The Theory of Education in the United States Albert Jay Nock 9781610160940 Books
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Official Mises Institute Edition It is hard to say what is most notable about this book published first in 1931 1. Albert Jay Nock's incredible disquisition on the real meaning of education and its role in a free society. 2. That these lectures were given at a university as part of a prestigious Page-Barbour lecture series. 3. That they were delivered at a "public ivy" school the University of Virginia. There is no way such a lecture series could appear on a campus of this sort today. For in these lectures, Nock goes to the heart of the matter of what is wrong with the structure of education in the United States the policy, imposed by government, of universal admissions on the theory that everyone is equally educable. The book is made up of 14 lectures, each one building on the other. He begins with an understanding of what it means to be an educated person. He discusses the dissatisfaction of nearly everyone that US schools are not in fact turning out educated people. He turns to reform movements in education and provides a shocking round up of their history (keep in mind that this is 1931). He then spells out the difference between training and education and how Americans have completely overlooked the difference in the course of seeking economic and social uplift for everyone. "Our system is based upon the assumption, popularly regarded as implicit in the doctrine of equality, that everybody is educable. This has been taken without question from the beginning; it is taken without question now. The whole structure of our system, the entire arrangement of its mechanics, testifies to this. Even our truant laws testify to it, for they are constructed with exclusive reference to school-age, not to school-ability. "When we attempt to run this assumption back to the philosophical doctrine of equality, we cannot do it; it is not there, nothing like it is there. The philosophical doctrine of equality gives no more ground for the assumption that all men are educable than it does for the assumption that all men are six feet tall. We see at once, then, that it is not the philosophical doctrine of equality, but an utterly untenable popular perversion of it, that we find at the basis of our educational system." He goes further to attack the idea that literacy alone is capable of preserving freedom and civilization. He blasts the tendency to think that education is good so long as it encompasses the largest possible group ("no child left behind"). He says that in fact a good educational institution should have very few students. The range of radical thought here is nothing short of shocking, from his claim that very few should be in college to the point that vastly more people are tenured as professors than there should be (again, 1931). Three factors have changed since he wrote. First, the practice of universal education has expanded beyond a point which Nock himself could have imagined. Second, the classical ideal of education has become all but entirely unknown. Third, the economy has ever less use for the skills that the university teaches, so it has once again fallen back to private institutions to actually prepare people for a productive life. In this case, Nock is more relevant than ever before. But beware only read this incredible book (which was shocking in 1931) if you are prepared to completely rethink the basis of modern education.
The Theory of Education in the United States Albert Jay Nock 9781610160940 Books
The education machine has been oiled and lubed, tended and tinkered, adjusted and tweaked. It remains a catastrophic failure, and all indication is that it has grown demonstrably more horrific since Nock gave this early warning.The general theory of Nock's text is one which is so outlawed, so obscene, so "offensive," yet spoken with eloquence and such careful speech as to disarm gut rejections inherent today with any "-isms." However, why must -isms be immediately disbarred from societal discourse? In Theory of Education, we face the since roundly defeated specter of "elitism" - namely the notion that some are born with the right equipment, and others, despite rigging an entire system to favor their situation- will simply not become Educated. And it is because Elitism has been scrapped in favor of the sentimental, politically correct, and limited capacity Egalitarian theory (the State), that we have chosen "Training" over Education.
Just today as I write, a comprehensive twin study was released which should once and for all satisfy the debate between biology and intelligence. We must make the best of what we have, we are born with limits and predispositions. It is a fact, and only a MIS-educated citizen would cling so futilely to other explanations. Ironically, Nock would have a laugh that Science, which is not the Great Tradition itself, but a tool borne of it, has been unable to lift the mass into any sort of fulfillment of the Great Egalitarian Theory.
Nock, writing in the hopelessly dark backwoods of the United States could convince none of his obvious diagnosis in his time or ours. As we are destined to hear misguided politically motivated speeches on "education problems" for the foreseeable future, this book will serve as perhaps the only necessary piece of weaponry we need as educated citizens to see where the system has gone wrong, and why we shall not produce a more intelligent being. Until we can accept the basic facts of the book, we will continue producing inferior product out of our education factories.
