[MD] Barfuesserkirche (ZMM & Dewey)

[Platt Holden]

Hi All:

Arlo has posted a series of lengthy quotes from someone he refers to as 
"David" who I gather has some ideas Arlo likes about education.
Unfortunately, most of David's prose is of the following caliber"

> "Personal growth and individuation are coterminous with ongoing social
>  and institutional melioration".

I cannot help but be reminded of Pirsig's remark about academic-style 
writing. In Chapter 5 of Lila he proposed an apt description of such 
writing, calling it a "lead balloon." Here's the quote:

"Here, for example, is the definition of 'value-orientation' in a 437-page 
book on value orientations: 'Value orientations are complex but definitely 
patterned (rank-ordered) principles resulting from the transactional 
interplay of three analytically distinguishable elements of the evaluative 
process- the cognitive, the affective, and the directive elements-which 
give order and direction to the ever-flowing stream of human acts and 
thoughts as these relate to the solution of 'common human' problems.'
Poor Kluckhohn, Phaedrus thought. That was his definition. With that lead 
balloon for a vehicle there was no way he could succeed." (Lila, 5)

I doubt if David's ideas will succeed either, not only because of his 
"lead balloon" lecturing but because his ideas about education are little 
more than warmed over Deweyisms, long since proved ineffectual.

But most of all, David's lack of understanding of  American government
totally disqualifies him as an educator of American children, although I 
can see where most European countries might welcome his socialist views. 
Arlo quotes David as saying:

"Freedom and individuality are not inborn givens. They are the results or 
the fruits of a consciously tended communal life."

By contrast, in the founding document of the U.S., individuals are 
"endowed by their Creator" with life, liberty and the pursuit of 
happiness. In other words, individuality and freedom are "inborn givens,." 
NOT the results or fruits of society.

The difference, seemingly small, has made the U.S. the envy of the world.

Platt