Education, Culture and Virtue

What is the purpose of education? If you gauge the zeitgeist, you think: "acquire sufficient skills to cope with global competition". That's not entirely wrong, but in "The Paradox of Ambition" we already suggested that that is not the (only) purpose of life. So there has to be more. In "The history of progress", Rutger Bregman already wrote that people did not see this as such in the past. In the past, education had to lead mainly to a virtuous life. Postmodern thinkers will suggest this was a typical vice of Christian education, where a virtuous life equalled a Christian life. But Rutger Bregman notes that original liberal thinkers such as John Stuart Mill and Alexis de Tocqueville also pleaded for the virtuous life education. Education was to bring Culture with big C and that Culture had to elevate man to a more virtuous life. It should also not be forgotten that virtue, in a society under construction, could indeed lead to a better life, especially when you consider that zeal and perseverance (the "industria" mentioned earlier) were among those virtues. Peter Drucker also mentions integrity, the virtue par excellence, as an important quality for a manager.

But today you are no longer allowed to talk about people upliftment and if you suggest that education should promote virtue, then the contemporary correct thinkers immediately start to grumble: that cannot be true! If, on the other hand, you suggest that education should improve gender equality, combat racial discrimination, and promote respect for all diversity, then everyone will applaud you. But isn't this just virtue? And isn't this virtue linked to the great Western Culture from which we think it has some unique achievements? Everything depends on how you fill in virtue and today we emphasise other things than yesterday. But virtue is necessary for a good society and it is still the best guarantee to be able to cope with global competition. And there is more: virtue is also necessary at school to come to a good study – climate.

I also refer to my blogs: "Confucius inequality ", "Pressure on Kids",  and to "Virtues and virtutes".

Picture: Giovanni Bosco dedicates his life to education - Oud-Heverlee ©Wim Lahaye