In the 'Diagnoses of Society' column of the Catholic Peace weekly a philosophy professor in the Catholic University gives the readers his ideas on education.
What our society needs most now is to change the understanding and system of education. Infant abandonment is a problem, the disregard for life that is so widespread throughout society and culture is a phenomenon that occurs because the value and meaning of life are not properly recognized.
After liberation, Korean society succeeded in establishing a democratic society and achieving economic growth. Such success is worthy of praise, but the side effects and harms that accompany it are by no means small. The culture of death, which does not recognize the nobility and mystery of life, its meaning, and value, and considers life only as a means, is widespread. There will be no one who will not agree that we must create a culture and society that respects and saves lives. It is self-evident that the most urgent and necessary task in leading a culture of life beyond the culture of death is education for life.
Education that awakens the dignity and nobility of life is possible when the mystery and value of life are revealed. That education cannot be merely tautologically repeating that life is precious. The meaning and content of life should be deeply reflected on and education based on it should be conducted. This is why the philosophy of life is necessary. This is because when we understand the essential mystery and meaning of life, education based on it becomes possible.
The philosopher Immanuel Kant, who founded the modern Enlightenment, argued that morality and ethics are possible only on the basis of metaphysics, which regards humans as the first principle of all values. In this respect, the understanding of life-based on the metaphysics of life is inevitably the foundation of life education. At that time, not only elementary and secondary education in our society but also higher education can be achieved through life education that achieves the essence of education and reveals the nobility and mystery of life.
The Catholic spirit was established by systematizing the gospel of Jesus on Earth into a culture based on Greek philosophy. The vivid kerygma of the early church met Greek philosophy and was systematized. After that, it was reinterpreted in a historical context and incarnated into the culture and society of that era. Despite their diversity, the foundation has always been the Gospel. It can only be that the core of education is the teaching of Jesus on earth, who is "the way, the truth, and the life".
This is why Catholic education is essentially the education of life and truth. In any case, church education should be based on life and the word of truth, not practicality. The early church fathers, who incarnated the Gospel Word, understood the relationship between man and God especially according to the spirit of Plato's speaking education, paideia.[The education of the whole person in the humanities] The idea that God is the one who eternally draws man into his being is entirely based on this educational concept. Compared to that, the perspective of understanding education in our society is too ignorant and blind.
A while ago, the political debate over the issue of the college entrance exam ended in absurdly futile thinking of education as just a means without understanding the philosophical principles of education. The church also runs many educational institutions, but we must thoroughly ask if this education is based on the Catholic spirit.
Catholic education can never be conducted as entrance exam education or employment education without reflection, dazzled by the small achievements of the past that succeeded in modernization. Educational institutions run by the church must be based entirely on the Word of Life and Truth. Because otherwise, a culture that respects life and reveals its nobility and mystery would never be possible.
