I was surprised when I read Socrates’ trial. What I wondered about was the similarity between Socrates’ trial and what he was accused of, and the Scopes eins of the 1920s. In both trials they were accused of teaching against God. In the Apology of Socrates he was accused of teaching that the sun and the moon were actually corporeal astronomical bodies, and not gods. Where Scopes was accused of teaching evolution and not teaching creationism as a community servant would expect. There is a great comparison between Clarence Darrow drawing the trial of Scopus and Socrates’ Meltus.
This presents one of the main problems of teaching; “Does the educator serve the needs of the community or does he teach what he believes to be right?” It is surprising that people have been taught this argument for so long. Socrates was accused of corrupting the minds of our youth by pretending to be a youth. Now why are colleges accused of corrupting the minds of the youth? The reason is that regular colleges teach analytical thinking. High schools are designed to prepare students for life, but colleges are designed to prepare students to know how to express ideas and this analytical thinking to build on the students.
Of course, this analytical thinking worries people who don’t have the skills to think analytically. Parents believe their children coming back from college and asking everyone about their faith. It’s easy for parents to blame college for corrupting their children. In reality, children are exposed to new ideas and making their own decisions. Socrates himself said this, that he did not create these ideas; he is only indicating this information. He is eager to make a decision using his new analytical thinking skills to make up his mind.
Parents should feel this. It is common for children to return from college asking about the religion of their parents and the religion in which they were brought up. However, most colleges do not teach about religion. Therefore, the questions that the student has are specific. Granted the student was first exposed to evolution or other scientific theories in college and that sparked his habit of questioning his parent’s beliefs, but again, this is typical critical thought.
I believe that all teachers should use the Socratic method of teaching with all of their students, regardless of their educational level. This could create an uncomfortable and hurtful situation between the teacher and the parents, but analytical thinking is vital for anyone’s education. Analytical personality and authority issues never end their education. These students are constantly learning by questioning, interviewing and making their own decisions about different situations.
His face, not everything we read, see or hear, is the truth. Only through man’s analytical thinking can he determine what is true. It is similar to the public professor Ward Churchill is currently receiving at the University of Colorado. He wrote a controversial paper describing the workers who died at the World Trade Center as “Little Reichmann” who deserved the death they received from the attack. Whether I am right or wrong is not the point here. His opinion is just, these students are exposed to a different opinion, and they can judge whether it is right or wrong.
However, this man’s opinion and the controversial paper put the university administration at a disadvantage. The university is forced to reprimand this professor or perhaps to fire him. They were pressured by their parents and the government to pursue this professor. But that is false; He is just a man with an opinion. If the disciples said they were right, that is their judgment.
All schools should teach analytical thinking. Teachers are prepared to deal with difficult issues that children may have and are able to control the way they are placed. were taught For the teacher could teach Astronomy, and the student could ask a question which could lead to Creation, which could lead to Religion. All this was with the subject of Astronomy. Teachers can always be questioned about the material they teach, about the validity of their materials and their sources. The teacher, being unprepared, could fall on his face.
Let the Socratic method teach us all, just to be prepared for repercussions.
