Expanding Horizons
How Education Transcends Traditional Forms
Education Gives Way To Form
The word education comes from the word, educe. One definition of educe is "to bring out or develop." Education can be seen as the process that develops and brings out more of us.
“The intellect through a species of being informed in the act of intelligence, forms itself some intention of the understood thing.” We note the words “being informed” in the passive voice, followed later by form in the active voice. I take this to mean that in the process of knowing, we are in-formed by the thing understood, and in the same act, our intellect simultaneously gives form to the thing we understand. What is important here is the word “in-form,” or “forming in.” To tell someone something, to in-form him, is to form him—a process that can sometimes become very powerful in psychotherapy by the therapist’s saying just one sentence, or one word, at the right moment.” - Rollo May (Love & Will)
To tell someone something is to form them. To inform someone is to form them.
Education is getting informed, which can get us in form.
The questions then become:
what will we form into?
who will we form?
what is this information forming us into?
Our intellect uses intelligence to create an intention based on what the intellect understands. (Super abstract I know.)
Let me make this more simple: We are shaped by what we know and understand.
When we know and understand less, by default, we are less.
When we learn more, we become more.
Education gives us form. It makes us substantial.
Knowledge and understanding fill our vessels, shape our souls, and give us body.
Education allows us to transform beyond what we already are. It is how we have been able to evolve.
In Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari claims that Homo Sapiens survived because they are wise. Homo Sapiens understand the importance of knowledge and being wise. It is what has differentiated us from other species of humans.
“Selection pressure is the mechanism through which animals evolve.” - Temple Grandin (Animals Make Us Human)
Humans have evolved by selecting wisdom and education.
By becoming informed, we change our current form. We transcend what we were when we became informed. Our new form is determined by what we informed us.
Education gives us the ability to create the future we want. To manipulate the world around us, we have to understand how it works, and how we can act.
However, the opposite is true too. Education can give us the ability to create the future we do not want. Our new form may not be what we want for ourselves, so it is critical to be able to discern what is important to us. If you haven't already, check out the lesson right before this one.
Education is not the answer to the question. Education is the means to the answer to all questions. - Bill Allin (Sociologist and Education Activist)
Learning prevents us from getting stuck. Through learning, we can turn ourselves into who we want to be and we don’t have to be stuck with who we are.
"Education is the ability to meet life's situations." - Dr. John G. Hibben (Former President of Princeton University)
Seeing education as an ability, or a skill, something that can be improved on with effort gives us the power to meet life's challenges, no matter how great.
"The great aim of education is not knowledge but action." - Herbert Spencer
To do better, we have to do something with our new knowledge. We use education to create new actions, otherwise, the knowledge is wasted.
Plato's Reciprcol Revealing
"Plato’s Reciprocal Revealing" is a philosophical concept that comes from one of the greatest thinkers in history, Plato.
At its core, it's a principle that suggests a mutual exchange of understanding between a student and their subject of study. This concept is rooted in Plato's theory of Forms, which asserts that our worldly experiences are mere shadows of ideal, absolute forms or truths that exist in a higher realm of reality.
In the realm of education, Plato’s Reciprocal Revealing emphasizes the importance of an active, two-way process of discovery. It's not about the simple absorption of facts. Instead, it advocates for a deep and interactive engagement with a subject. As a student grapples with new material, they are not merely receiving knowledge, but they are also uncovering and discovering it. This process simultaneously reveals the nature of the subject to the student and the student’s understanding to themselves.
Therefore, it’s crucial to shape our educational journey that is not passive but encourages critical thinking, curiosity, and personal growth.
Understanding becomes a dynamic process, where the learner is an active participant, unearthing knowledge, and in turn, discovering more about themselves and their capabilities. It's a powerful reminder that education is not a one-way street but an enriching path of mutual discovery and understanding.
The goal is to have our knowledge and the knowledge of the world be indistinguishable.
Education can transform us into something completely new.
Education allows us to meet the challenges that life presents us.
One of the purposes of education is to give us access to new actions.
Education is a path of mutual discovery and understanding between ourselves and the universe.