18. Education

   
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18. EDUCATION

1. Proposition. Civilizations are unstable because they are not cosmic. They must be nurtured by the constitutive factors of science, morality, and religion.

“Civilizations are unstable because they are not cosmic; they are not innate in the individuals of the races. They must be nurtured by the combined contributions of the constitutive factors of man—science, morality, and religion. Civilizations come and go, but science, morality, and religion always survive the crash.” (196.1) 16:9.5

2. Proposition. The Nebadon educational system consists in teaching you how to perform the things they command you to do.

“Fundamentally, the Nebadon educational system provides for your assignment to a task and then affords you opportunity to receive instruction as to the ideal and divine method of best performing that task. You are given a definite task to perform, and at the same time you are provided with teachers who are qualified to instruct you in the best method of executing your assignment. The divine plan of education provides for the intimate association of work and instruction. We teach you how best to execute the things we command you to do.” (412.4) 37:6.4

3. Proposition. The schools of the Planetary Prince and the Garden of Eden were concerned with a wide range of subjects.

“The schools of the Planetary Prince are primarily concerned with philosophy, religion, morals, and the higher intellectual and artistic achievements. The garden schools of Adam and Eve are usually devoted to practical arts, fundamental intellectual training, social culture, economic development, trade relations, physical efficiency, and civil government. Eventually these world centers amalgamate, but this actual affiliation sometimes does not occur until the times of the first Magisterial Son.” (587.2) 51:6.4

4. Proposition. The true state is founded on culture, dominated by ideals, and motivated by service.

“The enduring state is founded on culture, dominated by ideals, and motivated by service. The purpose of education should be acquirement of skill, pursuit of wisdom, realization of selfhood, and attainment of spiritual values.” (806.1) 71:7.1

5. Proposition. Education has five major goals.

“In the ideal state, education continues throughout life, and philosophy sometimes becomes the chief pursuit of its citizens. The citizens of such a commonwealth pursue wisdom as an enhancement of insight into the significance of human relations, the meanings of reality, the nobility of values, the goals of living, and the glories of cosmic destiny.” (806.2) 71:7.2

6. Proposition. Education is the business of living.

“Education is the business of living; it must continue throughout a lifetime so that mankind may gradually experience the ascending levels of mortal wisdom, which are:

  1. The knowledge of things.
  2. The realization of meanings.
  3. The appreciation of values.
  4. The nobility of work—duty.
  5. The motivation of goals—morality.
  6. The love of service—character.
  7. Cosmic insight—spiritual discernment.” (806.5) 71:7.5

7. Proposition. When man studies the universe from the outside, he produces the physical sciences; when he approaches the universe from the inside, he originates metaphysics and theology—religion.

“When man approaches the study and examination of his universe from the outside, he brings into being the various physical sciences; when he approaches the research of himself and the universe from the inside, he gives origin to theology and metaphysics. The later art of philosophy develops in an effort to harmonize the many discrepancies which are destined at first to appear between the findings and teachings of these two diametrically opposite avenues of approaching the universe of things and beings.” (1135.4) 103:6.2

8. Proposition. The inner and outer worlds have a different set of values. Civilization is in jeopardy because so many youth enter the materialistic professions.

“The inner and the outer worlds have a different set of values. Any civilization is in jeopardy when three quarters of its youth enter materialistic professions and devote themselves to the pursuit of the sensory activities of the outer world. Civilization is in danger when youth neglect to interest themselves in ethics, sociology, eugenics, philosophy, the fine arts, religion, and cosmology.” 
(1220.3) 111:4.4

9. Proposition. Ideas may take origin in stimuli of the outer world; ideals are born in the creative realms of the inner world.

“Ideas may take origin in the stimuli of the outer world, but ideals are born only in the creative realms of the inner world. Today the nations of the world are directed by men who have a superabundance of ideas, but they are poverty-stricken in ideals. That is the explanation of poverty, divorce, war, and racial hatreds.” (1220.9) 111:4.10

10. Proposition. Even secular education should contribute to life planning, character development, enhanced personality, and moral discipline.

“Even secular education could help in this great spiritual renaissance if it would pay more attention to the work of teaching youth how to engage in life planning and character progression. The purpose of all education should be to foster and further the supreme purpose of life, the development of a majestic and well-balanced personality. There is great need for the teaching of moral discipline in the place of so much self-gratification. Upon such a foundation religion may contribute its spiritual incentive to the enlargement and enrichment of mortal life, even to the security and enhancement of life eternal.” (2086.3) 195:10.17

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