Log on:
Powered by Elgg

David Truss :: Blog :: Archives

March 2006

March 29, 2006

Stafford Beer coined the term Cybernetics.
He was a brilliant man who, among other things, wrote a novel about a very wise but forgetful wizard. This exerpt tells you what he thinks of our education system. The title alone- refereing to the Education Minister- should give you a hint of what is to come. 

Excerpt from:  Chronicles of Wizard Prang by Stafford Beer                 Chapter Two: A Pompous Man
      The pompous man lowered himself into the visitor's armchair.            "I have the honour to be the Chairman of the Education Committee in our little town," he said. "As you know, education is the hope for mankind."        Wizard Prang raised an eyebrow, but waited politely for his visitor to continue.                                            "It has come to my attention," the pompous man said, "that you are the possessor of some very advanced knowledge. Our Committee has therefore passed a resolution Inviting you to give the School Prizes away on Speech Day this year and to give us a little address telling us all about it."                …The wizard cleared his throat.                                "In a hundred years or so, everyone now alive in the whole earth will be dead - is this not so?"                                        The pompous man was relieved. He could follow that. He nodded sagely.        "It would therefore be possible for the human race to run its affairs quite differently, in a wise and benevolent fashion, in a relatively short time."        This way of looking at things appealed to the Chairman of the Education Committee. It had an optimistic ring, so different from the doom-laden pronouncements of most so-called clever people.                    He leaned forward. "And so?" he asked encouragingly.                "The purpose of education," said Wizard Prang, "is to make sure this doesn't happen."                                            The pompous man was thunderstruck.                            "Look here, Sir," he said, "please remember who I am. Not only do I have civic responsibilities - I am also a Pompous Man. You can't say things like that, you know."                                                The wizard was under the Impression that he just had said it, and looked around anxiously to see If anything was wrong. But things looked much as usual.    "Young people today are lazy and good-for-nothing," declared the pompous man. He resounded. He was on familiar ground. "They sit around listening to pop music and taking drugs. What they have to do is learn more things, apply themselves."                                        "No, that's not correct," the wizard explained, "they have to unlearn things."                                            "How can that possibly be?" The pompous man was lost.            "Well," said Wizard Prang, "we can teach only what we know. Now what we know is how to devastate the planet, kill its inhabitants, and starve two thirds of the rest. Seems a bit silly to teach people to do all that."            "Ridiculous!" shouted the pompous man. "That is not the intention at all, and you know it."                                        The wizard looked reflective. "The purpose of a system is what it does."

Posted by David Truss | 0 comment(s)