I love a good quote. Especially when it opens a door to answers . This one from George Carlin. When education Limits imagination, It's called Indoctrination. Our entire societal system from core family to primary education and on to higher education has turned into indoctrination. Beginning with the basic family. Back in the olden days. When dad went to work and mom was the primary caregiver, children began their education with, "Hey mom, I have a question!" Which led to a discussion, which led to thinking, which led to learning. Fathers would come home, dinner served and the family would actually communicate! Sometimes through a discussion with mom, it would be said, "let's ask your father when he gets home." Which was, of course, one of the discussions at the dinner table. Although children were disciplined to chores and responsibilities, we also had gobs of free time. No cable tv, no computers or cell phones. We were "left to our imaginations ". So when did this indoctrination begin? When we ran out of time to be a family. Mom had to get a job. Suddenly children no longer had caregivers, they had babysitters. And the babysitters used the old standby television as the caregiver replacement. Well, you can't ask the tv questions so you begin your indoctrination. Evenings began being, hurry up and throw something frozen in the oven. (Thank God for microwaves) Questions? Honey, I'm too tired. Go ask your dad. Which today equates to, "just Google it". My first hint that indoctrination had entered the school system was thirty some years ago when my son was in grade school. One evening he freaked out. His calculator had broken. He couldn't do his math homework. I suggested he take pen and paper and write out the problems. He informed me that he didn't know how to do that. Now this was simple multiplication.something he should have learned a couple of years ago. Turns out, the teachers had told the students they didn't need anything but knowledge of how to use a calculator. It would "do the thinking" for him. Indoctrination? Well, my son didn't like it, but we spent a little time each evening learning how math works. During this, I found my son had the unique ability to "see" numbers in his head. By learning how math works, he could do complex math in his head faster than most students could punching keys on a calculator. Now this was one of the better school systems in the state. And it wasn't just math on a calculator. Today you'll find computers and Google educating and indoctrinating. Answers are given. Questions need not be asked. Go to any debate or demonstration. Answers are chanted. If questions are asked, the answers are simply chanted louder. Education Limiting imagination INDOCTRINATION
Education limiting imagination.... I like it. (ETA for clarity - I like the terminology, not the way education limits imagination!) It runs in a similar vein to the difference between being taught how to think and being taught what to think - no sense of working through the issues to come to a conclusion that you know how to intellectually back up, just listen to the talking heads and they tell you all you need to know.
Indoctrination has existed for millenia -- cf. Daniel and his friends in Daniel 1. By controlling a person's culture and education, you shape their thinking processes and social mores. In the US, this because a major issue arising from Wilson's progressive movement, the utopian philosophers of the early 20th century and their counterparts, namely, the European socialists movements. It's a primary plank of the Communist Manitesto.
"Do not ask why things wete better in the olden days, for this not wise." Somewhere in Ecclesiastes and somewhat paraphrased.
If, in modern society, with the multitudes of advancements, we find things in turmoil, we can sometimes look back (on the good old days) and ask, What's missing?
I think the point is that we usually dont recall that the things you decry now, were probably happening back then. And if not that specifically then there was something else awry. I agree that yhe pendulum does swing to far sometimes. I'm working in a school and we teach the why, but there are also the times its got to be drilled into the memory.