Western Education and Liberation Through Community
To be upfront, my focus here is a bit on teaching and some on preaching. I would also suggest further study in the history of Western development. I cannot cover every tedious detail, so I will only mention the issues that I find important to note and their implications for liberty. To preface, I approach this from a scholarly historical and religiously Jewish perspective (here is a link to my religious statement), though I will discuss various forms of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. FYI - you can find more of my entries and similar ones from other blogs at my Technorati Profile.
Introduction
Western education is based off of the Greek notions about how to educate people. Greeks were the ones who developed the advent of natural observation/hypothesis as well as logic/reason in order to seek truth & knowledge - though it should be mentioned that this was usually coupled in antiquity with tradition (wisdom, knowledge, rites) and divine inspiration (claims of authorial inspiration was not just with Hellenism, but arose in Greek thought before. It may be noted that two of the most famous Hellenized Jews: Philo of Alexandria and Josephus both claimed some degree of [divine] inspiration), though inspiration was not always limited to the divine.
Greeks developed grammar, literature, history, logic/mathematics, natural sciences, and philosophy (a pattern can be seen in this breakdown of logical progression from one subject to another - philosophy drawing on all of the previous subjects) as we mostly know them today (though they have evolved and some of these are not merely Greek, but also developed in other areas, although typically with different methodologies and attitudes). Western Civ is largely based off of the Greco-Roman models - whether it is concerning education, agriculture, the legal system, plumbing, etc.
Who Influenced Who?
Quick question before proceeding: if Jews and Judaism are/is seen by historians as having helped shape the modern Western world, but Greek methodology and culture was primarily adopted, how do we distinguish who influenced what? Did Christian monotheism arise solely out of Jewish monotheism, or was it affected by Greek syncretism, for instance, with the Trinity (ancient forms of Trinity worship sometimes were: Father, Son/Jesus, Mother/Mary - this may have influenced how ancient Islam responded first to this form)? Did governmental legal systems develop from an influence of Judaism, or was it derived from Roman codices of law? As you may be thinking, I tend to believe that both had impacts and that perhaps even more so, Hellenized Jews (adopted Greek language and varying degrees of culture like philosophic discourse) had a substantial impact. In fact, another interesting thought is to note the polemic in modern scholarship about the "fate" of Hellenized Jews - what happened in the early Middle Ages that caused this group or distinctive people to fade into antiquity? Some argue that they were absorbed back into [rabbinic] Judaism and others that they converted to Christianity; most historians fall somewhere in the middle. Could this group have been a decisive factor in the various influences of Western Civ - in other words, did Western Civ evolve from this syncretism of Jewish culture and that of the Greco-Romans? Whereas some may say that this would've been noted in historical records (this great influence), it could have happened in a natural progression from 4th century Romanism to beyond the 7th & 8th centuries when Arabian-Islamism gained power in the ancient Near East (ANE). Philo of Alexandria for instance, was mostly preserved by Christians (for his allegorical and Greek methodologies of interpretation of Scripture - some Christians saw him as a proto-Christian), but was later studied in Judaism during the Middle Ages (around the same time as kabbalism grew more abundant and just after Hellenized Jews were no longer appropriated such a distinction).
The Roots of Western Education
It should be no question that the general contention is that Western education is derived from Greek sources. Some may point out that the dialectic is missing - that the Socratic Method is not preserved in Western education. Some may also point to this style of education being founded by Christianity - by monks and nuns who ran the schools. What is important to note here is that the Socratic still does exist, but used rarely and when used, it is at the highest levels. The most important thing to note is that the dialectic changed forms and evolved as time went on; today's dialectic is based more off of Hegel's methodology: thesis, antithesis, synthesis. The dialectic used to be an interactive exchange between teacher and student, but as time went on and the desire was to populate the "masses" oral exchanges were minimized while written assessments were maximized.
