In this essay, a main point that Lewis makes is distinguishing the difference between education and learning. I think he does a great job of explaining these differences and putting the two in perspective One difference between these two is that learning is something that humans can always experience throughout their. Education on the other hand, takes place in a specific time frame. Education allows us the privilege to pursue knowledge and participate in activities without having to think about our relation to careers or surviving. Learning on the other hand is not forced upon us or used in a way to better ourselves or achieve some kind of goal. Rather the process of learning allows us to gain knowledge about a topic that we have a particular interest in or a desire to learn about. One point that C.S. Lewis makes is about how modern Oxford (or any college) has changed since he has been there. He says that Oxford has become a place of teaching, where students have the idea of completing there education. This quote sums up what he actually believes the university should be," rather than with the idea of entering a society devoted to the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake."
Another section of the essay that I found interesting was his distinctions between vocational training and education. Lewis explains how society must find a balance between the two and find time for both of them. Training is needed because otherwise society cannot function because so many careers require training such as a plumber of a surgeon. Lewis says however that society cannot totally depend on training or as he says, "for if education is beaten by training, civilization dies. This is one of the fears that Lewis thinks could come to fruition. That is one reason why I believe the liberal arts education given at Calvin College is very important, because I am not receiving just training in business that I can use in my career but also a well rounded education. I think that this education will give me a better view of God's world and that may seem a little extreme, but so many subjects are intertwined together. Lewis believes that a broad range of knowledge is more important than a great amount of knowledge in one subject area, and I think this is a very profound statement.
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I like that you pointed out the difference between education and learning. I especially enjoyed that you explained the good in education. It's important to maintain perspective of the good and bad of things. Education has its purposes. It fits for a time when children thrive under discipline and living within a "box" their superiors create for them. If any one has spent 5 seconds in a room with unruly children they will understand my point!
ReplyDeleteI especially agree with your point that Calvin's liberal art education is very important. Although students may be particularly interested in one field, I think they should be required to take a wide variety of courses so that they have a broad understanding of the world. At the same time students should be given many different options to choose from so that they can enjoy what they are learning and not just take a course because they are required to.
ReplyDeleteJust like Amy, I agree with your point about Calvin's liberal arts program. When I first came to Calvin I felt overwhelmed by the amount of core classes that I needed to take, and I thought they would all be boring and a waste of time. Looking back now on the classes I have taken, I realize that some of my favorite classes have been those core classes. I also think it is important to learn a little bit about a wide range of subjects rather than learning a lot about just one subject.
ReplyDeleteNathan,
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out how subjects can be intertwined. I have seen overlapping in a number of my classes, and I think it goes to show how God's world is one, and cannot be successfully partitioned without maintaining its unity. We have even seen such intertwining in this class, when Professor Ribeiro used mathematical fractals to explain an aspect of Lewis' writing.