EDUCATION

How do we communicate effectively with our enormously diverse population AND each other?
or
The Path of Least Resistance.


The purpose of this work is to reveal the self-evidence of language and attempt to provide a model of articulate thinking. The inspiration for this work stems from a life of devotion to "truth seeking," as well as University-level western philosophy training. Persistent inquiry has provided a means of understanding much about nothing and a little about everything in general, including (but not limited to): science and investigation, universal totality, number and means, imagination, love, consciousness, history, formality, informality, gratitude, and respect. It is with this self-same gratitude and respect that I undertake to divulge my thinking without obfuscation. O the agony! To communicate without obfuscation today! The impetus of this work comes squarely out of 1874's "Untimely Meditations" by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche [unfortunately, his words must be qualified against obfuscation: F. Nietzsche's SISTER falsely attributed anti-semitism to him as a degenerate invalid before the turn of the century, and his likeness was abused as a poster-boy for Nazis.]:

"I must render aid, that the higher unity in the nature and soul of a people must again be created..."

"Who is there, then, amid these dangers of our era, to guard and champion humanity, the inviolable sacred treasure...?"

"It demands, to be sure, a quite exceptional reflective capacity to be able to see beyond the educational institutions of the present to those which may perhaps be required only two or three generations hence." (130+ yrs. ago)

For language and communication to have meaning, it must make sense. In other words, it must be understandable. This is a critical point of focus considering the sweeping array of chaotic thinking that has us sharply divided (hand-off to psycho-analyst). The good news is, built right here into each and every word is "meaning." A few simple sentences, as illustrated above, can communicate a wealth of ideas and emotions; so, too, can a single word, for example, say, "autonomy." Any thorough investigation into the meaning of a word, which includes it's definition, etymology (roots), and over-all concept, will yield a greater understanding of it. Take the example "autonomy," and find that its roots are "auto" + "nomos" from Greek meaning "self" + "law." This is not an implication, it does not "imply," it is a "meaning," and a meaning alone. Self-law. With one word, "autonomy," a whole slough of ideas and multiple meanings open up - what is it? how does it work? Can it be paraphrased? Is it not synonymous with freedom? Further, another slough of ideas opens up with "self" and "law" which already fills volumes upon volumes of work throughout history.

The following attempt at "transparent reasoning" is perhaps unconventional but several posits will be made (posit from Latin meaning "placed"). No claim of truth is made of these posits, in fact an effort was made to posit something "as" something or other instead of stating that something "is" something or other; good science, as far as I know, still works with hypothetical reasoning because of the often abstract subject of inquiry. Thus the hoped-for result would be a literal interpretation of several words and an open look at how they stand in relation to each other. It will seem overly simplistic, perhaps, or redundant because of the careful handling, but the intent is to weave a taut thread of ideas together so as to be self-explanatory, as free from obfuscation as possible. It will also open up a potential "landscape" of relations that remain to be made, perfect for interpretive exploration! "P1" requires explication, "P2" is explicated literally in relation, and "P3" re-states the case that words have meaning, so as to give the logic its own legs to stand on:

P1. Education as both our greatest asset AND our greatest liability.

P2. Understanding "articulation" and "education" as paramount.

P3. Language is like a nut, see, that produces "meat" when it's cracked open; in other words, words have MEANING.
[That any debate remain lingering about this is ridiculous, unfounded, and easily settled. The "clear and distinct" fact that a word or string of words in a particular language and dialect can be understood by a presupposed audience should suffice. English, for example.(period)]

Explication of premise two:
Understanding, from Old English "understandan": (under) below/beneath, (stand) rise/set upright, hold fast.
Articulation, from Latin "articulare/articulus": divide into joints, utter distinctly... small connecting part.
Education from Latin "educere," educe: draw forth or develop (something latent or potential), lead out, hold in tow.
Take "art" as short for "articulation," from Latin art- [as root of] article, articulate, artifice, artificial, artillery, artisan, and most notably "ART" being also, curiosly, "BEING," see? ("Art Thou" following?)

Summarily, understanding articulation as "divide into joints, utter distinctly, small connecting part," education as "to draw forth or develop (something latent or potential), lead out, hold in tow," and now art as being; literally, "ARE (you)." (heh, reminds me of Jolly Roger's "Aar!") We hold several ideas which must, true to articulation, remain a "formation of clear and distinct" words, or utterances:

understanding articulation (and) education
- below/beneath - divide into joints - draw forth/develop, latent or potential
- rise/set upright - utter distinctly - lead out
- hold fast - small connecting parts - hold in tow
- being, or existence "Aar!"

as "above all else."
[ paramount from 16th century "highest in jurisdiction;" from Greek para, "beside," and Latin mont, "mountain."]

Sample threads of literal relation: below hold fast "Aar!" draw forth potential; beneath set upright small connecting parts hold in tow; below rise upright utter distinctly lead out - these things first and foremost.