The Value of Useless Education

Herbert Spencer, a prescient philosopher of the 1800s, posed the question, "What type of education is of most value?" Educators and parents alike still wrestle with that elusive question today. The goals of education tend to fluctuate with time. During the earlier part of the 20th century, society was dismayed by the public schools, due to their strong emphasis on classical education with little regard for the current needs of society, deeming it futile. This gave rise to the development of vocational education. Today, we see a reversal with the "back-to-basics" movement. Yet, Einstein, arguably one of the most brilliant persons who ever lived, believed that education is what remains after one has forgotten everything learned in school. He alleged that the only thing that interfered with his learning was his education, suggesting some level of futility to it. Thus, I often find myself pondering about the real value of education. The more I reflect, the more I realize how useless education can indeed be, and yet how valuable such useless education actually is.

Education is a process. In order for us to have it, we must learn a plethora of things. As we diligently learn new things, however, we must also be just as diligent in forgetting them. Otherwise, the result becomes pedantry and bookishness, not culture. The problem with pedants is not that they have learned too much, for no one among us is ever able to achieve that, but that they have not forgotten enough, as their learning remains too long in their minds, confusing and distorting succeeding impressions and insights about other disciplines, people, and even life itself. Hence, it allows only a conventional and biased account of things, rather than leaving their consciousness free to penetrate their reality. There is potential danger lurking beneath highly educated people insofar that they may not be able to retain new concepts as well as uneducated people, due to their learned biases.

Nietzsche once observed that in the drama of politics, professors have traditionally played the comic role. While this may be true, if we consider the way in which public affairs and politics have been managed for the past few decades, we quickly surmise that professors have no monopoly on pedantry. Ruefully, pedantry pervades business and economics, as it does with politics; by issuing policies, rules, and regulations, all based on sheer prestidigitation. The only upshot in politics is government ruled by a sleight-of-hand. It cannot be otherwise, as the essence of pedantry is selfish intent to satisfy oneself wholly within narrow confines.

True and useful education is anathema to this. It is never satisfied with conventionalism. Instead, it instinctively cuts through and gets as close possible to the real issues at hand, without bias. Its pedagogy exercises the consciousness in a free and disinterested play over any discipline presented to it, unchecked by any prepossession, and uncontrolled by any formula. This exercise is guaranteed to keep a learner busy for life! But as we learn, we must forget- no easy feat. We are only too accustomed to repeat what others have said, to quote, as I do here, what others have said.

Useful education gains value by being remembered; loses it by being forgotten, and it is most valued by being best remembered. Conversely, useless education gains value only as it is forgotten. The prevalence of pedantry persists due to the common error of thinking that, because useful knowledge should be remembered, any knowledge that is worth learning should also be remembered. Students are encouraged to memorize lessons, quickly forgetting everything. This is not a travesty per se, as what they consistently learned may well have been useless.

Higher education institutions should be careful not to perpetuate the business of useless knowledge, losing its soul in the process, as Schrecker argues in her book, The Lost Soul of Higher Education. Paradoxically, the role of such institutions in disseminating useless education is noble and indispensable, as society at present cannot exist without it. Since education must be forgotten to avoid pedantry, our culture can be defined as the residue of a large amount of useless education that has been truly forgotten.

Despite the $420 billion spent annually on higher education, its primary mission seems to be out of sight: real education of our people. There is a prevalence of a self-indulged system insisting on disseminating useless education, making our country less competitive, lacking ethics, and losing moral values. Unless these institutions take heed and undergo a complete overhaul, Bloom’s warnings of the closing of the American mind may continue. Parents will increasingly wonder about the worthiness of the tuitions they pay, and students will think they are merely an afterthought to professors and administrators. Citizens will continue to wonder if the country has what it takes to foster innovation and compete in an ever challenging global economy. Worse, the value of useless education may inexorably continue to rise.