So, What Do We Mean By "Education"?

While I was busy not posting because I of several real-life emergencies and other things, I decided where to narrow my subject down to one approachable topic. Thus I figured a good first step would be to define "Education"-- what do we mean with that word?

Here's the dictionary definition:

1. the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
2. the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession.
3. a degree, level, or kind of schooling: a university education.
4. the result produced by instruction, training, or study: to show one's education.
5. the science or art of teaching; pedagogics.

Going from the bottom up, we have first, the art of teaching. Well, that's the wrong area.

Nes, the result produced by instruction, training, or study. Okay, so some people want to show their education. Still, what's that?

Next, another circular definition in "the kind of schooling" and its result.

Moving right along, the act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession. Okay, this is closer to what I was looking for. We're going to do what, and call it education? Stuff you with knowledge or skills... for a job or profession.

I hate that definition. I can read a training manual and I don't consider myself educated when I get done with it. I may be trained, or I may have all the facts I need to babble erudite phrases in some "discipline" (a loathesome word but some professors think it makes them sound more professional) though I don't necessarily understand my subject or have anything worthy to say about it.

I went from bottom to top so I could argue against definitions 2 through 5. That's because I think definition 1 is the closest to what I would say. Phrase by phrase:

Imparting knowledge: yes, because it seems self-evident that you need some facts and information about things to think about them clearly. How do you know a certain thing is correct if you haven't looked at the opposing things? However, it is NOT self-evident to many people that you need to know ANYTHING. These are the folk who argue that "it's not what you know but knowing where to look it up." I will address this in a future post. I will only say here that I think it's fatuously naive, something that people learn to parrot without actually considering how wise it is.

Developing the powers of reasoning and judgement. Okay, this one is my favorite. My generation went to chic, expensive liberal arts colleges and did drugs. In their drug-inspired state they came up with brilliant things to say, like "Tear down the walls" and "schools should teach students how to think, not what to think." And they promptly demanded their colleges and universities replace the old "how to think" curriculum with "what to think" propaganda. More on this later.

Generally preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life. This itself is such a huge subject I think I'll have to leave it for another day.