arndt@lymph.dec.com (09/15/86)
Paul Dubuc lists 'conviction' among the values that should be taught in school and David asks, "Why conviction?" Well Dave, it's because . . . ahhh, because . . . well, I think it would be nice to have a viewpoint, perhaps, . . . and then on the other hand maybe it wouldn't. Not that I'm saying it isn't a good question, . . . although perhaps it is a little silly - but not really! But anyway if you don't like it I certainly won't insist on having it taught although it might be a good idea in some cases as long as no one objects. Is that too strong a . . . a 'position' to take on the matter? Let me know if you want me to change it. Keep chargin' Ken Arndt
dmcanzi@watdcsu.UUCP (David Canzi) (09/18/86)
In article <5365@decwrl.DEC.COM> arndt@lymph.dec.com writes: >Paul Dubuc lists 'conviction' among the values that should be taught in school >and David asks, "Why conviction?" > >Well Dave, it's because . . . ahhh, because . . . well, I think it would be >nice to have a viewpoint, perhaps, . . . and then on the other hand maybe it >wouldn't. > >Not that I'm saying it isn't a good question, . . . although perhaps it is >a little silly - but not really! > >But anyway if you don't like it I certainly won't insist on having it taught >although it might be a good idea in some cases as long as no one objects. > >Is that too strong a . . . a 'position' to take on the matter? Let me know if >you want me to change it. Well, um, I sort of agree with most of the virtues on that list (more or less). But it occurred to me that teaching children that conviction is a virtue is to smuggle a Trojan Horse into their value systems. I had in mind the words of that well-known atheistic scumbag, Bertrand Russell, who said: "The prevention of free inquiry is unavoidable so long as the purpose of education is to produce belief rather than thought, to compel the young to hold positive opinions on doubtful matters rather than to let them see the doubtfulness and be encouraged to independence of mind. Education ought to foster the wish for truth, not the conviction that some particular creed is the truth." Now if I make the most optimistic assumption that the people who want to teach children that conviction (which my cheap dictionary defines as "fixed belief") is a virtue don't plan to specify *which* particular conviction the children should adopt, I can see it still causing the harm that Russell speaks of. Basically, if people go around thinking they have a moral duty to make up their minds, and that uncertainty is somehow less virtuous than certainty regardless of which decision they come to, they will tend to choose a belief on insufficient evidence, or even in the complete absence of evidence and then stick to it like barnacles. Thus, no free inquiry. Thus, the mistakes they make early in life will be preserved rather than corrected. >Keep chargin' > >Ken Arndt -- David Canzi