Page 77 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol IV

1378 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

Bertrand Russell: On the Importance of Education

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), British philosopher, from their position of vantage. The children them-
logician, essayist, and renowned peace advocate, had selves are not considered by either party; they are
strong opinions about the importance of education. merely so much material, to be recruited into one
Consider this excerpt from his book Why Men Fight: army or the other. If the children themselves were
considered, education would not aim at making them
The power of education in forming character and
belong to this party or that, but at enabling them to
opinion is very great and very generally recognized.
choose intelligently between the parties; it would aim
The genuine beliefs, though not usually the professed
at making them able to think, not at making them
precepts, of parents and teachers are almost uncon-
think what their teachers think. Education as a polit-
sciously acquired by most children; and even if they
ical weapon could not exist if we respected the rights
depart from these beliefs in later life, something of
of children. If we respected the rights of children, we
them remains deeply implanted, ready to emerge in
should educate them so as to give them the knowl-
a time of stress or crisis. Education is, as a rule, the
edge and the mental habits required for forming
strongest force on the side of what exists and against
independent opinions; but education as a political
fundamental change: threatened institutions, while
institution endeavors to form habits and to circum-
they are still powerful, possess themselves of the edu-
scribe knowledge in such a way as to make one set of
cational machine, and instill a respect for their own
opinions inevitable.
excellence into the malleable minds of the young.
Source: Russell, B. (1917). Why men fight. London: Century Co.
Reformers retort by trying to oust their opponents

who were more than ever filled with a sense of construc- Such exposure undermined the credibility of the govern-
tive nationalism. ment. In 1994, after free elections, South Africa finally
became a democracy; Mandela was its first president.

South Africa:
A Century of Struggle Outlook
Even though Gandhi had begun his satyagraha in South Nonviolence emerged as a powerful trend during the
Africa, inspiring nonviolent action throughout the world, twentieth century. Undertaken in diverse contexts, non-
South Africa remained under the policy of apartheid violent movements varied widely in the degree of chal-
(racial segregation) for most of the twentieth century.The lenge they posed to the established institutions of power
struggle against apartheid assumed violent dimensions and authority and the extent to which they brought
several times during the century. Even the political leader about meaningful social transformation. However, col-
Nelson Mandela (b. 1918), who began the nonviolent re- lectively they showed that war and violence are not the
sistance, took to violence, resulting in his serving twenty- only, and certainly not the best, means of changing the
three years in prison. Nevertheless, nonviolent sanctions, institutions of power or creating a new social order. In
strikes, rent boycotts, street committees, and boycotts of the years to come we may see that Gandhi was right in
business owned by whites ultimately disabled the gov- asserting that “we are constantly being astonished at the
ernment. Moreover, the formation of the United Demo- amazing discoveries in the field of violence. But I main-
cratic Front, which included all people who favored tain that far more undreamt-of and seemingly impossible
democratic reforms through nonviolent means, eventu- discoveries will be made in the field of nonviolence.”
ally forced change in South Africa. Nonviolent methods
Tara Sethia
alone did not bring the change, but they were instru-
mental in exposing the stark nature of apartheid and the See also Civil Disobedience; Gandhi,Mohandas; Mahavira;
suffering of people engaged in nonviolent resistance. Peace Projects