The Practical Limitations of the Limitless Mind

The discrepancies between what a person wants to do and what they end up doing often occur

due to conflicts that arise related to practicality. When it comes to learning and the acquisition of

knowledge, some believe that practicality should be put on the sidelines to make room for abstract

ideas and principles. In his piece, the “Uselessness of Useful Knowledge,” Abraham Flexner asserts that

due to the fact that the world as we know it and as we might know it in the future depends on scientific

principles discovered through the pursuit of so-called "useless knowledge", curiosity and creativity as

driving forces for research – be it in the humanities or in the sciences, should be encouraged, nurtured,

and valued, unencumbered by the prognosis of utility or practicality. The structure of today’s capitalist

society, wherein the insatiable consumer dictates the allocation of resources, would impede a grand

scale application of Flexner’s ideas as a result of the prevailing inclination to neglect the curious and

creative mind in order to overindulge the lucrative one.

Firstly, contrary to what the title of Flexner’s essay suggests, the dilemma addressed in the essay

is not necessarily a question of the utility of knowledge, but rather a question of time, investments, and

the advantages of delayed gratification. In fact, the very concept of useless knowledge may be

unfounded, as the uncertainties of life do not allow one to come to such a conclusion prior to needing

that knowledge. It is not known when a piece of information comes in handy. When Flexner speaks of

“useless knowledge,” he refers to “intellectual and spiritual life...in which men indulge because they

procure for themselves greater satisfactions than are otherwise obtainable” (Flexner, 545). The very fact

that these abstract practices such as “the cultivation of beauty” and “the extension of knowledge” (545)

stimulate the soul and employ the use of higher faculties that yield gratification that surpasses primal

pleasures, is proof enough of their utility (549). Flexner also makes the case that aside from playing its

part in giving the world “spiritual significance” (545), the relentless pursuit of knowledge to satisfy one’s

curiosity is often the foundation upon which more tangible applications are built and without which the

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world might quite literally still be in the dark. Regardless of these, he lays emphasis on the idea that the

acquisition of knowledge is an intrinsic good which should be valued in and of itself. In theory, this idea

has merit, yet, in our society, value is placed in utility. It is the basis of our monetary system. Something

is said to be valuable when it serves a purpose or meets a need. That being said, nurturing curiosity as a

driving force of scientific research leads to a more thorough accumulation of knowledge since it allows

humans to better understand the world in which they reside. Ultimately, this increases the chances of

survival and is therefore useful.

In an attempt to apply the principles of Flexner’s text to the current age of capitalism and

consumerism, wherein the world population continues to grow exponentially with the demand for more

‘things’ growing along with it, it is clear that the majority of people fall into the category of the

“mold[ed]...human spirit”(550) – unable to “spread its wings'' (550). Herein lies the paradoxical

implications of Flexner’s narrative in the twenty-first century. He argues “for the abolition of the word

"use," and for the freeing of the human spirit”(546) which he acknowledges will “waste some precious

dollars,” (546) but upholds that the advantages brought on by discoveries outweigh the costs.

Essentially, Flexner illustrates this idea as an investment, claiming that putting in money to the

cultivation of curiosity and creativity would yield invaluable returns. Nonetheless, the popular phrase “it

takes money to make money” comes to mind. A large-scale adaptation of Flexner’s ideas would require

funding as research, like everything else, costs money and becomes a limited resource. The majority of

the population struggles to put food on the table and just like investments in the stock market or real

estate, the benefits would only be apparent among a specific group of people – the ones financially

stable enough to invest money into the boundless pursuit of “useless” knowledge.

Along with monetary investments comes the investment of time. Similar to the development of

electricity which was the product of “more than a hundred years,” (546) most aimless inquiries into how

the world works through holistic and thorough exploration, take decades to yield practical results.

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Flexner would argue that in seeking results in the first place, we confine the human spirit. However,

according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, basic physiological needs are prioritized over self-

actualization for the obvious reason that in order for one to achieve higher pleasures found in

expressing creativity and following their curious minds, they have to be alive. This means that a person

requires a source of income from which they can establish physiological and physical security. The ability

to dedicate time to something that does not show signs of yielding tangible results is a luxury that

unfortunately many cannot afford. In order to feed the abstract mind, one must first feed the tangible

body. Few people in today’s society would be able to adopt Flexner’s ideas. He recognizes this disparity

as well as the obstacles faced by “those who through no fault of their own are deprived of opportunity

and a fair share of worldly goods” (544) and rationally concludes that this results in a shift of focus from

exploring the unknown phenomena to meeting their primary needs.

Finally, capitalism fosters a culture that prioritizes inferior but instant gratification over more

long-term investments that yield more substantial results. The reach of social media especially

contributes to the propagation of the false idea that success can be measured by the number of things

one is able to obtain. It also promotes a competitive nature among people that some argue is the

propelling force behind innovation. However, Flexner believes that the opposite is the case. As with the

invention of the radio, “one must be wary in attributing scientific discovery wholly to any one person”

(549). Collaboration across specialties and even generations remains the heart of scientific discovery.

Yet, the limited availability for jobs and research funding only intensifies competition and promotes

speed and superficiality over efficacy and substance. The ramifications of this are seen in the education

system. The modern student is a peculiar being. Especially during a pandemic, most find themselves

anxiety-riddled, devoid of motivation, and with a “clamp[ed] down” (550) spirit. Focus is shifted from

exploring unknown concepts to memorizing facts and regurgitating them on assessments. Students

study to pass the test instead of studying to understand the content. Any inkling of curiosity or creativity

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is overpowered by burnout caused by constant uninspired productivity. Flexner would argue that this is

an assault on the human spirit and is actually counterproductive. Again we find another oddity. The

education system, created to make knowledge more accessible to trigger curiosity in its students, ends

up snuffing out the very thing it was meant to nurture. Applying Flexner’s model in the reestablishment

of this system would prove difficult because the consumer society in which we reside, fosters a

materialistic obsession that pushes for innovation and invention with money as a universal incentive.

Companies want pragmatic and practical people who can make them the most profit in the shortest

time possible. With this goal in mind, the education system must prepare its students for the practical

world beyond academia.

Ultimately, the consumer culture in which we live incentivizes and promotes the generation of

more Marconis and not enough Hertzs and Maxwells. Although there is surplus evidence to support the

claim that utility is maximized in the long run when knowledge is sought after without the constraint of

practicality, the capitalist concept of success lies in the application or potential applications of

theoretical ideas and not necessarily in the ideas themselves. It lies in the likelihood of utility. Despite

how counterintuitive that may be, “ours is a materialistic age” (544). Because of this, we are confined to

being prisoners of utility. Having to meet the needs of the masses often involve making sacrifices to

achieve a somewhat even distribution of resources. Attempting to eschew practicality in favor of the

pursuit of abstract and theoretical knowledge on a large scale is simply not feasible given the economic

and social climate. However, as Flexner posits, continued investment in the curious mind on a smaller

scale as seen in universities and institutions like Princeton, could one day yield a method in which a

larger application of this theory is possible.

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Works Cited

Flexner, Abraham. “The Usefulness of Useful Knowledge.” Harpers , Issue 179,

June/November 1939, www.ias.edu/sites/default/files/library/UsefulnessHarpers.pdf.