The roots of Christianity in education can still be seen by the many colleges and universities with Catholic and Protestant establishments. Christian education derived from Roman methods, which was intended to give maximum retention of basic skills. This can still be seen today as basic skills are the focus: after all, we have year after year of history, sometimes 3 times in the scholastic career on one type or segment of history. In contrast to Western systems of education, Eastern ones do not "go back" and re-teach as often, sometimes there is only one focus in the entire scholastic career of a particular type.
Comparative Mindsets
Have we benefited from these roots today? Is Western education failing us and our progeny? Asiatic systems have been more successful in producing retention. Why? Before we answer that, let's note that Western philosophy & culture tends to dichotomize, categorize, and then synthesize. In other words, Westernism at the educational level is primarily mental (focusing on one or few types of intelligences). Of course, Western culture tends to be dominated by emotional impetus (marketing, pop culture, etc.) - the synthesis of these is often marked by skepticism, hedonism, post-modernism, and the current mindsets. In other words, to a certain degree Westerners are comfortable with dichotomy - tending to rationalize it (asserting mental superiority to truth) while placing true supremacy on decisions towards emotional trappings (consumerism).
Eastern "systems of thought" (today there is less tendency to dichotomize Western & Eastern. I do for the sake of pop understanding, but will also denote ANE mindsets differed from both, such as the Persian, Islamic, and Hebraic) tend to be surrealistic, inter-relationary (seeking connectedness and holistic perspectives), sees the individual as part of the corporate body, and are more attuned to emotional and spiritual intelligences that are devoid of necessary intellectual understanding prior (i.e., understanding an emotional thought simply by being, not by thinking - like the insight a sage may have into the inner-workings of a stranger just met, because observation was not critical, but derived out of emotional inference). This may be why it has been emerging that Americans seek Indian, Chinese, Buddhist, and even Native-American sages. Before moving on, I must say that I do not romanticize Eastern mindsets and demonize Western ones. They each have strengths and weaknesses we can learn from.
Switching Gears: Western Religious Institutionalism
As was mentioned earlier, Western religious institutions (as in the case earlier: Christianity) was part of the development of Western educational outgrowth. So, how have Western religious expressions been influenced and why? In order to understand the Western mindset, we cannot ignore religion and spirituality as part of the underpinnings of culture and education - even in Eastern thought this is true as well.
It may be popular to assume that only Christianity was influenced by Greco-Roman culture, but this is untrue and unfair. Rabbinic Judaism was also influenced by Hellenism and has been reacting to Christian theology and culture for the past 2-thousand years. Kabbalism (Jewish mysticism/spirituality), which some see as more Eastern, is also influenced by Hellenism, particularly Neo-Platonism, the Pythagoreans, and Gnosticism. Islam was not devoid of contact with Hellenism - Hellenism by definition is the mixing of Greek and ancient Near Eastern cultures. Astrology, embryology, science, mathematics, and other Greek subjects were important in Arabian and Islamic culture - in fact, preservation of some Greek philosophy was due in part to Islamic philosophers who kept copies of Greek, Coptic, and Latin history and literature. Islamic sciences and law were greatly influenced by Roman science & law. Additionally, syncretism was a major component of Islam - which may upset some, just as it upsets many Christians, Jews, and even Karaites (Hebrew Scripturalists) that this is the case with them as well.
Teacher-Student
With Hellenism and other influences, the teacher-student role emerged in Judaism (though it was active in Greece since before Socrates, who was a contemporary of Isaiah), hence the rabbi or Pharisee emerged. Religious control was eventually wrested from the Sadducees (priestly, Zadok dynasty - they were influenced by this method as well, though often to a lesser degree or Hellenized in other ways) and Rabbinic Judaism emerged - partially due to the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. (lament!), the silence by prophets (the end of the prophetic era), a reaction to Christianity making a unified Judaism necessary to retain Jewish identity, the need to codify religious writings, and the later (failed) Jewish rebellion in 115-117 C.E.
