Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God (Mic. 6:8).
God has two dwellings; one in heaven, the other in a meek and thankful heart.

It’s Irresponsible to Teach STEM

Posted by ForeverSailing on 30 October 2020 Thots 3

By Matthew Warren

We can all agree that it is irresponsible to give a child a loaded gun, especially without first teaching them how to safely handle such great power. Similarly, it is irresponsible to teach a kid STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) without first ensuring a very healthy dose of good ethics.

Indeed, the future economy will be in short supply of the engineers and scientists that we need. So to satisfy industry (and help folks get jobs) the education system is prescribing an oversized dose of STEM to every child (at the expense of other more important subjects). What’s happening in the process is we are creating an army of very powerful workers who have no idea whatsoever how to use their power wisely.

The Math will tell you it’s possible. The Science will teach you how. Engineering and Technology can make it reality.

But should we do it in the first place? We will not know. How far is too far? We can not say. What trade-offs are worth making in the process? Dunno. Is it Good? Uhhh…

STEM can’t tell you any of that. For that, you need ethics, philosophy, and moral theology. These teach the more serious thinking skills that go far beyond STEM. For every serving of STEM, we should be serving ten servings of good philosophy. Unfortunately, public education has done the opposite. It doesn’t touch moral theology, and if it hasn’t dropped ethics and philosophy altogether, it’s replaced them with a more dangerous and neutered form of it (i.e. a reduction to “wokeness” or a doctrine of “tolerance”). And all of this applies not just to STEM, but to the arts and social sciences, too.

We are manufacturing highly capable change-makers and cheeringly telling them to go out and change the world! The problem is…they haven’t a clue as to what needs changing. We’ve given loaded guns to children. The future is going to be a dangerous place.

Comments

  • Frank

    • 2 years ago
    That reminds me of the quote by science fiction writer Isaac Asimov: "The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." But when have the public schools ever taught ethics, philosophy, and moral theology? Colleges maybe, but not public schools. Ethics and morality have generally been passed on by parents and churches, and reinforced by society. I don't think you can blame the lack only on schools. But I agree that the future is going to be a dangerous place.

  • CH

    • 2 years ago
    Good points, Frank. You're right about the public schools. I had the opportunity of attending Catholic grade schools and private high schools for 95% of my pre-college education. They did teach ethics and moral theology intertwining it within the other courses ... back then.

    I'm not sure about the Catholic standard--it could be good in many of their schools but I wouldn't be surprised if elements of Richard Rohresk progressive Christianity have crept in. I've been in touch with my high school alumni/ae friends and acquaintances (and get the school's alumni NL) for years now and have seen how much the school has regressed--academically excellent, morally corrupt.

    Bottom line ... I agree that the future is going to be a dangerous place.

  • MikeB

    • 2 years ago
    I go back and forth, as to whether I want and hope for continued progress in STEM. On one hand, it seems to contribute and support the path of the end time scenario with us reaching our end goal of the 2nd coming. On the other hand, I wish things would move at a slower pace. I do think it is beyond our control. It seems like we are getting closer to when "the man of sin (or lawlessness) shall be reveal" and our best defense is to "not be shaken in our mind or troubled". We know our life and future is in the Lord's hands.

    The Great Apostasy
    2 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
    3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
    4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 2Thess. 2

OurEndGame