On the status of intellectual values in TOC

Using the sociological methodology of interpretative text analysis, I study the status of intellectual values in the TOC community during the last three decades. Specifically, analyzing the motivational parts of papers that appeared in several STOC proceedings, I found evidence to my feeling that the importance attributed to intellectual values has declined in the last decade (or so). I consider three reasons that might have caused this change, and speculate that the change is due to the combined effect of two of them, which correspond to well-known sociological theories. Clarification: The term values is adopted from Sociology, where it is defined as the set of beliefs of a society (regarding what is correct, good, and/or desirable). By intellectual values I mean a specific type of values; that is, those that advocate curiosity, study, and understanding. In particular, I believe that the TOC community holds (and should hold) both intellectual values and non-intellectual values. The issue at hand is the balance among them. The mind-set. I am talking about intellectual values, not about intellectual activities; that is, I’m talking about what exists in the background. I am talking about the TOC community as a social group, not about individuals who are members in that group; that is, I’m talking about the sociology of TOC. I intention is to call for corrective actions, not to complain on the current state of affairs.