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I had some thoughts recently on democracy. Democracy is a way of expressing the personal views of a population so that they can choose good government rather than, for example, tyranny. But for people to be able to make good choices they need to be able to effectively evaluate whatever politicians offer rather than simply accept it. What is then needed is the ability to analyse whatever is on offer and be able to form an independent opinion while having an understanding quite complicated ideas, such as what is important to human beings, what really makes for a happy life, and how human relations operate. This understanding requires a special type of education both at home and at school that concentrates, not on facts, but on discovering the joy of learning and analysis, as well as the joy of human relationships and friendship - for when people find a love for something, they will naturally develop it. There are also skills that need to be practiced, such as the ability to concentrate. Key to all of this is valuing the freedom of yourself and others to decide, after analysis, what you believe and what you do not believe and for everyone to have a respect for those decisions, whatever they are. This type of education was proposed by a British personalist and educator, Charlotte Mason (1842 - 1923), whose ideas I think have a particular modern relevance when it comes to making democracy effective, for what good is democracy is people simply accept the 'spin' they are given and can be manipulated by ideas that may seem superficially good but drastically fail when subject to deeper analysis? AuthorDavid Jewson 15th May 2026
2 Comments
6/9/2026 05:39:50 pm
As a university lecturer in Latvia, I have observed in recent years that first-year students’ knowledge of history and literature has been deteriorating year by year. Educational programmes are increasingly dominated by concepts such as “skills” and “competences,” while factual knowledge is seen as less and less important. Although this trend is understandable, if a first-year student no longer knows when the Middle Ages began or, for example, has never heard of writers such as Dostoevsky, these students lack the contextual knowledge needed for me, as a lecturer, to build on and introduce new ideas.
David Jewson
6/13/2026 10:18:47 pm
I'd say the students don't know what they're missing. Dostoevsky is wonderful , insightful and provocative to read, while the Middle ages are a fascinating transition from the collapse of the Western Roman Empire to the Renaissance and the Age of Discovery. Sounds like they have some very interesting catching up to do and someone to inspire them to do it! Leave a Reply. |
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