Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Education and Ignorance

"For there are many who study only to become ignorant, especially those of arrogant, restless, and prideful spirits, fond of innovations in the Law (the very things that rejects all innovation)....study does harm, because it is like putting a sword in the hands of a madman: though the sword be the noblest of instruments for defense, in his hands it becomes his own death and that of many others" (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 785).

Education is something that should not be flaunted as a sign of superiority, but something that allows for us to force others into roles of  subservience. Later in the texts this idea gets further investigate; "So it is with another passage, 'Let the woman learn in silence'; for this passage is more in favor of than against women, as it says that they should learn, and while they are learning, obviously, they must needs keep quiet" (787). Through the eyes of the male grammarian--read this as the male educated man--there is a blow taken towards the integrity of the educated woman: they feel that it is against God and the scripture and should, therefore, not be something that happens. As pointed out in the texts, this could not be further from what the scriptures are actually saying (the quote above does an impressive job of pointing this out). What we are left with then is this simple guideline: as we educate it must not be to create an idea of ignorance and an idea that one group of demographic is elevated over the other, instead we must be certain to teach in an effort to enlighten and allow for true inspirations to happen.

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