Thoughts on Education

I was listening to talk radio a couple of days ago, and one of the speakers made the comment that there are many who “are educated into imbecility.”  I laughed at the time, knowing in the midst of the laughter that he was right, although I couldn’t really articulate my reasoning behind it all.

I then completed my reading of Benedict’s encyclical, Caritas in Vertitate, and found that his writing put words to it all.

Take a look at section 61. 

I quote, “education refers not only to classroom teaching and vocational training…..but to the complete formation of the person. In this regard, there is a problem that should be highlighted: in order to educate, it is necessary to know the nature of the human person, to know who he or she is.  The increasing prominence of a relativistic understanding of that nature presents serious problems for education…. Yielding to this kind of relativism makes everyone poorer….”

True education requires a good understanding of human nature.  In our contemporary culture, our minds and our consciences are being blinded to even the recognition of the human person.  We do not recognize a human person when we see him or her; our failure to extend the rights of personhood to the unborn is a glaring example of this.  The advancement of the euthanasia movement is another example: we devalue and dehumanize the feeble.  Those completely dependent on others are in effect, dehumanized.

A sizable portion of our society have been educated into imbecility.

Frankly, I believe this is a result of the failure to require learning philosophy in all academic programs at the university level.  A failure to require  learning theology.  Faith and Reason.  They are the cornerstones of an educated person.

What do you think?

About Deacon Bob

Moderator: Deacon Bob Yerhot of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.
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