Ethan Nguyen, Week 11 - Power in Education
“Knowledge is power” - Sir Francis Bacon. This repeated proverb is something my past blog touched on two weeks ago. The ability of information to liberate and to enable one to do things is a topic not as touched on. And on that note there is the corollary of that: that education gives freedom and power.
In an essence, education allows individuals skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, and, of course, a thirst for knowledge. It empowers people to think outside of the box, create brand new things and challenge assumptions. It drives progression and develops both individuals and society as a whole. In fact, the very pillars of a democratic society rely on an educated populace.
The thirst for knowledge is what drove the many individuals like the renowned scientist Isaac Newton or Marie Curie to take their knowledge to the next level. These examples of the pursuit of knowledge are also not contained to history. There are many contemporary pioneers of this time. And it is that same critical thinking that sparked revolutions, be it the Enlightenment thinkers of their era or the modern civil movements fighting for equity in the wider community.
However, it is important to notice that all of this is only possible with education. As such, the possibility of a lack of accessibility to education inhibits its full potential. Without availability of quality education, individuals are hindered and unable to contribute meaningfully to society. Indeed, the impact of limited education is more than just the ignorance of a single person. It perpetuates a cycle of socioeconomic inequality that gets increasingly difficult to break.
In recognizing the importance of education, we allow society to continue to our potential.
Hi Ethan, I loved your sentence mentioning education gives “freedom and power.” It was a powerful statement itself and illustrated the power of education. You mention all the skills education helps develop in a person, those skills are crucial for personal enrichment. You also described how education allows people to get unique ideas and challenge new assumptions. Education is also necessary for societal growth as it enables “progressions” as you mentioned, by allowing the individual to create new technology and get good economic advisors. You mention talented individuals and their interest in gaining an education. You give examples of the various ways this helped society. I liked how you transitioned into your concluding paragraph that summarized why education holds power. You described the society without the availability of education and the downfall of our community because of that. I loved your last sentence as it well a short yet meaningful sentence. It helped emphasize the power of education and why education will always have a significant impact on society. Overall, your blog was well written, demonstrating the importance of education in society and its power.
ReplyDeleteHi Ethan,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that education gives power and freedom. For example, going to college gives people more career opportunities which then increases their personal freedom. However, there are other forms of education as well. Personal experiences can be a form of education to an individual as it allows them to grow and change. Change is required in a pursuit for freedom as it is seen throughout history that society only progresses when educated, brave individuals challenge common belief. Galileo Galilei, challenged his church’s belief that the sun revolves around the Earth and proposed a heliocentric model. While he was persecuted for this in his time, his discoveries allowed for human progress such as space travel. Like Jiya, I also found your last sentence very meaningful. It emphasized your idea that education will always be a profound and powerful thing. I really enjoyed reading your blog, thank you for writing it!
Knowledge directly correlates to power in a number of ways. Before women had the right to vote, they were viewed as subservient to the husband in a nuclear family. The same applied to African Americans during the Jim Crow era. However, with every major progressive movement, with it has always been the right to an education. This is why most governments mandate primary schooling. Knowledge extensively beneficial. Sometimes, police will ask to search your house or car without a warrant. By being aware of your right to deny searches without probable cause, you can avoid being persuaded into letting the police come into your house, and finding evidence that could incriminate you. Your right to remain silent is useful during interrogations, where by pleading the fifth, you can avoid self-incrimination. In war or sports, knowing your objective and your enemies strategy is useful in developing a counter plan. Furthermore, humans are not more powerful than animals because of their physical strength, but instead because of a higher brain capacity that comes with knowledge. Your blog touched on a number of interesting points, and I am excited to see what you write about next.
ReplyDeleteHi Ethan, I think the quote that you mentioned was a great way to start off your blog as it summarizes the main idea of the topic you chose to write about. Knowledge which is obtained from education has great significance and is essential to the decisions individuals make and how people choose to live their lives. Therefore, providing good education to students is critical in order for them to live healthy and productive lives. I think many times education is taken for granted, and I think it is necessary to recognize how, as you mentioned, education has fueled many important parts of history like revolutions and significant discoveries. Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog and thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Ethan,
ReplyDeleteYour introduction captivated my attention through your quote from Francis Bacon and your introduction of the main idea of your blog, the power of education. I agree with education's benefits as you discussed and I feel all humans partake in some form of education every day in their lives. Whether it's learning a new word or a whole new language, humans partake in education as a part of their daily lives. The use of figures such as Isaac Newton and Marie Curie significantly strengthened your argument by enhancing the appeal to the audience with the success of popular Americans obsessed with education. I agree that a lack of education restricts individuals severely and I feel a collective effort to augment education opportunities for all individuals would help diminish the impact a weaker education has on someone's life. Your blog skillfully emphasized the importance of education and the restrictive impacts of a lack of it; thank you for writing this blog!