The rabbi is not an "office" or position found in Scripture, just as the typical Western "pastor" is not found in Christian scriptures either (the idea of one leader emerged later, after communities were replaced by institutions). Religious systems today are based off of hierarchical models not originally found in their earlier expressions. Israelite Judaism had a model of priests (cohanim), levites, and elders who had various duties within the community of Eretz Yisra'el (land of Israel). With the destruction of the Temple, this system was lost to theory & history.
Early Christianity was also more communally based, though apostles did have a form of higher authority, typically in church settings leadership was not held by one person. Hence, why Paul would frequently mention the need for order in services (1 Cor 14:40) since that could produce confusion and disorder. Women also had roles in the early church as leaders, such as Priscilla (Acts 18), Tabitha (Acts 9:36-43), Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2), and Lydia (Acts 16). 2 John is addressed to an unnamed female leader. Titus 1-5 and 1 Tim 5 also suggest female elders taught and had authority in the early church.
Egalitarianism in Christianity is a hotly debated issue and many evangelicals are complimentarians, who believe to some degree that men are the head of the home and that women should not be the leader of a church. Some people may point out Paul's admonition that no woman should teach or speak in service, as well as the issue of head coverings. This polemic is beyond this article's scope and purpose.
The Essenes of Qumran are perhaps the best example of communal based leadership. Each person filled various roles and took turns, much like how a modern kibbutz operates, though there were elders who oversaw and enforced community rules. Absent from the Hebraic system in this community were priests and levites, though otherwise it serves as a later model of the earlier. They also had incorporated various other Hellenistic practices (including a solar calendar).
As can be seen, religious authority developed after the Maccabean revolt. The reasons are contested and IMHO, numerous and therefore the best reasoning being that there were various influences over time that lead to this development. This lead to splintering traditions (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and other minor groups lost to antiquity), practices, and leadership. Personal convictions started to take hold due to Hellenism, which splintered the Jewish community who was already fractured/fracturing due to the diaspora and various traditions that the Hebrews had since antiquity. Therefore, leaders emerged to incorporate those who shared similar personal convictions. These influences spurred the development of divisions.
Christianity later was influenced by each of these groups since allegedly Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes converted to Christianity (Acts 23:6 is one example). These conflicting traditions can be found competing in the Christian scriptures.
Top-Down Methodology in Westernism
It is no wonder then why Western civilization also operates on a top-down premise. A teacher instructs the student. A rabbi leads a congregation. A pastor runs the church. The government enacts, enforces, and rules on law - justice becomes top-down, trickling down to the masses. Elitism, or more precisely, a top-down institutionalism is inherit in Western culture - even though it functions in some respects in egalitarian mindsets (republican democracy; feminism; consumerism), the method tends to create power groups and disenfranchisement because of its methodology (compared to the mindset). This is part of the (unspoken) reason why the U.S. is seen as ethnocentric and imperial. The methodological premise is top-down, which creates the (mostly true) appearance of political dominance by the rich, corporations, and interest groups. Even democracy is affected by the cultural landscape, so stigmas, consumerism, and other media influences can keep stirring the stimuli of political change (though this relationship tends to be dynamic with the individual and sub-cultural choices amongst the populace).
Lay-Leadership
It is essential then to liberty that lay-leadership and community become more primary forms of methodological association of peoples. This has been re-emerging in Jewish circles as egalitarian and participatory worship, which is taking off, as well as small minyans. Small Christian sects like Plymouth Brethren, as well as larger ones like Presbyterians to a lesser extent, try to follow a more participatory approach. Also, the better rabbis & leaders are facilitators who lead by example and through empowerment.
This is important though to apply also to politics and education. No longer can we allow Greek methods to dominate our schools, even honors programs are founded on Greek principles (typically a more Socratic or classical-sage method is used). Retention in this system is designed to focus on basic skills necessary to good citizenship (earlier it was focused on trade/economic skills, as was more common until after industrialism, though good citizenship & virtue were primary concerns of Roman teachers and Christian monks). Retention from schooling is less than 20% of the materials learned. Retention from participatory studies is typically much higher, hence why beloved subjects tend to have the most retention in our personal lives.
