Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00097)

Jerry,
It is true that courses are made which would get students good job. 
And these jobs are generally of accountants, engineers, doctors etc. 
Subjects like Philosophy, literature, History, Geography are not 
taught and even if taught, students don't enroll themselves for these 
as these subjects don't get them good jobs. However in newspapers I 
find that there are articles on large number of topics including 
spirituality. That partly compensates even if student does not take 
formal education in other areas. Other media also expose people to 
many other subjects which are not covered in schools and 
universities. 
Blavatsky in Preface to SD admitted that her English was not good 
being foreigner. So defending her about English is not right. 
India is a peace loving, democratic, secular country. Whatever 
America may say publicly, American policy makers want India to be 
powerful country and they have little problem with India having 
nuclear capability. 
I appreciate America's policies and work in political, economic and 
many other areas. It is only in Theosophy related things that America 
disappointed me. I hope they will improve.
May Charles Leadbeater bless America and make it see light of 
Theosophy.

Anand Gholap

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Jerry Hejka-Ekins <jjhe@c...> 
wrote:
> Dear Anand, friends,
> 
> Anand, are you aware that you are arguing with me about statements 
I did 
> not make? I wrote about reading skills among Americans and you 
negate 
> my statement by answering about reading skills world wide. I 
submit 
> that this is not a very effective way to communicate. 
> 
> Regarding my statement about students being more motivated to make 
money 
> than learn, your replied:
> 
> >Although it is true. This ambition makes them study, read and 
solve 
> >complex problems in science etc. So it is good for them and good 
for 
> >society.
> >
> This is a very idealistic view. I wish it were true. It is not 
> generally so. Our experience in the university system has been 
that 
> most students try to do whatever needs to be done to get by. When 
we 
> find students who give 100% effort we are very delighted. They are 
the 
> minority. Nevertheless, the subject of the American educational 
system 
> is a very complex one, and too off subject for this discussion 
board. 
> The point I was trying to make was not about the American Education 
> system anyway. It is about the declining ability of people to read 
> literature, which has effected their ability to read Blavatsky. 
> Nineteenth century American and European education focused upon 
being 
> learned in the classics. Education was about understanding 
culture, 
> history, language, philosophy, the arts and humanities. Today's 
> universities focus upon specialized training in order to serve 
corporate 
> interests. They learn the skills necessary to become good 
accountants, 
> or dentists, or administrators etc. But they no longer learn the 
skills 
> necessary to read at a sophisticated level.
> 
> Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of this country; 
author of 
> the Declaration of Independence; the Statute of Virginia for 
Religious 
> Freedom; and third President of the United Sates, once wrote to the 
> effect that a man is not educated unless he has read the classics 
in 
> their original Greek and Latin. Today, it is very rare to find an 
> American (whether or not he/she has been to a university) who has 
read 
> the classics in English translation, let alone in their original 
> languages. Today, we call one with a university diploma who has a 
> specialized knowledge in a small area and generally ignorant about 
> everything else, an "educated" man or woman. In Blavatsky's day, 
and in 
> Jefferson's day, an educated person was one who had a general 
knowledge 
> in all areas: sciences, humanities, mathematics etc.
> 
> Let me put it this way: If you were to show a world map to the 
Average 
> American, they would be unable to find India on it. 
> 
> Another example: There is a very popular television personality 
who 
> discusses world issues from "a Christian point of view." His views 
are 
> representative of about half of this country. In discussing the 
issue 
> about India and Pakistan having nuclear weapons, he pointed out 
that the 
> governments of India and Pakistan "are too ignorant to understand 
that 
> those weapons are dangerous."
> 
> Best wishes,
> Jerry.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Anand Gholap wrote:
> 
> >Jerry,
> > 
> >
> >>What I wrote was that most Americans lack the skills needed to 
read 
> >> 
> >>
> >with 
> > 
> >
> >>much understanding anything written above a fifteen year old 
> >> 
> >>
> >level. 
> > 
> >
> >>They are unable to read with much understanding anything but the 
> >>simplest writing. What I would suggest is that people would be 
> >>generally better off if they were to work on improving their 
> >> 
> >>
> >reading and 
> > 
> >
> >>thinking skills. 
> >> 
> >>
> >
> >It is not so. Literacy in world is much more than any time before. 
> >Also much advanced skills in every area are being acquired by 
people
> >
> > 
> >
> > My experience has been that most young people who go to 
> > 
> >
> >>the universities resist learning to read, write or think. They 
> >> 
> >>
> >tell me 
> > 
> >
> >>that they are there to get their diploma and get a job that pays 
a 
> >> 
> >>
> >lot 
> > 
> >
> >>of money. 
> >> 
> >>
> >
> >Although it is true. This ambition makes them study, read and 
solve 
> >complex problems in science etc. So it is good for them and good 
for 
> >society.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >
> >>>Blavatsky failed to write in such manner and she admitted it. 
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>I agree, she did not write in such a manner. But how is this a 
> >>failure? 
> >> 
> >>
> >
> >Anand Gholap
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >