Education and Potential

Ask who we are, why we are here and where we are going,
before asking what education is.

Science deals with the attributes of realities; religion deals with their essences. Both are important. In order to perceive the attributes of an essence, an instrument is required. Every instrument must be in tune with the reality it is meant to perceive: the plant with its life force, the animal with its spirit, the human being with a soul, the Prophet with the Divine Spirit.

Our means define our attainable ends, but they do not dictate what end we should choose. They may prevent us from becoming world–famous opera singers, but do not require us to become businesspersons simply because we have the potential to do so.

When means are necessary to attain some chosen end, the acquisition of those means becomes an end. This is the case in education, where the end is the acquisition of those means that allow the learner to choose and attain his particular end.

There are two kinds of purpose: one is the result of choice; the other inherent in nature. An educator must make the achievement of what is inherent in the learner’s nature the result of choice. To follow one’s choice requires an effort; to obey one’s nature is effortless. Except for beings – such as humans – with a dual nature. In this case, the lower nature is easy to obey; the higher is hard.

For the creator, potential inheres in purpose; for the creature, purpose inheres in potential. The educational significance of the love and knowledge of God is to lead learners towards the knowledge of that which helps and hinders them in achieving that potential, and the attraction towards that which helps them.

Teachers must guide students in multiplying their knowledge, simplifying it into a coherent structure, and applying the new structure to their world, thus bringing about a definite change in their lives.

The result of education is independence. A fetus is nourished through the umbilical cord until ready to have it cut. An infant is fed its mother’s milk until ready to be weaned. A child is led by the mothers’ hands until ready to stand, walk, and then run. Youth are placed in structured activities until ready to structure their own activities.

Thus, developmental stages are marked by degrees of freedom, the highest form of which is independence from all things but God. A parent, teacher or friend who in any way encourages prolonged dependence in a child is – knowingly or unwittingly – slowing the educational process.

A tree requires very little education or training. It is naturally inclined to develop in certain directions. Its roots grow towards water, and its branches towards light. Human beings, however, possessing a dual nature, are “naturally” inclined to develop in opposing directions. Having love, we can love heaven or earth. Having knowledge, we can build a civilization or destroy one.

Obedience to the inclinations of our lower nature is the easy way out. Education, training and guidance are needed to bring about the greater effort required to follow the inclinations of our higher nature.

It is an axiomatic fact that apple seeds can only grow into apple trees. The potential nature of the seed determines the actual nature of the plant; and no true contradictions are found among the minor dissimilarities between plants of the same type. But in man’s actual nature, contradictions are found between subjects. One cannot be at once stingy and generous, loving and hateful, yet some humans have a generous, loving nature, and some have a stingy, hateful nature.

That these represent higher and lower levels in the actualization of potential is not tenable, for one does not necessarily precede the other as ignorance precedes knowledge. This apparent contradiction suggests that man has more than one nature, which gives rise to choice, thus requiring effort.

(January 1985)