I was surprised when I read the trial of Socrates. What surprised me were the similarity between Socrates trial and what he was accused of, and the Scopes trial of the 1920s. In both trials the accused were accused of teaching against the Gods. During Socrates apology, he was accused of teaching that the SUN and Moon were actually physical astronomical bodies and not actual Gods. Where Scopes was accused of teaching evolution and not teaching creationism like the community he served expected. There is a large comparison between Clarence Darrow of the Scopes trial and Meletus of Socrates trail.
This brings up one of the fundamental questions of teaching; “does the educator teach to the demands of the community he serves or does he teach what he believes to be correct?” It is surprising that this argument has been going on as long as people have been teaching. Socrates of accused of corrupting the youth and colleges has been accused of corrupting the minds of our youth. Now why are colleges regularly accused of corrupting the minds of the youth? It is because colleges regular teach analytical thinking. High schools are designed to help prepare students for life, but colleges are designed to prepare to expose students to know ideas and to build this analytical thinking in students.
Of course, this analytical thinking bothers people that do not have the skills to do analytical thinking. Parents believe that their children are returning from college and questioning all of their beliefs. The easy thing for the parents to do is to blame the college for corrupting their children. When in actuality, the children are just being exposed to new ideas and making their own decisions. Socrates said this himself in that he did not create these ideas; he is only relaying this information. It is for the student to decide using his new analytical thinking skills to make up his own mind.
Parents should be aware of this. Usually children return from college questioning the religious beliefs of their parents and the religion that they have been brought up with. However, most colleges do not teach about religion. Therefore, the questions that the student has are his own. Granted a student might be exposed to evolution or other scientific theories for the first time in college and that will spark his questioning attitude about his parent’s beliefs, but once again, this is his own critical thinking.
I believe that all teachers should employ the Socratic method of teaching to all of his students, no matter what level their education. This could create an uncomfortable and abrasive situation between the teacher and parents, but analytical thinking is vital for anyone’s education. A person that is analytical and questions authority never ends his education. These students learn continuously by questioning, interviewing and deciding on their own about different situation.
Let’s face it, not everything we read, see or hear is truth. It is only through a person’s analytical thinking that he can determine what is true. It is much like the publicity the professor Ward Churchill at the University of Colorado is receiving right now. He wrote a controversial paper describing the workers that died in the World Trade Centers attacks as “Little Reichmann” that deserved the death they received from the attack. Whether this man is right or wrong is not the point. It is just his opinion, these students are being exposed to a different opinion, and they can decide whether he is right or wrong.
Nevertheless, this man’s opinion and controversial paper has placed the Universities administration in an uncomfortable position. The university is being pressured into reprimanding this professor or possibly firing him. They are being pressured from the government and from parents to prosecute this professor. However, that would be wrong; he is just a man with an opinion. If the students decide that he is correct, that is their decision.
All schools should teach analytical thinking. Teachers need to be prepared for the tough questions that children might have and be able to control pathway of the topics being taught. For instance a teacher could be teaching Astronomy and a student could ask a question that could lead to Creation, which could lead to Religion. All of this while the topic was Astronomy. Teachers could always be questioned about the material they are teaching, the validity of their material and their sources. A teacher that is unprepared could fall right on his face.
Everyone should teach the Socratic Method, we just have to be prepared for the repercussions.
