Spring Break
Professors teach what to think, not how to think
Dustin Stein
Issue date: 11/18/03 Section: Commentary
All the time I have been in school, I thought the university was the apex of the education system; that the university aspired to the highest values of civilization. The university is supposed to be a place for open discussion and debate, where a student is free to express him or herself. Students are encouraged to examine any number of political ideologies, through open dialogue and forums (classes, lectures, etc.) in their college experience, to then decide the merit of each of these ideologies.
I was wrong. There is growing momentum in the opposite direction. The rise of post-modern, post-structural, culture and moral relativists has also shown a simultaneous decrease in exploring modern, structural and moral absolutists' viewpoints. Professors are becoming much more reticent to nurture a diverse political environment in their classrooms. For an increasing number of professors it is becoming, "My way or the highway."
There are a number of dangers with conducting a class along these lines. First, students should be encouraged to think for themselves, not regurgitate the notes that the professor wrote on the board. Just because a professor has accepted certain theories as fact does not mean it is beyond the classroom to evaluate and deliberate on the applications of such theories. Students with opinions that differ from these professors are often castigated or ostracized from classroom discussion, and the exact opposite effect of the university's mission statement is conveyed to students. Memorizing the professor's thoughts takes precedence over the ability to think or question, which is very dangerous ground for the future of America. It is the makings of an enforced academic hegemony. Either buy into the relativism and the baggage that comes with it or suffer the consequences with your grades.
The second reason this classroom indoctrination has a negative effect on college-age students is because most of these same professors base their theories on their understanding of history, most likely through a revisionist's lens. The problem is that students are being deprived of basic history lessons. Theory is important, but not if it is not grounded in basic historical facts and events. This scenario is becoming burdensome throughout American universities. Students are able to graduate, with distinction, with the ability to play by the post-colonialists rules and the moral-relativists ethical guidance and are therefore ill-prepared for too many occupations because they can't think outside of this ingrained box into which professors have forced them.
I was wrong. There is growing momentum in the opposite direction. The rise of post-modern, post-structural, culture and moral relativists has also shown a simultaneous decrease in exploring modern, structural and moral absolutists' viewpoints. Professors are becoming much more reticent to nurture a diverse political environment in their classrooms. For an increasing number of professors it is becoming, "My way or the highway."
There are a number of dangers with conducting a class along these lines. First, students should be encouraged to think for themselves, not regurgitate the notes that the professor wrote on the board. Just because a professor has accepted certain theories as fact does not mean it is beyond the classroom to evaluate and deliberate on the applications of such theories. Students with opinions that differ from these professors are often castigated or ostracized from classroom discussion, and the exact opposite effect of the university's mission statement is conveyed to students. Memorizing the professor's thoughts takes precedence over the ability to think or question, which is very dangerous ground for the future of America. It is the makings of an enforced academic hegemony. Either buy into the relativism and the baggage that comes with it or suffer the consequences with your grades.
The second reason this classroom indoctrination has a negative effect on college-age students is because most of these same professors base their theories on their understanding of history, most likely through a revisionist's lens. The problem is that students are being deprived of basic history lessons. Theory is important, but not if it is not grounded in basic historical facts and events. This scenario is becoming burdensome throughout American universities. Students are able to graduate, with distinction, with the ability to play by the post-colonialists rules and the moral-relativists ethical guidance and are therefore ill-prepared for too many occupations because they can't think outside of this ingrained box into which professors have forced them.