[MD] Teaching without Values

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Khaled]
So if a student says to his teacher, I know you are telling that the 
sun is the center of our solar system, and that's what I am going to 
put as an answer on the test because i don't want to fail, but deep 
down, i know you are wrong. The earth is flat, it is the center of 
the solar system and we never landed on the moon.

Is is the teacher's job to try to convince him or her otherwise.

[Arlo]
This is exactly my point. I say "yes". Fish would say "no". I can see 
the allure of saying "we'll present every possible theory about every 
possible thing and let you decide", but ultimately this will be the 
end of the Academy. I'd say that this turns the Academy into a 
bookstore, but even a bookstore makes decisions about what books have 
value and which ones don't (value based on sales, not content, of course).

And yeah, what about the student who turns in a anthropology 
assignment saying "I'm pretending to agree that dinosaurs once 
existed, but I believe their bones to be the deception of Satan whose 
purpose is to make us question God's Divine Plan". Does he pass? If 
so, then what's the point of schools anyways. We have the Internet, 
why not just say "for six hours a day you have to surf the net, 
whatever you believe at the end of the day is fine with us, so long 
as it makes you happy"? Seems a lot easier than organizing schools, no?

Of course, part of me doubts you'll ever really convince this student 
that the sun is the center of our solar system. But if we don't try, 
then knowledge has no value.