Topic
Name
Professor
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Education for Profit Education, for Democracy
Professor Martha Nussbaum’s work on Education for Profit, Education for Democracy is as compelling as she presents a passionate case for the liberal arts’ benefits at the respective stages of education. When she says “nations all over the world will soon be producing generations of useful machines, rather than complete citizens who can think for themselves, criticize traditions, and understand the significance of another person’s sufferings and achievements. The future of the world’s democracy hangs in the balance”, professor notes the importance of humanities to education which has been historical critical in the production of complete citizens who are democratic. It with no doubt that nations have been treating education as if its major purpose is to teach learners to become producers in our economies, instead of being able to think critically, examine political waves, become knowledgeable, productive, empathetic, and democratic citizens. In no doubt, the statement captures our societies’ shortsightedness in focusing only on economic and profitable skills (Boyte et al., 127-145). We have diluted our competencies and ability to provide checks and balances on the political class, authorities, minimized our sympathy with the weak and marginalized members, inability to deal with arising global issues, and developed an appetite for more and more wealth expense of others. The statement, therefore, tends to suggest that a loss of those capacity puts democracy and the hopes for a better world in a jeopardized situation.
On many occasions, education has been discussed in utilitarian conditions but at the very low-levels. The question that lingers and begs to be answered is, how can human societies generate technically trained individuals who can hold on the global markets, produce a maximum profit, and maintain superb democracy? With no doubt, the rush for global profit leaves democracy in danger of being lost and forgotten. Martha Nussbaum developed her most of the works in the Indian society where she examines an in-depth clash within the spheres of democracy, violence, and India’s future. In her unguarded moment, the professor seems to prescribe a medication for India’s problem, which I deem fit. She says that science and technology play a central role in the development of a nation, and hence it should be embraced at all levels of technical education. However, other abilities are equally important to developing democracy and regeneration of robust world culture, global citizenship, and healthy politics, which should not be lost in the competitive economic flurry.
Education for profit, human development, and healthy democracy encompasses myriad types of cultivations that are key to an individual’s development. It is not only about citizenship that is widely understood but also about world-class patriots who can comprehend global issues to which professors’ ideas and world thirties of justice can respond. Basing on the statement, I agree that education must focus at least on promoting the learners’ comprehension of the objectivity of human development for all, in a decent minimal just society, which must be done in such a way that when called upon to make economic and political choices, they will make universal decisions, not for themselves only (Gorman et al., 145-148). Education will promote human dignity, equality, respect, inclusivity, and the creation of various opportunities for world nations. The efforts to reduce education to a meager tool of the gross national merchandise must be resisted. Instead, education must be directed and connected to humanities to be equipped well with true democracy, citizenship, humanistic behavior, and economic capacities.
Education for economic profit and enrichment demands basic skills, numeracy, and literacy. As mentioned, it also demands computer skills, science, and technology. Nations will grow well if equipped with the above, while those without the basics will continue to row poor, and the populations continue to be illiterate. With the nature of economical information, nations can double their gross national product with little worry on the distribution of education if they can be able to create business and tech elites. Care must also be taken so that both economic and historic narratives of nations do no lead to acute critical thinking about the importance of investment in poor regions, class, and survival of democracy in ethnically segmented societies. Therefore, critical thinking is a crucial part of an education system that aims to produce economic profit and democracy.
Citations
Boyte, Harry C., and Margaret J. Finders. “A Liberation of Powers”: Agency and Education for Democracy.” Educational Theory 66.1-2 (2016): 127-145.
Gorman, David, and Kenneth Womack. “Introduction: Cultivating Humanity with Martha Nussbaum.” Interdisciplinary Literary Studies 19.2 (2017): 145-148.