I Agree With the Pope! (Who'd've thought it possible? Read on...)

[lunadelcorvo]

(Originally posted at the Washington Monthly)

Apparently the Pope is now criticizing what he sees as an increasingly vocational concern in higher education. At a meeting of university professors in Madrid last week, Pope Benedict XVI said:

At times one has the idea that the mission of a university professor nowadays is exclusively that of forming competent and efficient professionals capable of satisfying the demand for labor at any given time. One also hears it said that the only thing that matters at the present moment is pure technical ability.

This sort of utilitarian approach to education is in fact becoming more widespread, even at the university level, promoted especially by sectors outside the university. All the same, you who, like myself, have had an experience of the university, and now are members of the teaching staff, surely are looking for something more lofty and capable of embracing the full measure of what it is to be human. We know that when mere utility and pure pragmatism become the principal criteria, much is lost and the results can be tragic: from the abuses associated with a science which acknowledges no limits beyond itself, to the political totalitarianism which easily arises when one eliminates any higher reference than the mere calculus of power. The authentic idea of the university, on the other hand, is precisely what saves us from this reductionist and curtailed vision of humanity.

Wow. Benedict actually said something I agree with.... (So how will we protect our aircraft and overhead lines from all those newly winged pigs?)

Seriously though, much as I hate to admit it, and even though I doubt Benedict's idea of 'something more lofty' bears any resemblance to mine, I agree that post secondary education has increasingly moved away from creating broadly educated, well-read people capable of cultural literacy and critical thinking to turning out trained technicians. And I think this has been to our detriment.

Granted I speak as a professor in the Humanities, but it seems that our public is dangerously lacking in either contextual understanding of current affairs, or the ability to employ reason, logic, and critical thinking to evaluate claims, be they claims of politicians or corporations.

It is the long-standing trope that pre-med or business students rail against the burdensome requirements of courses in philosophy, literature, and the like. But when we yield to these rants, do we not produce doctors and business men with no understanding of anything beyond the tools of their trades? Don't we want a society peopled with thoughtful professionals? True, one may not need to have read Plato to perform surgery. But perhaps Plato might have relevance to when to suggest it in favor of a different approach, or to finding empathy with a patient. Having read Orwell may not enhance one's understanding of markets, but does Orwell have nothing to say to those who shape markets?

Comments

[primitivepeople.livejournal.com]

Spot on. I've written about this myself, as university education in England* is about to triple in price and go way beyond the reach of most ordinary people. It's resulting in a huge rise in corporate-sponsored degrees in technical subjects, which shackle students to working for multinationals for some time in return for getting their tuition fees paid.

It's enough to make me weep, it really is. :(

* It's still free in Scotland, but my kids are seven years away from uni at least, and I suspect it'll cost a fortune by then.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping it stays free or at least affordable where you are.... One reason hubby and I are so please to be teaching at the uni I am (he teaches at the same one I do, and several others as well) is that if we teach 4 classes between us, the Niblet will be able to go full time for free...

But really, unless you have a student who really *wants* breadth in their education, it's like pulling hen's teeth to get them to see relevance to anything not bullet-pointed in a job posting! I know critical thinking and reasoning skills are a dying art, but it's sad to see the idea of the 'well-rounded individual' may well already be dead...

[thewenchywiccan.livejournal.com]

*claps* This post is made of win. :) And since I don't think I've said so, have a KICK ASS academic year. ♥ *HUGS*

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Thanks you on both counts, my dear! :) I've been enjoying your more frequent posts, by the way (though I've been dismal at answering...and posting real stuff!).

*hugs*

[thewenchywiccan.livejournal.com]

No worries, I'd understand even if being a Mom was your only gig, that's a big enough one in and of itself, hehe, so no worries.

Aww, really? You're too kind to me, but I do appreciate it so very much. *HUGS* ♥ :D You've always been one of the first to offer strength and comfort and I appreciate it.

[celtickittenmew.livejournal.com]

I agree with the Pope and with you, my friend. Indeed, it is my belief that a truly educated individual ought to have as thorough an understanding of music, literature, art, anthropology, and philosophy as they do of science, history, sociology, law, technology, and medicine. Any of the technical professionals that I have had the privelege to work with or be served by that understand these things are more understanding physicians, excellent oratory lawyers, further the meaning of time and its connections to the present/future as historians, and realize that too much technology leaves a society disabled and incapable of creating works of utility or art without a machine.

[raven-moon.livejournal.com]

Well, that's exactly right. Although, these days I find it hard enough to find someone who has even a basic grasp even of science, history, sociology, law, technology, and medicine, with the exception of whichever one they are pursuing as a career....! And you bring up another point - we are losing our knowledge of basic handcrafting and living skills - who now knows how to weave, build a windmill, grow food, make paper? I pity us if we someday lose our factories!

[lucretiasheart.livejournal.com]

This is brilliant --> "(So how will we protect our aircraft and overhead lines from all those newly winged pigs?)"

Excellent points and I'm in agreement. Quick--! Look surprised.