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Theory of society
This position is essentially conservative and hierarchical in its theory of society, although politically it may be liberal. Above all, it values the knowledge and cultural tradition of the West, for its own sake, and strives to conserve it. In particular it is concerned with the pure elitist culture of the educated middle and upper classes. Thus the position aims to conserve existing cultural traditions and the associated social structures. Underpinning these aims is the unquestioned assumption of a hierarchical, stratified society , the structure inherited from the past. This is seen to separare ‘gentle’ cultured persons from ‘common folk’. The cultured elite are those fitted to rule society, for the masses do not have the same finely balanced judgement. Society is seen primarily as the means of conserving and creating high culture, which provides the measure of its level of civilization.
Theory of the child
Such a view sees persons as determined by their inherited ‘essences’ or character. Being conservative it includes, in diluted form, the ideological model of childhood of the elementary school tradition. Children are ‘fallen angels’ and ‘empty vessels’. However, according to this ideology, those of a ‘gentle’ disposition can be tamed through character building and educated by an exposure to traditional culture. For these experiences will inculcate the appropriate spiritual, moral and aesthetic values and tastes.
Educational aims
The central educational goal of this position is the transmission of pure knowledge and high culture and its associated values. Thus the aim of education is to produce the liberally educated person, with an appreciation of culture for its own sake, and the discriminatory powers and tastes that accompany it. Only a minority will achieve this, those fit to govern and lead society. Thus the educational aims are elitist, for they can only be achieved by a minority. The rest of the population may fall short of these goals, but they will be the better for aiming at them.
A. The Old Humanists as Separated Relativistic Absolutists
Williams (1961) identifics the ‘old humanists’ who value humanistic studies for their own sake. Such studies have included mathematics since ancient times. Plato, for example, advocated the study of pure disciplines with the ‘power of turning the soul’s eye from the material world to objects of pure thought… yielding a priori certain knowledge of immutable and eternal objects and truths. ‘(Plato ,1941,page 230). Only pure subjects (including mathematics) were considered appropriate for study, practical
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