Introduction: The human mind is the ultimate power that he
possesses, it has the ability to construct and it has the ability to destroy.
It can shine the way to victory and it can pave the road to defeat. This human
power needs orientation and nutrition so that it always produces positive
outcomes for the human himself and for his society and this can be done through
the right kind of education.
1. Evolution of the
human society: In prehistoric times, humans lived a
life that completely differed from their lives later on after history had been
recorded.
The ancient man lived a life that
was difficult and tough and full of troubles and obstacles especially because
he lead individual life styles where the individual depended only on himself
and on himself only. He satisfied his vital needs of food and shelter and this
way, he existed on this earth and his individual personality emerged and he
survived.
Years later, the ancient man
started to realize the dangers of his solitary life and its threat on his
existence especially with the increase of the challenges concerning finding
food and protection from wild animals as well as harsh climatic and geological
conditions. It was then that the ancient man started to think of a way to make
his life better and easier and the fruit of his thought was that human
communion can be one of the best means of survival. And the first human society
was established. And while the emergence of the individual personality was a
great event, the emergence of the group personality was the greatest and most
fruitful event in the evolution of mankind.
As time passed, man started having
more awareness of his group identity the way he had already had awareness of
his individual identity and the two identities started becoming more and more
complementary as man became aware, not only of his own needs, but of the needs
of the group and the society he belonged to and the development of the social
consciousness was under way and this was perhaps one of the greatest
achievements in the human history.
Throughout this whole process, man
was shifting from the control of his instinct in order to satisfy his survival
needs to the control of his mind that was taking him way beyond the
satisfaction of his physical necessities, into a world that was more brightly
colored and full of light, a world governed by the human mind.
This was one, but very gigantic
step, towards life, rather than existence, a social, group life where the value
of the individual greatly depended on the role that he would play for the sake
of his society. A life, where the general holistic interest was much more
important that the specific atomistic one.
Life went on and the human society
was changing and metamorphosing according to the current circumstances and
conditions, and during certain periods of time, certain people played important
roles in this evolution of the human society; sometimes those people were
philosophers, other times they were messengers from God, or prophets and at
other times they were teachers or educators.
2. The Woes of the
Society:
It was not long after the birth of
the human society that it was invaded by a variety of pathogens that threatened
its existence in more than one instance.
a. Individualism and social
disintegration: two of the most devastating enemies of
any society. When the interests of the individual become more important to him
than the interests of the whole society, then this individual may be ready to
sacrifice his whole society for the sake of his own interest. And when each individual
of the society believed that alone can form his own society regardless of the
existence of any other member and when he feels that other individuals of the
society who are somehow different from him are his rivals then the society is
exposed to disintegration, destruction and collapse.
b. Ethical deterioration. Ethics
are very important basis of every society, they control the behaviors of the
members of this society directing them towards virtue that brings the society
prosperity and development and away from vice which can carry the society into
dark and never ending dungeons. So ethical deterioration has the ability to
undermine the basis of a society leading it to a very awful end.
c. Sectarianism
was and still is one of the gravest dangers on a society. Religion has more
than one role to play, in addition to introducing humans to God, the one and
only and the creator of this whole world, it is supposed to guide humans to the
route of righteousness and away from erroneousness. Religion, when well
understood, has a very constructive role to play in the society. But, the
misunderstanding of religion and the diversion of its constructive role and
focus on certain differences between one sect and another would turn it into a
very deadly tool that can spread destruction and woe all around the society.
d. The Economy.
Strong societies are rich societies. When a society has wealth, then it is
strong and self dependent and as a result it is sheltered from the control of
other societies that are wealthy but gluttonous and dream of gaining control of
and possession of the wealth of others. So a strong society is one that eats
what it plants and wears what it weaves and is completely autonomous. But when
a society is economically poor, it needs the assistance and support of other
societies which are surely not charitable institutions but which can make use
of the current condition of the weak society to impose their conditions or
thoughts or demands upon it,
e. Military Invasions.
A lot of countries may wish to have what other countries possess, and they may
have no way to gain control over it except through the use of military force
and invasions. Strong societies are societies that can protect themselves
against any military aggression from any invading country. This strength is the
strength of arms and the strength of minds. This strength is the result of a
strong belief that every particle of soil of the land deserves the protection
and sacrifice of the people of that land. This strength needs knowledge and it
also needs wealth in order to be accomplished.
3. The Role of
Education.
How can a society avoid the woes
and dangers that might threaten its existence? How can a society gain power and
strength that would enable it to survive in a world full of injustice?
How can a society transform its
points of weakness into points of might?
A society that is far sighted and
which has the insight and the ability to look into the future and expect its
hardships as well as its blessings must put at the top of its priorities
education and its educational system. When a society realizes that the society
is knowledge and knowledge is strength, it knows how to gain the strength that
it needs.
The educational system must satisfy
the following needs of the society:
a. Wise individuals.
Wisdom is the person's ability to use his intellectual potentials in order to
understand what is going around him, to analyze the problems targeting him and
his society and find suitable solutions for these problems. Promoting critical
thinking through education, creates wise individuals who are capable of acting
in a very responsible way and taking crucial decisions that are for the sake of
their society.
b. Education the enemy of
individualism and social disintegration. When the educational
system promotes social life at the micro level, that is at the school, then it
is preparing the students to become social beings who place the social
interests at the top of their priorities. Such students, who are well
socialized, cannot be easily disintegrated from other members of the society
who are different from them in one way or another, thus they are the stable and
rigid bases of a strong society.
c. Education and ethics: When
education considers ethics as the bedrock of the society, it would consider
building up a person ethically and morally as a very sacred and significant
task. If any person's intellectual power does not combine with the right ethics
then this power will surely serve the opposite of its assigned purpose and it
will become destructive to the individual himself and to the whole society.
d .Education and Anti-sectarianism:
God
is one and he has blessed names, like The Just, The wise, The Generous, The
Forgiver and many other names. And if God himself has all of these good
qualities doesn't he want his creatures, especially humans to have these
qualities too? How can a person hate another in the name of God and how can a
person mistreat another in the name of God. A person who has a working mind and
really thinks of religion and the aim of religion and understands religion can
never be a sectarian. And as education is supposed to promote the mental power
and thinking of a person then an educated person can never be a sectarian thus,
education plays a very important role against sectarianism.
e. Education and Economy: Economics
is a branch of sciences; it is a very important branch of sciences which can be
studied at schools and universities. When students learn the basics of
economics, they learn that the expenses of a society must not exceed its income
and so, planning the social economy in general and income and expenses in
particular is very essential for making the society economically strong.
Another important factor is finding ways to increase the social income and thus
make the society more and more economically strong and powerful and as a result
independent and autonomous.
F .Education and Military Might: can
a person who is ignorant of sciences invent, create and use weapons? Can a
person who is ignorant make strategies of defense and plans of war? Can a
person who is ignorant negotiate his rights and his society's rights? Education
can make a person, as well as his society, mighty and strong by providing him
with the means that he would use to gain power and strength so that he can
confront invaders and overcome attackers. Through education, too, a person may
learn the values of things, like dignity, honour, he may also learn things like
sacrifice and benevolence. Knowledge can surely make a person and his society
mighty and strong and capable of achieving victories and triumphs.
Conclusion: Education
has a very important and significant role to play in every society. When there
are thoughts, values and virtues to be preserved and maintained, they have to
be preserved and maintained through education. But when there are rotten
thoughts and harmful beliefs that should be eradicated from the society, they
should be eradicated through education.
Education is a very efficient tool
that is used to make the society better, more prosperous and advanced. The role
of education in a society is more than one can imagine.
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