Friday, April 22, 2011

Does Education Restrict the Human Mind rather than Freeing it?

Education serves to restrict the human mind rather than to free it.
Describe a specific situation in which education frees the human mind. Discuss what you think determines when education restricts the human mind and when it frees it.
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Education is widely thought as the vehicle for a person to advance his or her status in society. That is, education can help people build skills and a strong foundation for surviving in a competitive place. Indeed, education serves other important purposes in society, such as molding children to respect the mores of society and guiding people in living their daily lives. Education, in general, is the process of transmitting accumulated knowledge or skill from one generation to another. While education is generally thought of as a means of freeing the human mind, it also can restrict creativity and free thought in certain circumstances.

Education comes in different forms. Informal education includes certain skills and belief systems passed on by parents to their children or from friend to friend. On the other hand, formal education takes place in a organized setting such as a school or university in which the purpose is for teachers to impart their knowledge of academic subjects to students. In most cases, increased education serves to strengthen one's ability to think critically about matters of daily life and also inspire creative thought. People can use their increased knowledge and skills to make wise decisions, gain employment and think outside the box. Generally, more exposure to diverse ideas and modes of thought can help a person keep an open mind and explore different ways of approaching problems.

However, education can also serve to limit the human potential, especially in cases where the educator stifles doubt and creative thinking. Sometimes students (or audiences) are led to believe that there is only one answer in approaching a problem. In other cases, people become tied to certain dogmatic thought that they feel they cannot challenge. They learn about details of certain belief systems and are afraid to cross the "boundary" by exploring other ways of thinking. This can often be seen in cases of religion and politics.

The ideal type of education serves to expand human potential by encouraging free thought, speech, and creativity. When passing on skills or knowledge, it is important for the educator to not claim the final word but rather encourage students to explore the subject on their own terms. Indeed, education is an integral stepping stone in the development of a human being. While it can be used for abusive purposes, it has mostly been used as a source of enlightenment and as a driver of society.

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