education for morality or logical reasoning foundation
Some people believe that teaching morality should be the foundation of education. Others believe that teaching a foundation of logical reasoning would do more to produce a moral society.
Education is imperative to create a well-rounded individual capable of formulating his or her own ideas. It provdies a person with the tools to succeed in life. Hence, it is important that the foundation of education promulgate ideas necessary for a happy and successful life. While both logical reasoning and morals are indispensable factors for establishing a foundation for education, I believe that education without the abilitiy to reason logically is redundant and that morals naturally follow with the ability to reason logically.
Education in the twenty-first century has been more focused on facts and figures rather than understanding the meaning behind those facts and figures. This will lead to a society where individuals are not innovative, and follow whatever instructions that are handed over to them. In this era, individuals who are creative are the ones who will move forward, as innovative solutions are required to solve the modern problems plaguing humanity such as climate change, poverty, inequality, economic recession and so on. If the youth of today is not taught with a foundation of logical reasoning, they will just be re-learning the past and not be able to move into the future. For instance, learning about the nuclear disasters of the past such as the Chernobyl disaster is definitely eye-opening, but if students are not taught how to dissect what went wrong or what to avoid in the future, the knowledge will be useless.
It is not to say that moral values are any less important than logical reasoning. But it is quite natural for moral values to follow with logical reasoning. Logical reasoning is a method whereby every decision, every step, is taken by thinking about a problem logically and rationally. Suppose, if a person is thinking about earning more money, they will think of logical means such as working extra hours, or opening a side business, not about robbing a bank to get rich because they know that the consequences of doing so are not beneficial. Moreover, morality comes from many sources such as teachers, parents, friends, extended family and the general environment. Morality is already embedded in the foundation of logical reasoning. Hence, to prioritize morality over logical reasoning would be redundant and would deprive students of the chance of learning to reason.
Hence, teaching a foundation of logical reasoning would do more to produce a moral society by providing the students the tools to distinguish between right and wrong. A more logical society would come up with better solutions for the problems plaguing the mankind, naturally leading to a society that is more moral.
