▶ Your Answer :
The speaker is saying
that students should always be skeptical about what they are taught instead of
accepting it passively. Some argue that it is the virtue of students to conform
and accept what they learned from schools as it reflects their veneration to
teachers. However, students should always question what they are taught and be
skeptical as lots of innovations and scientific progresses come from the rejection
of orthodox idea, and it also enables social reforms. The examples of Nicolas
Copernicus and Martin Luther King Jr. illustrate this point well. Of course, the
importance of the students’ conformity to what they’ve been taught should not
be overlooked. To some extent, students’ knowledge basis which enables them to
develop their own ideas and attitudes toward the world is formed through
accepting what they are taught. For instance, by learning the ideas and
progresses which human beings have already achieved, they can form their view
toward status quo of the society. Thus, it makes them to develop ability to
think independently. In addition, students who accept and memorize well what
they learned often get good grades in the school. Nevertheless, students
should not be the blind followers of what they are taught. A lot of scientific
progress and innovations would not have been possible if there had not undaunted
students who rejected accepting stereotyped way of thinking. For illustration, one
of Nicolas Copernicus’s students doubted and rejected the geocentric view of
the cosmos which was pervasive at that time and he published his teacher’s book
which suggested the heliocentric theory to the academia. Although it was controversial
at the first time, it was due to his action that scholars started to seek alternative
theory of geocentric view toward the universe. Thus, rejecting stereotyped way
of thinking enables scientific progress and innovations. In addition, social
reforms have been achieved by skeptical people who disobeyed the pervasive
social norms. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. rejected the Segregation Law
and the thoughts that the colored are inferior to the white people. Many people
who agreed with his argument gathered together and formed the social movement
called “the Civil Rights Movement”. The movement leaded to the abolition of the
Segregation Law and the civil rights and equal opportunity for the colored have
been protected by the US constitutional laws since then. Once again, skeptical
thinking toward the social norms leads social reforms and makes the world a
better place. In this sense, students should be encouraged to be doubtful about
the pervasive ideas of society.
In
sum, education should raise students’ ability to think independently and critically.
Thus, educational institutions should encourage students to be always doubtful
and be brave rejecting erroneous social norms. Once again, the knowledge basis
of a person is developed through accepting what already exist and researched by
other people but the development of that basis can only be done through skeptical
thinking.
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