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Tags : The Theory of Education in the United States [Albert Jay Nock] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Official Mises Institute Edition It is hard to say what is most notable about this book published first in 1931: 1. Albert Jay Nock's incredible disquisition on the real meaning of education and its role in a free society. 2. That these lectures were given at a university as part of a prestigious Page-Barbour lecture series. 3. That they were delivered at a public ivy school: the University of Virginia. There is no way such a lecture series could appear on a campus of this sort today. For in these lectures,Albert Jay Nock,The Theory of Education in the United States,Ludwig von Mises Institute,1610160940,EDUCATION Philosophy & Social Aspects
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The Theory of Education in the United States Albert Jay Nock 9781610160940 Books Reviews
In my opinion, the major mistake that Nock made in this work was to misunderstand the reason that U.S. education had declined over the 30 year period before he wrote this book in the 1930s. This decline can be traced to the introduction of the Prussian mandatory education system in America in place of the previous locally controlled, one room schools which had worked so well to educate Americans in the past. Under the Prussian system only a small group of chosen ones would be truly educated to reason for themselves and think in terms of the big picture. This is the way the moneyed 'elites' have their children educated today. Everyone else would be trained to be workers or soldiers or specialists in this system, - trained to do what they were told in a very limited sphere. America had been a nation of farmers and small independent businessmen with an entrepreneurial spirit that helped advance the country rapidly. Such an independent people didnt fit into the corporate or imperial ambitions of certain wealthy and powerful interests who sponsored the new system of education in the country that would cement their dominant position. - - Nock's error was that he thought that Americans were stubbornly & mistakenly resisting the 'scientific' Prussian education system and trying to teach 'the dummies' who could never be educated. The poor results for most of the people were a designed intent of the new education system. It kept them 'in their place' so that they would never present a threat. There is no room here to go into this subject in depth, but I would suggest that anyone interested in this read the books and listen/watch interviews of JOHN TAYLOR GATTO to start. He is former NY city and NY state teacher of the year and explores these topics deeply. Gatto found little difference in kids capacity to learn no matter their circumstances as long as the teaching was approached in the proper manner. - - As to Nock, who I enjoy reading, it is difficult to rate this work. Nock did not have the perspective of those who have researched this topic in the many decades after this book was written.
This is so on the mark! He was ahead of his time.
Really enjoyable. You have to be prepared for his elitism though. Its part of the package with most of his work.
He claims that the only real education is Classics - latin, greek and ancient history. Contentious claim, but he’s such a joy to read that it didnt bother me.
He also poops from a great height on the idea of a “major in English,” english majors be warned.
Very few understand the true nature of the State (or any large institutions for that matter). Largely because it does not 'pay' to do so and are therfore not inclined. Mr Nock is obscure precisely because he writes for those very few that nature creates that are drawn to understand the nature of things. The introduction to the book is alone worth the effort of obtaining it. I have not seen Mr Nock's equal in articulating the forces of nature always at work. Truly profound---the concept of 'the Remnant'
This book is so good I literally read it in series---along with 'Superfluous Man'
I just noticed that this review is for 'the theory of education in the U.S.', not Our Enemy the State as I intended. But I'll let it stand. All of Mr Nock's books are fantastic.
Chapter 13 is priceless (in the edu book). It's actually the transcript of a speech he gave.
The education machine has been oiled and lubed, tended and tinkered, adjusted and tweaked. It remains a catastrophic failure, and all indication is that it has grown demonstrably more horrific since Nock gave this early warning.
The general theory of Nock's text is one which is so outlawed, so obscene, so "offensive," yet spoken with eloquence and such careful speech as to disarm gut rejections inherent today with any "-isms." However, why must -isms be immediately disbarred from societal discourse? In Theory of Education, we face the since roundly defeated specter of "elitism" - namely the notion that some are born with the right equipment, and others, despite rigging an entire system to favor their situation- will simply not become Educated. And it is because Elitism has been scrapped in favor of the sentimental, politically correct, and limited capacity Egalitarian theory (the State), that we have chosen "Training" over Education.
Just today as I write, a comprehensive twin study was released which should once and for all satisfy the debate between biology and intelligence. We must make the best of what we have, we are born with limits and predispositions. It is a fact, and only a MIS-educated citizen would cling so futilely to other explanations. Ironically, Nock would have a laugh that Science, which is not the Great Tradition itself, but a tool borne of it, has been unable to lift the mass into any sort of fulfillment of the Great Egalitarian Theory.
Nock, writing in the hopelessly dark backwoods of the United States could convince none of his obvious diagnosis in his time or ours. As we are destined to hear misguided politically motivated speeches on "education problems" for the foreseeable future, this book will serve as perhaps the only necessary piece of weaponry we need as educated citizens to see where the system has gone wrong, and why we shall not produce a more intelligent being. Until we can accept the basic facts of the book, we will continue producing inferior product out of our education factories.
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