We should remove hierarchy in our cultural structures and adopt lay-leadership and concepts of community participation instead. In other words, students should have more roles in schools, participating in the educational system rather than being "served by" it because this has been failing.
The Ancient Israelite Mindset as a Model
Hebraic mindsets were not just intellectual or emotional/spiritual, but had varying degrees of both, as was also common in the Persian and other ANE mindsets (which is why modern scholars avoid Western vs. Eastern mindsets, since ANE mindsets are significantly different in some respects from both, but share aspects of both as well). Religious observance was not top-down or communal, it was both. Priests, levites and elders performed certain rites, as did the community - sacrifices were made by all, for all.
In a similar vein, Hebraic governance was a confederate one, even with the later advent of a king, legal observance and punishment was fulfilled by collective means. Some may think that the model of Hebraic education is a yeshiva or incisive dialectics, but this developed through Hellenism and this model is more common amongst Ashkenazim rather than Sephardim. Hebraic education was like that of the ANE, oral and through family tradition & practices. Priests and levites were educated in much the same fashion, but the emphasis of their trade was spiritual rather than agricultural (though, it is unfair to dichotomize here, as agricultural practices were seen as one with spiritual practices - hence all the instructions of Torah relating to proper agricultural practices). For the Hebrew, emunah (faith) was [to be] omnipresent in every aspect of life, a certainty (not just a hope), and both personal and collective.
Conclusions and Implications Towards Liberty
I'm not advocating a religious educational based system, but I advocate a secular educational system that will challenge the Greek models. Dichotomy in Western mindsets may also diminish, which will assist in understanding other cultural mindsets (which always assists in peace: see medieval Spain as an example of such, where Christians, Jews, and Muslims flourished together). This will open up the Western mind from memorizing information to understanding & internalizing information - different viewpoints will be considered from their own respective methodologies, rather than an outside-looking-in perspective. This can have meaningful political and religious implications towards peace.
Individuals must take ownership of their education and political systems, each taking interest if they want to make an impact in it and be positively-impacted by these institutions. Otherwise, we become tools and followers. Instead of consumers regulating market prices, the government, corporations, and the media impact them. As I mentioned earlier at the bottom of another entry, we may all complain about gas prices, but complaint has no effect on market price - we must be active participants.
Even amongst higher educational institutions, the top students tend to be part of a [elite] collective. These "A" students engage in personal experience with their professors, grade student papers, tutor, and assist in research & teaching projects for departments. In high schools, this can be seen by those students who engage in student government, PTA/PTSA meetings, tutoring, and personal dialogue with teachers. Instead of furthering disparity and disenfranchisement (collectives tend to have certain cultural norms, disenfranchising unassimilated individuals or those who have the means but don't fit the culture or have the financial/social resources necessary to attend/compete) with honors institutes and programs, education should take a more holistic and collective approach, allowing all skill levels to interact and teach each other (yes, "top" students can learn from "simpler" students, though this terminology is slightly repulsive).
If you want liberty, it is necessary to become an active participant. Disenfranchisement, ridicule, and other stigmas received from certain groups becomes an issue with hierarchical institutionalism and limited participation on the part of the disenfranchised. The sad thing is, is that participation must occur in settings that will cause this tension of change - just like the history and methodology of the Civil Rights movement. This movement is not done by a long-shot.
True liberty is derived from participation on a personal and collective level, with balance to allow for personal choice and collective defense of identity and choice. Please readers, consider the implications for all your areas of your life - perhaps you may see, as I do, the world from a more Hebraic perspective where we are all responsible for making this world a better place, not just ideologically, but pragmatically and with action. As was my mantra a decade ago (slightly revised in word structure from the original way it appeared in my novel), "Philosophy may yield an answer, only action may yield a solution." May you be blessed and a blessing to this world!
