Excerpts from Bertrand Russel's 'Portraits from Memory' on Education

Hi Blog,
   My admiration is increasing for Bertrand Russel as I read more of his work. Education system has always been an interest of mine. The main cause of all the bad things happening in this world, as I see it, is ignorance and our current education system. Russel would agree with me on that.
   As I was reading the chapter on John Stuart Mill in the title book, I came across some this:
"Let us begin by asking the question of principle, namely what should a lover of liberty wish to see done in the schools? I think the idea but somewhat Utopian answer would be that pupils should be qualified as far as possible to form a reasonable judgment on controversial questions in regard to which they are likely to have to act. This would require, on the one hand, a training in judicial habits of thought; and , on the other hand, access to impartial supplies of knowledge. In this way the pupil would be prepared for a genuine freedom of choice on becoming adult, We cannot give freedom to the child, but we can give him a preparation for freedom; and this is what education ought to do."

Russel is trying to give us the perspective of Mill if he had written on the 'how the education should be done'. Mill, in actual, did not write anything on this aspect. Now above excerpt is inspiring. I would love to see education being given on that principle. What has happened, though, in the field of education is explained in the succeeding paragraph:
"This, however, is not the theory of education which has

prevailed in most parts of the world. The theory of educa-

tion which has prevailed most widely was invented by the

Jesuits and perfected by Fichte. Fichte states that the object

of education should be to destroy freedom of the will, for

why, he asks, should we wish a freedom to choose what is

wrong rather than what is right? Fichte knows what is right,

and desires a school system such that, when the children grow

up, they will be under an inner compulsion to choose what

Fichte considers right in preference to what he considers

wrong. This theory is adopted in its entirety by Communists

and Catholics, and, up to a point, by the State schools of

many countries. Its purpose is to produce mental slaves, who

have heard only one side on all the burning questions of the

day and have been inspired with feelings of horror toward

the other side. There is just one slight divergence from what

Fichte wanted: although his method of education is approved,

the dogmas inculcated differ from country to country and

from creed to creed. What Fichte chiefly wished taught was

the superiority of the German nation to all others; but on this

one small point most of his disciples disagreed with him. The

consequence is that State education, in the countries which

adopt his principles, produces, in so far as it is successful, a

herd of ignorant fanatics, ready at the word of command to

engage in war or persecution as may be required of them. So

great is this evil that the world would be a better place (at

any rate, in my opinion) if State education had never been

inaugurated."

Beautifully summed up. Johann Fichte, a disciple of Kant, has written about education in his Addresses to the German Nation. He was also in favor of boarding school systems. And a lot of other things. More can be read about 'Fichte on Education' by following this link:

http://www.stephenhicks.org/2009/12/29/fichte-on-education-as-socialization/