The 3rd Earl Russell on Educational Goals

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Here’s something once said by twentieth century philosopher Bertrand Russell, a fellow with some interesting ideas whom I’ve not posted on enough on this site for my taste.

I never heard of him prior to getting involved as a skeptic, but he rather seems to me to have had his proverbial act together, and in any event, was someone I can learn from.

Here he puts forth his views of the proper goals of a good educational system, and what sort of understanding it should instill, very far indeed from mere indoctrination, I’d say.

Considering the date for this quote, his usage of the terms skepticism and dogma are contemporary for the period and may not be as applicable in the modern sense…

…so anyhoo here’s Bert’s 25 cents worth…

…and no, Ernie is not available for comment!

Neither acquiescence in skepticism nor acquiescence in dogma is what education should produce. What it should produce is a belief that knowledge is attainable in a measure, though with difficulty; that much of what passes for knowledge at any given time is likely to be more or less mistaken, but that the mistakes can be rectified by care and industry. In acting upon our beliefs, we should be very cautious where a small error would mean disaster; nevertheless it is upon our beliefs that we must act. This state of mind is rather difficult: it requires a high degree of intellectual culture without emotional atrophy. But though difficult, it is not impossible; it is in fact the scientific temper. Knowledge, like other good things, is difficult, but not impossible; the dogmatist forgets the difficulty, the skeptic denies the possibility. Both are mistaken, and their errors, when widespread, produce social disaster.

~ Bertrand Arthur William Russell (1872-1970) On Education, Especially in Early Childhood (1926)

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