In Defense of the blessing of Liberty...
Introduction
Western education is based off of the Greek notions about how to educate people. Greeks were the ones who developed the advent of natural observation/hypothesis as well as logic/reason in order to seek truth & knowledge - though it should be mentioned that this was usually coupled in antiquity with tradition (wisdom, knowledge, rites) and divine inspiration (claims of authorial inspiration was not just with Hellenism, but arose in Greek thought before. It may be noted that two of the most famous Hellenized Jews: Philo of Alexandria and Josephus both claimed some degree of [divine] inspiration), though inspiration was not always limited to the divine.
Greeks developed grammar, literature, history, logic/mathematics, natural sciences, and philosophy (a pattern can be seen in this breakdown of logical progression from one subject to another - philosophy drawing on all of the previous subjects) as we mostly know them today (though they have evolved and some of these are not merely Greek, but also developed in other areas, although typically with different methodologies and attitudes). Western Civ is largely based off of the Greco-Roman models - whether it is concerning education, agriculture, the legal system, plumbing, etc.
Who Influenced Who?
Quick question before proceeding: if Jews and Judaism are/is seen by historians as having helped shape the modern Western world, but Greek methodology and culture was primarily adopted, how do we distinguish who influenced what? Did Christian monotheism arise solely out of Jewish monotheism, or was it affected by Greek syncretism, for instance, with the Trinity (ancient forms of Trinity worship sometimes were: Father, Son/Jesus, Mother/Mary - this may have influenced how ancient Islam responded first to this form)? Did governmental legal systems develop from an influence of Judaism, or was it derived from Roman codices of law? As you may be thinking, I tend to believe that both had impacts and that perhaps even more so, Hellenized Jews (adopted Greek language and varying degrees of culture like philosophic discourse) had a substantial impact. In fact, another interesting thought is to note the polemic in modern scholarship about the "fate" of Hellenized Jews - what happened in the early Middle Ages that caused this group or distinctive people to fade into antiquity? Some argue that they were absorbed back into [rabbinic] Judaism and others that they converted to Christianity; most historians fall somewhere in the middle. Could this group have been a decisive factor in the various influences of Western Civ - in other words, did Western Civ evolve from this syncretism of Jewish culture and that of the Greco-Romans? Whereas some may say that this would've been noted in historical records (this great influence), it could have happened in a natural progression from 4th century Romanism to beyond the 7th & 8th centuries when Arabian-Islamism gained power in the ancient Near East (ANE). Philo of Alexandria for instance, was mostly preserved by Christians (for his allegorical and Greek methodologies of interpretation of Scripture - some Christians saw him as a proto-Christian), but was later studied in Judaism during the Middle Ages (around the same time as kabbalism grew more abundant and just after Hellenized Jews were no longer appropriated such a distinction).
The Roots of Western Education
It should be no question that the general contention is that Western education is derived from Greek sources. Some may point out that the dialectic is missing - that the Socratic Method is not preserved in Western education. Some may also point to this style of education being founded by Christianity - by monks and nuns who ran the schools. What is important to note here is that the Socratic still does exist, but used rarely and when used, it is at the highest levels. The most important thing to note is that the dialectic changed forms and evolved as time went on; today's dialectic is based more off of Hegel's methodology: thesis, antithesis, synthesis. The dialectic used to be an interactive exchange between teacher and student, but as time went on and the desire was to populate the "masses" oral exchanges were minimized while written assessments were maximized.
The roots of Christianity in education can still be seen by the many colleges and universities with Catholic and Protestant establishments. Christian education derived from Roman methods, which was intended to give maximum retention of basic skills. This can still be seen today as basic skills are the focus: after all, we have year after year of history, sometimes 3 times in the scholastic career on one type or segment of history. In contrast to Western systems of education, Eastern ones do not "go back" and re-teach as often, sometimes there is only one focus in the entire scholastic career of a particular type.
