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Duringa recent discussim with a prominent and emerging young businessman, he attributed his success to the idea that "everything these days comes in dollars and cents". Considering the development of an . ' empirical thrust in our educational system advocating facts and statistics, evidence would seem to indicate my friend correct. However, this same empirical thrust, though perhaps the key to the success of an aspiring young,businessman, is equally responsible for a very one—dimensional means of educating. The end result is not a System of education that serves to Liberate the mind, but one of indoctrin— ation devised to preserve the social status—quo for . those presently reaping its

. material rewards . -

Is a system of indoct— rination as opposed to education a good way to socialize members of a society? Cardinal Newman, in his essay, Ihe Idea of a Universi (VI) , appears to place the issue in its proper perspective.

Newman identifies two methods of education: "The end-of one is to be

' philosophical, of the

other to be mechanical. The one rises toward general ideas, the other exhausted upon what is particular and external. " The relevant point Newman makes is that the more knowledge rises towards what is particular and external, preporticnately the more it ceases to be knowledge. Applied to the present system of empirical indoctrination, educaticn is no longer an intellectual activity but rather a means of finding cne's place in the job market and there- by fitting the mold of

a social or economic class. Most important, any system of facts and figures is only one component or aspect of human kncwledge.

Yet, who 18 to say that Cardinal. Newman' 5 ccncept of knowledge is: .7irc..r.l_'? Certainly, ezmii system has CF; supporters as shown by the young businessman. But, a look at the implications of a misused and overused empirically oriented means of socializaticn clearly illustrates serious and long term effects for all mankind. W today

generally. became ' existential in its " perspective, concerned chiefly with the here and now. Hence the concern with a here-and—now utilitarianism. Of course, history stbjects are still madeavailable; however, emphasis is placed less on. critical explanation than on d'ircnological data. As a result, students today are strung up on a

logical positivism that stresses facts rather than the ability to learn.

What results is a product of the system geared '

towards a package of

information. This product has no need nor desire for knowledge. — why be critical, why question? All that matters are "dollars and cents". ,

A human over—subjected to such crude empiricism is proportionately less a person but more a package if facts. Attitudes such as "don’t rock the boat" and inferiority complexes that inflict fear of being cne's self characceristic of such a package. Fundamental to this package, of course, is the token of money handed down from above as a reward for minding your own business, and doing your own job while keeping a smile on your face and insisting that yours is a good life.

The questionis then, now do we work to maintain or become ourselves in the face of a rigid system of indoctrination? Clearly, the answer must come from within education as our diief liberating mechanism. What must occur is a swing away from our empirically infested system to a projection of the arts. ‘ Not to say that facts and statistics should be discarded at all, but rather that a proper framework for understanding them be sought. Sought before

society loses its intellectual activity and stinilatiOIl and becomes merely a collection of Jd‘ln_ RX?” gs

HCW DARE THEY (letter to the editor)

by Brian NacGregor

Dear Public: ’ - ‘ r

I'feel carpelled, from deep inside my ‘ conscience, to write this here article. You might even say. that I'm driven, "called" to write about this threatening occurance. It's with humility and yes, love, that 'I write to you, warning you of this evil in our midst: "Beer camercials on T.V. !"

It has recently come to my attention that this new cablevisicn is showing advertisements of alcohol. Not that I have cablevision, I don't even have a television, 'praise the Iord' , but I read about it in the Guardian (our good Conservative paper). When I first heard about this here cablevisicn coming to P.E.I.-, I knew it was bad, and Itold everyone, you can be sure. But who listens to an old wcman? v

Things used to be so good. I know what's going to happen now. All these people on P.E.I. , most of don't even know what liquor is, are going to start trying it, just to see what it's like. You and I both know what's going to

happen after that, not that I've ever taken a

drink, praiSe the Lord. Alcoholism, that's what! ‘ , What's going to happen when our young people start watching these camercials, the poor

innocents? Who will protect them when is a m .A- ..

peddling his wares? When will society'see what this filth will bring? Were will we turn? How? 7 Who will be there when the germs of this disease spread to our beloved university? "Haw, you laugh, it could never come to that. I just want to say right no» that if our students at U.P.E.I., smart as I know they are, start watching those beer camercials cn T.V. they will succumb, and heaven help us' when they do, to this awful deluge. And when this happens} and remember, I told you it would, it wm't be safe to send our children from places like Tignish and Borden, where they don't even know the word ‘ alcohol, .to our beloved 'versity, with its pure roots (before it joined with the Catholics).

This is all I have to say. What can we do, you ask? I say, if youcwn a television, just 7

don't get cablevisicn. And if you have cablevision, V

dm't watch those'American channels. I would just

like to finish with these words, "If thy televisicn

should offend thee, throw it out!“ Amen.

Miss Florence Baptist (president of the Ladies Temperance Movement of P.E.I.)

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