Understanding Our Crisis
Every teacher knows: in order to provide good instruction, he himself must have a clear understanding of what he is teaching, what the goals and purposes of the instruction are, what the best means and methods for achieving those goals are, and what the abilities and potential of his students are. A lack of clarity in goals, a weak understanding of the subject matter, and a lifeless presentation of the material will certainly lead to unsatisfactory results. The same applies to education in general. In order to ensure good education and upbringing, we need to have a clear understanding of their purpose, possess a deep understanding of history and culture, and have a clear vision of the future. We also need to deeply understand the nature of human beings and the qualities we need to develop in order to face the challenges of the future.
The root of our modern crisis lies in the fact that we can no longer clearly grasp these questions and that we are no longer convinced of the truth and superiority of the values that have existed for centuries at the heart of our society. There are, civilizations. Finally, in their name terrible atrocities have been committed, ranging from inquisition and genocide, imperialistic conquest, exploitation of others, pollution of the planet to the squandering of the natural resources of future generations.
These corroding doubts about the correctness of our culturally inherited beliefs are directly related to the crisis of education. What will we pass on to our children? Which values are safe, proven and tested so that they can serve as the foundation for a better and more just world tomorrow?
There are times in history when inherited beliefs and values are not questioned, when elements of culture are transmitted along with a whole set of convictions that these ideas are true and in some way better than those from other cultures. These times make up the golden age of every civilization during which a certain worldview has produced the pinnacle in every field of human activity.
However, civilizations follow the same pattern as living beings: they grow and fall, they are born and they die. After ra Usually, a decline is followed by a transitional period, a dark age, or the Middle Ages. After that comes the Renaissance, which is a rediscovery of elements of culture from previous civilizations that enable the establishment of a new civilization and lead to a “rebirth” (re-naissance) of spirit and a renewal of vitality that will shape the new culture and civilization. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europe entered the so-called dark age (early Middle Ages). The rediscovery of many records of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian origin during the period later called the Renaissance completely changed the medieval worldview and led to the modern era, with unprecedented scientific discoveries and technological advancements.
There is a growing number of modern authors and academics who believe that Western civilization is in decline and that we are entering a new dark age. Symptoms of decline in any organism usually include general weakness, loss of flexibility and adaptability, along with a weakened “immune system”.
Our modern world exhibits many of these symptoms. Symptoms. For example, there is a widespread and exhausting doubt about almost everything. Doubt about God (does He exist?), doubt about humans (are we all selfish beasts who cannot be trusted?), doubt about governments and politicians (they are all corrupt), and doubt about our own abilities (we are so weak and the problems are so big). Even the last refuge of secure beliefs, science and technology, is starting to falter. Hasn’t science left our deep intimate questions unanswered, hasn’t the selfish application of technology caused many of our current problems, and has all the unprecedented progress of the last century made us happier and the world better?
Consequences
Given that there is doubt in everything and we are aware of the relativity of everything, we are not even sure what we should teach our children. The once widely accepted purpose of “building character” has become “indoctrination,” so we have limited education and upbringing only to intellectual exercise. Political correctness prohibits We are reluctant to give any moral direction as we are supposed to give value judgments. Since the only universally accepted criterion is utility value, formal education has been increasingly focused on vocational training, and the main purpose of education is considered to be equipping people with skills required by the job market. The consequence of this is that modern upbringing and education are becoming more and more sterile and devoid of the experiential and lively aspects that are necessary for stimulating other aspects of human nature.
The negative results of this development are becoming more and more apparent. Education that primarily provides information does not meet the needs of human beings, and that is the main reason why young people lose interest in school. The utilitarian orientation of the curriculum alienates children from their own culture. Most young people in the West know so little about Christian symbolism, Greek mythology, classical music, or great works of their own literature because none of these are considered useful. Therefore, they do not have access to large artistic works of their own culture. They are cut off from their own roots because they lack the education to appreciate and interpret the cultural elements they have inherited. The emphasis on scientific and technical education does not develop the individual’s internal potential to face life’s challenges. The absence of clear moral guidance makes students more vulnerable to influences that can potentially impact their characters and contribute to a decline in behavioral standards.
The Role of Philosophy
Every crisis is a turning point and requires reassessment. This reassessment is fundamentally philosophical because we question the fundamental aspects of our existence. At its core is the question of the nature of human beings and the purpose and meaning of our lives.
Modern thinking seeks quick solutions at the level of problems. In other words, it treats the symptoms instead of the causes. This neglects the fact that problems often have deeper hidden causes. Often, we are unaware of how every human question is connected to deep philosophical questions.
In order to gain a clear idea of the purpose, means, and outcome of education, we inevitably need to answer questions about human nature, life, and the values on which our civilization is based. Otherwise, we will forever be lost in the currents of opinions, theories, and deceptive statistics without any real footing. We will also not be able to bring about true change and improvement, but only replace one makeshift strategy with another, stumbling in the dark and not knowing where we are actually going. Without a clear vision of the future, born out of a clear understanding of the problem, governments will only be able to passively respond to the strongest currents of thought instead of showing leadership.
It is understandable that a utilitarian society, accustomed to viewing everything from an economic standpoint, will naturally be unable to see the value of philosophy. It has reduced philosophy to the role of providing arguments and exercising the mind critical thinking. It has been forgotten that philosophy is originally the love of wisdom and that its purpose is not to question everything, but to reach a clearer understanding.
Philosophy is an inherent human characteristic. It is the need to ask “why”, based on the intuition that there are answers to be found. This thirst for understanding has been the driving force behind all human activity and has fueled all achievements and discoveries of humanity. Philosophy is much more than just intellectual activity, it is an active approach to life, an attempt to integrate thinking and action, and to express and actively live what we know.
Philosophy may not lead to a fast, verifiable, and measurable product that we are so used to expecting, but it can lead to a deep transformation in which its value lies.
The future depends on the development of human beings
Today, we attach great importance to economic and technological development. We think that through continuous progress in science and increasing our believing that the material world can solve all our problems. However, most of our problems are not related to technological failures or lack of knowledge; most of our problems are connected to our human imperfections, which is why we need the development of humanity – a unique potential that lies within each individual.
It is extremely important to understand that highly educated people, with impressive literacy skills, knowledge of mathematics, and extensive general knowledge, are not necessarily better individuals. They are not necessarily happier or more fulfilled than others, and it is not certain that they will wisely use their greater power and influence in society. After all, Hitler’s engineers in Auschwitz were intelligent and highly educated individuals.
It can potentially be a more destructive combination of developed intellect and selfish greed. We need human beings who will use their knowledge and skills not only for their own benefit but also for the benefit of others who have less. This is no longer a question of the survival of a certain culture – this is a question of the survival of humanity.
It is becoming clear that we need education and upbringing that go beyond providing knowledge and developing intellectual abilities. We need an education that can awaken and develop other human abilities such as love, mercy, imagination, intuition, willpower, perseverance, and those that will help us master our lower nature.
How can we awaken this potential? Through what has always been considered the most powerful means of education: clear ideas and living examples.
Education is… a journey into the unknown, participation in the movement of the universe, living in timelessness. Its purpose is not to improve specific abilities, but to help give meaning to our lives. Interpreting the past helps us to be fearless and open towards the future.
Hermann Hesse