Comparative Mindsets
Have we benefited from these roots today? Is Western education failing us and our progeny? Asiatic systems have been more successful in producing retention. Why? Before we answer that, let's note that Western philosophy & culture tends to dichotomize, categorize, and then synthesize. In other words, Westernism at the educational level is primarily mental (focusing on one or few types of intelligences). Of course, Western culture tends to be dominated by emotional impetus (marketing, pop culture, etc.) - the synthesis of these is often marked by skepticism, hedonism, post-modernism, and the current mindsets. In other words, to a certain degree Westerners are comfortable with dichotomy - tending to rationalize it (asserting mental superiority to truth) while placing true supremacy on decisions towards emotional trappings (consumerism).
Eastern "systems of thought" (today there is less tendency to dichotomize Western & Eastern. I do for the sake of pop understanding, but will also denote ANE mindsets differed from both, such as the Persian, Islamic, and Hebraic) tend to be surrealistic, inter-relationary (seeking connectedness and holistic perspectives), sees the individual as part of the corporate body, and are more attuned to emotional and spiritual intelligences that are devoid of necessary intellectual understanding prior (i.e., understanding an emotional thought simply by being, not by thinking - like the insight a sage may have into the inner-workings of a stranger just met, because observation was not critical, but derived out of emotional inference). This may be why it has been emerging that Americans seek Indian, Chinese, Buddhist, and even Native-American sages. Before moving on, I must say that I do not romanticize Eastern mindsets and demonize Western ones. They each have strengths and weaknesses we can learn from.
Switching Gears: Western Religious Institutionalism
As was mentioned earlier, Western religious institutions (as in the case earlier: Christianity) was part of the development of Western educational outgrowth. So, how have Western religious expressions been influenced and why? In order to understand the Western mindset, we cannot ignore religion and spirituality as part of the underpinnings of culture and education - even in Eastern thought this is true as well.
It may be popular to assume that only Christianity was influenced by Greco-Roman culture, but this is untrue and unfair. Rabbinic Judaism was also influenced by Hellenism and has been reacting to Christian theology and culture for the past 2-thousand years. Kabbalism (Jewish mysticism/spirituality), which some see as more Eastern, is also influenced by Hellenism, particularly Neo-Platonism, the Pythagoreans, and Gnosticism. Islam was not devoid of contact with Hellenism - Hellenism by definition is the mixing of Greek and ancient Near Eastern cultures. Astrology, embryology, science, mathematics, and other Greek subjects were important in Arabian and Islamic culture - in fact, preservation of some Greek philosophy was due in part to Islamic philosophers who kept copies of Greek, Coptic, and Latin history and literature. Islamic sciences and law were greatly influenced by Roman science & law. Additionally, syncretism was a major component of Islam - which may upset some, just as it upsets many Christians, Jews, and even Karaites (Hebrew Scripturalists) that this is the case with them as well.
Teacher-Student
With Hellenism and other influences, the teacher-student role emerged in Judaism (though it was active in Greece since before Socrates, who was a contemporary of Isaiah), hence the rabbi or Pharisee emerged. Religious control was eventually wrested from the Sadducees (priestly, Zadok dynasty - they were influenced by this method as well, though often to a lesser degree or Hellenized in other ways) and Rabbinic Judaism emerged - partially due to the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. (lament!), the silence by prophets (the end of the prophetic era), a reaction to Christianity making a unified Judaism necessary to retain Jewish identity, the need to codify religious writings, and the later (failed) Jewish rebellion in 115-117 C.E.
The rabbi is not an "office" or position found in Scripture, just as the typical Western "pastor" is not found in Christian scriptures either (the idea of one leader emerged later, after communities were replaced by institutions). Religious systems today are based off of hierarchical models not originally found in their earlier expressions. Israelite Judaism had a model of priests (cohanim), levites, and elders who had various duties within the community of Eretz Yisra'el (land of Israel). With the destruction of the Temple, this system was lost to theory & history.
