Education

EDUCATION, LOGIC, AND WISDOM

ARINDUM SONI
Arindum Soni
Faculty – UPSC IAS Exams

While having a pleasant conversation with a precious friend, I came to realize the problems and objections he is having on crossing roads of life. Mostly about an emotional cum ideological crisis due to ruptured personal and aggravated professional relationship. The sympathetic state of deteriorated circumstances he painted partially convinced me that he is not left with many options other than to choose a path of being a rebellion –often referred to as an unconventional, unorthodox and unparallel approach toward life. The rebellious friend chose a solution for himself, which denied any questions pertaining to morality, any subjection to ethics, or introspection. A path opening him towards our worldly pleasures–may be deceptive but a disguised form of inner happiness. According to him, this was all LOGICAL.

THE LOGIC, RATIONALITY, AND BELIEFS

Logic is the science of the correctness or incorrectness of reasoning or the study of the evaluation of arguments. They are often scientific, fact-based, objective, uniform and universally true.

Rationality often finds its roots in “logic”. Logic defies faulty actions, attitudes, and beliefs. Logic discourse is the path of wisdom. Logic leads to rationality.

Beliefs are a product of the cognitive process, a criterion of abstract thought that does not necessarily evoke action. It may instigate or forces certain quest in the environment that coheres one to behave and think in a certain manner. They are peculiarly shaped by the forces of socialization such as religion, education, parenting, peers, etc. They are contextual, dynamic, culture-specific, and individualistic in nature. Beliefs, if based on rational grounds- – guide your attitude and behavior to logical ends.

“Rational logics

Do logics have to be necessarily rational? Logically Speaking, YES.

Ideally, logic and rationality go hand in hand. They are 2 sides of the same coin. But, every time strict application of these high-end ideals becomes difficult in the practical discourse of our life.

Sometimes, one has to be irrational, immature, and impractical to keep oneself and others in a happy and blissful state. For example, critics may not find any logic in someone sitting quietly in the shades of dark clouds pouring the drops of rain.

Science does not find any logic in religious rituals performed on various occasions and stages of life, yet the new ISRO center when inaugurated or the fighter raffle jets when welcomed– was done with the breaking of symbolically auspicious coconut.

“Until it is harmful, it is fruitful”: Anonymous

THE LOGIC OF CONVENIENCE

A young boy asked a priest, “can I smoke while praying ?”.The priest vehemently discarded the idea.

Another boy standing beside asked, “can I pray while smoking ?”.The priest humbly answered that god is omnipresent, you can pray to him anytime, any place you like.

Well, what was more logical, The Question or the answer? Quite a fallacy.

The path prescribed by the rebellious friend for himself suffered from the same classical fallacy. The arguments were misguided and misappropriated to meet the logical ends.

But his constant insistence on convincing me for my validation over the chosen path drove me to a new conceptual (probably logical) underpinning which can be succinctly defined as  “A proclaimed logic which convinces you to follow the path convenient to your beliefs” also known as THE LOGIC OF CONVENIENCE -“The logic which offers you a convenient good night sleep.

The logic which defends your actions against your morals.

The logic which redefines and refine your world with your priorities.

The logic which appreciates your depreciated being.

The logic which wins you argument to convince your beliefs.

The logic which feeds your deprived ego.

THE WISDOM OF EDUCATION

“The role of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King.

Education plays a great role in shaping an individual into a rational, aware, and logical being, who’s immune from misguided beliefs and misconceptions.

Education is often misinterpreted and confused with literacy. The two sounds synonyms but technically have a different definition, means, and goals. It guides an individual to sail through difficult circumstances and propels one to act with wise attributes and behave rationally.

Education helps people think, feel, and behave in a way that contributes to their success and improves not only their personal satisfaction but also their community. In addition, education contributes to human personality, thoughts, knowledge in dealing with others and prepares people for life experiences, and makes them less vulnerable and more adaptable to exigencies.

Education is a precious pearl that scatters light too far and wide to enlighten people with knowledge and reasoning; boosts problem-solving skills. 

Education serves as the cornerstone for the growth of healthy individuals and society. Education is the key to achieving change. It’s an essential tool for understanding one’s duties to one’s family, community, and nation. One’s ability to comprehend the world and fight against evils like injustice, corruption, and violence, among other things, is improved through education. 

Even if you find yourself chained in circumstantial depression, failures, and emotional turmoil – the gift of education in your life is that it will make you filled with patience, persistence, and perseverance. An educated individual will find their logic and ideology to be rational, wise, non-orthodox, non-controversial, and non-conventional.

“EVEN IF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH  HELL, KEEP GOING”: Winston Churchill

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