To Think is To Be
Character Education tends to teach virtues as “Be this way” and “Be that way.”
Virtues are laudable and such rote learning may be easy to teach, but success is open to question. Teaching results rather than teaching why one should choose to act honorably is of limited value to a subset of students.
Here are parallel cases. On the left, consider a more easily understood example of Arithmetic. On the right, consider teaching how to act. It helps understand the difference between teaching how to be by rote learning and teaching how to think by learning processes.
| Arithmetic | Character |
| To great advantage, some centuries ago people devised a process of working with numbers. | To great advantage, some centuries ago people devised a process of working with how to act. |
| For instance, addition of three and four produce seven. Multiplication of three and three produce nine. | For instance, appreciation of sense of otherness and sense of time produce caring. Consideration of the possibility of being wrong and one’s mental map of reality produce humility. |
| In classical education, learning to know is science while learning to do something is art. Nowadays, unfortunately, schools spend less time on the science of numbers and more time on the art. | In classical education, learning to know is science while learning to do something is art. Nowadays, unfortunately, schools spend less time on the science of character and more time on the art. |
| In other words, as schooling extended to wider populations, it de-emphasized “why” in favor of the rote “what” to do of arithmetic: One plus seven equals eight. Plug in this formula to get area. Plug in that formula to get volume. | In other words, as schooling extended to wider populations, it de-emphasized “why” in favor of the rote “what” to do of virtues: Be trustworthy. Be respectful. Be fair. Be courageous. Be responsible. Be caring. Be diligent. Be truthful. |
| Rote memorization of simple arithmetic comes at great cost. It gives at best habit and an appearance of education without mastery. As a result, people find it hard to recognize situations, to apply lessons, and to decide what to do. | Rote memorization of simple virtues comes at great cost. It gives at best habit and an appearance of education without mastery. As a result, people find it hard to recognize situations, to apply lessons, and to decide what to do. |
| When you truly master logic, it masters you. When you understand “why”, it becomes a compelling process from which useful decisions must follow. | When you truly master logic, it masters you. When you understand “why”, it becomes a compelling process from which useful decisions must follow. |
| True mathematics education goes beyond rote learning to mastery of both tools and process. | True character education goes beyond rote learning to mastery of both tools and process. |
True character education does go beyond rote learning to encourage mastery of both tools and process.