Early Christianity was also more communally based, though apostles did have a form of higher authority, typically in church settings leadership was not held by one person. Hence, why Paul would frequently mention the need for order in services (1 Cor 14:40) since that could produce confusion and disorder. Women also had roles in the early church as leaders, such as Priscilla (Acts 18), Tabitha (Acts 9:36-43), Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2), and Lydia (Acts 16). 2 John is addressed to an unnamed female leader. Titus 1-5 and 1 Tim 5 also suggest female elders taught and had authority in the early church.
Egalitarianism in Christianity is a hotly debated issue and many evangelicals are complimentarians, who believe to some degree that men are the head of the home and that women should not be the leader of a church. Some people may point out Paul's admonition that no woman should teach or speak in service, as well as the issue of head coverings. This polemic is beyond this article's scope and purpose.
The Essenes of Qumran are perhaps the best example of communal based leadership. Each person filled various roles and took turns, much like how a modern kibbutz operates, though there were elders who oversaw and enforced community rules. Absent from the Hebraic system in this community were priests and levites, though otherwise it serves as a later model of the earlier. They also had incorporated various other Hellenistic practices (including a solar calendar).
As can be seen, religious authority developed after the Maccabean revolt. The reasons are contested and IMHO, numerous and therefore the best reasoning being that there were various influences over time that lead to this development. This lead to splintering traditions (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and other minor groups lost to antiquity), practices, and leadership. Personal convictions started to take hold due to Hellenism, which splintered the Jewish community who was already fractured/fracturing due to the diaspora and various traditions that the Hebrews had since antiquity. Therefore, leaders emerged to incorporate those who shared similar personal convictions. These influences spurred the development of divisions.
Christianity later was influenced by each of these groups since allegedly Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes converted to Christianity (Acts 23:6 is one example). These conflicting traditions can be found competing in the Christian scriptures.
Top-Down Methodology in Westernism
It is no wonder then why Western civilization also operates on a top-down premise. A teacher instructs the student. A rabbi leads a congregation. A pastor runs the church. The government enacts, enforces, and rules on law - justice becomes top-down, trickling down to the masses. Elitism, or more precisely, a top-down institutionalism is inherit in Western culture - even though it functions in some respects in egalitarian mindsets (republican democracy; feminism; consumerism), the method tends to create power groups and disenfranchisement because of its methodology (compared to the mindset). This is part of the (unspoken) reason why the U.S. is seen as ethnocentric and imperial. The methodological premise is top-down, which creates the (mostly true) appearance of political dominance by the rich, corporations, and interest groups. Even democracy is affected by the cultural landscape, so stigmas, consumerism, and other media influences can keep stirring the stimuli of political change (though this relationship tends to be dynamic with the individual and sub-cultural choices amongst the populace).
Lay-Leadership
It is essential then to liberty that lay-leadership and community become more primary forms of methodological association of peoples. This has been re-emerging in Jewish circles as egalitarian and participatory worship, which is taking off, as well as small minyans. Small Christian sects like Plymouth Brethren, as well as larger ones like Presbyterians to a lesser extent, try to follow a more participatory approach. Also, the better rabbis & leaders are facilitators who lead by example and through empowerment.
This is important though to apply also to politics and education. No longer can we allow Greek methods to dominate our schools, even honors programs are founded on Greek principles (typically a more Socratic or classical-sage method is used). Retention in this system is designed to focus on basic skills necessary to good citizenship (earlier it was focused on trade/economic skills, as was more common until after industrialism, though good citizenship & virtue were primary concerns of Roman teachers and Christian monks). Retention from schooling is less than 20% of the materials learned. Retention from participatory studies is typically much higher, hence why beloved subjects tend to have the most retention in our personal lives.
We should remove hierarchy in our cultural structures and adopt lay-leadership and concepts of community participation instead. In other words, students should have more roles in schools, participating in the educational system rather than being "served by" it because this has been failing.
