Emphasis

I used to think that the most important education we could provide our offspring was in science. Other subjects were time-killers, and of little consequence. It was in our nation's interests, and it was our destiny, to stay ahead of the rest of the world in the development of scientific concepts and tools.

And it reflected the American passion to lead in everything we do: to develop the ideas that would be adopted by the rest of the world. It was the American Way. We were the explorers of the frontiers. We were competing with an ever-enlarging pool of nations determined to replace us both economically and militarily, and we'd stop them.

We were entrepreneurs as well. We'd get it done and show the others how; after all, we had (what we thought to be) the best pedagogy in the world as well as wide exposure of our culture to everyone else. The past was over. Why belabor it? Moving forward was what counted. New education, therefore, was paramount – especially that in the sciences. Early and extensive exposure to the nature of the world around us – to science – and the physical problems we faced, would ensure the interest of our children in those fields. Sadly, it was true.

That's what I used to think. But as I get older I'm less certain. Perhaps I should have become suspicious earlier. Music “Appreciation” taught us to recognize great works by the use of silly mnemonics (“This is Jupiter. This is Jupiter,” “This is the symphony that Schubert wrote but never finished,” “Morning is dawning and Peer Gynt is yawning”) and the American “history” in our aged textbooks emphasized what we now view as mythologyⁱ and xenophobia. I'm not sure if our teachers thought that was all our young minds could digest, of if that was all they knew or what they viewed as important. But they underestimated us. And we're the worse for it.

It will probably sound obsolete – perhaps even foolish – but I sometimes think that modern education deprives its consumers of the chance to think. We have outgrown the idea of a classical education, and that is to our detriment. And, to a lesser degree, the American concept of science's superiority is international, though educationally we have been surpassed by many countries. Moreover, we don't believe that our citizens don't need to learn the languages of others (and certainly not Latin and Greek) because everyone else should understand English; we don't have to trouble ourselves with history because our focus is on the present and the future; and if there is a literary reference we don't understand we can surely find the explanation on-line. Not that we're likely to care about music or art, but there are “apps” that will help us identify what we hear and see. (We're already familiar with rock, rap, and comic book art.)

And, of course, Mythology is mythology.

But we're now seeing where that leads. It has become obvious to everyone (painfully obvious to many of us) that fiscal restraints govern the range of what we can teach. It is not original to note that education in the humanities (and physical education as well) is being sacrificed to the gods of science – often to the point of anti-theological indoctrination. In fact, with all of the scientific developments of recent years, most of education is being sacrificed. As Casey Stengel said, “You can look it up.”

That's the problem. Why is it important to know history? Anything you may want to know is on line. (That was even true in the time of Yogi Berra – actually he's still alive – who taught “Even Napoleon had his Watergate.”) Do you need to know the product of 497 and 2143? Use your computer's calculator.ⁱⁱ If you need to know how a word is spelled, or what it means, your computer – desk top, notepad, or hand-held – can help out. And you can look anything else you need to know.

Actually, that's part of the problem. Those lacking real intelligence can use the artificial variety. Science has replaced actual books, knowledge, and even reality, with the virtual kind. Science is moving fast. In my view, and that of many others, too fast. Even the law can't keep up. As I mentioned, these ideas are not original. They represent the laments of many of us curmudgeons. For us, it's time to take a break. Slow down. We go too fast. Maybe it's risky. Maybe someone will get ahead of us in some area. So be it. If accurate knowledge of the classics and our history, if exposure to the arts and philosophy, will help us understand ourselves, our world, and its people a little better – if it will remind us how to think creatively – the risk is worth taking.

It will be a long time before humans land on and colonize Mars, taking it away from the “little green men” (though why they should want to do so is beyond me), and it's unlikely that it will foil G-d's eternal plan if it takes a few years longer. In the meantime, they, and everyone else, will benefit if the humanities make them more human.

Next episode: “The Final Perek” – The ? State Solution.

I        We have a new mythology of history now. One of affirmative action, multiculturalism, and a gender agenda. It's just as false as the one we were taught, but it's more in fashion. I'll deal with it another time.

 

ii       By the way, it's 1065071.