Self Scrutiny: A need for Democracy
// May 7th, 2007 // Leadership Development
“The democratic culture is nurtured by the aspiration that all individuals shall have the opportunity to progress steadily toward increased measures of freedom. It must keep itself under constant scrutiny. It can never afford to become careless on this score: nor dare it become callous. Where men aspire to freedom they are obligated to create the conditions from which there may emerge a continuing stream of citizens who understand its meaning. Habit-ridden individuals will not do. Nor will fearful individuals. The case rests with individuals who have gained the ability to think- however awesome the problem- and who, equally, have gained the courage to deal with ideas- however strange they seem.
No school is quite good enough for a culture that prizes the free man if it uses anything less than all the ingenuity of those who are responsible for its character in its effort to solve the problem of how to make critical thought prevail in all the aspects of its activities. Nor can any school give itself fully to its proper work when the culture as a whole, or any portion of it, place a checkrein upon its effort. The role played by those who are concerned with education in a democratic culture is therefore vital to the strength of that culture.
All of this is of particular significance for the educator. The very nature of his culture makes him the guardian of it. When he fails to help each individual find his special strength and capacity, the culture is the poorer in consequence. When he fails to help each individual gain in ability to deal with ideas critically, and with relative calm, the culture is weakened.”
“Reflective Thinking: The Method of Education”, G. Hullfish and P.G. Smith, 1964.