The Ancient Israelite Mindset as a Model
Hebraic mindsets were not just intellectual or emotional/spiritual, but had varying degrees of both, as was also common in the Persian and other ANE mindsets (which is why modern scholars avoid Western vs. Eastern mindsets, since ANE mindsets are significantly different in some respects from both, but share aspects of both as well). Religious observance was not top-down or communal, it was both. Priests, levites and elders performed certain rites, as did the community - sacrifices were made by all, for all.
In a similar vein, Hebraic governance was a confederate one, even with the later advent of a king, legal observance and punishment was fulfilled by collective means. Some may think that the model of Hebraic education is a yeshiva or incisive dialectics, but this developed through Hellenism and this model is more common amongst Ashkenazim rather than Sephardim. Hebraic education was like that of the ANE, oral and through family tradition & practices. Priests and levites were educated in much the same fashion, but the emphasis of their trade was spiritual rather than agricultural (though, it is unfair to dichotomize here, as agricultural practices were seen as one with spiritual practices - hence all the instructions of Torah relating to proper agricultural practices). For the Hebrew, emunah (faith) was [to be] omnipresent in every aspect of life, a certainty (not just a hope), and both personal and collective.
Conclusions and Implications Towards Liberty
I'm not advocating a religious educational based system, but I advocate a secular educational system that will challenge the Greek models. Dichotomy in Western mindsets may also diminish, which will assist in understanding other cultural mindsets (which always assists in peace: see medieval Spain as an example of such, where Christians, Jews, and Muslims flourished together). This will open up the Western mind from memorizing information to understanding & internalizing information - different viewpoints will be considered from their own respective methodologies, rather than an outside-looking-in perspective. This can have meaningful political and religious implications towards peace.
Individuals must take ownership of their education and political systems, each taking interest if they want to make an impact in it and be positively-impacted by these institutions. Otherwise, we become tools and followers. Instead of consumers regulating market prices, the government, corporations, and the media impact them. As I mentioned earlier at the bottom of another entry, we may all complain about gas prices, but complaint has no effect on market price - we must be active participants.
Even amongst higher educational institutions, the top students tend to be part of a [elite] collective. These "A" students engage in personal experience with their professors, grade student papers, tutor, and assist in research & teaching projects for departments. In high schools, this can be seen by those students who engage in student government, PTA/PTSA meetings, tutoring, and personal dialogue with teachers. Instead of furthering disparity and disenfranchisement (collectives tend to have certain cultural norms, disenfranchising unassimilated individuals or those who have the means but don't fit the culture or have the financial/social resources necessary to attend/compete) with honors institutes and programs, education should take a more holistic and collective approach, allowing all skill levels to interact and teach each other (yes, "top" students can learn from "simpler" students, though this terminology is slightly repulsive).
If you want liberty, it is necessary to become an active participant. Disenfranchisement, ridicule, and other stigmas received from certain groups becomes an issue with hierarchical institutionalism and limited participation on the part of the disenfranchised. The sad thing is, is that participation must occur in settings that will cause this tension of change - just like the history and methodology of the Civil Rights movement. This movement is not done by a long-shot.
True liberty is derived from participation on a personal and collective level, with balance to allow for personal choice and collective defense of identity and choice. Please readers, consider the implications for all your areas of your life - perhaps you may see, as I do, the world from a more Hebraic perspective where we are all responsible for making this world a better place, not just ideologically, but pragmatically and with action. As was my mantra a decade ago (slightly revised in word structure from the original way it appeared in my novel), "Philosophy may yield an answer, only action may yield a solution." May you be blessed and a blessing to this world!
In Defense of the blessing of Liberty...
Posted by Shomer Tiferet at 5 Jun 2006, 8:10 PM 
Categories: Religion,Politics,Hellenism,Philosophy,Liberty,History
Categories: Religion,Politics,Hellenism,Philosophy,Liberty,History
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