In many ways life would be much simpler and the planet would be much better off if humans didn’t have the gift of choice. There’s the ancient proverb: “The frog does not drink up the pond in which it lives!” Only humans have the capability to destroy the ecology which supports them. Wouldn’t it be so much easier if this were not the case?
But that’s not the deal here for humans.
All other mammals on this earth exist within an inviolable integration. Does a dolphin have scruples? Does an elephant consider its existence? Perhaps. But they cannot choose to do ‘wrong’, not in the same way a human can.
Is this what makes us ‘human’? That humans are endowed with conscience, self-awareness and choice!
If so, if this is one of the distinctions that define our essential humanness, what then, is a natural education?
Is it “returning to nature”, going “back to earth” as some say, “natural living”, “getting off the cultural grid” …? Is it returning to ancient ways? Certainly, indigenous keepers of ancient wisdom do live nearer to integrated ways of life on this earth and do offer much to those who will listen with respect. But…
In the context of the 21st century when most of eight billion people live in urban habitats, and benefit by all the amenities of post-post-industrialization, different considerations are needed. There’s not enough ‘earth to go back to’.
The first principle in a “natural” human education has got to come from a deeper understanding of human life and the planet in which we live. For example, what makes us different from all the other mammals on this planet? Why do we have choice? What’s different about our brains? Why don’t we see elephants writing books, building cathedrals, doing poetry, bashing alpha particles around in cyclotrons, or flying space shuttles? By the same token, flip-side, why can’t an elephant pollute its habitat, ruin its health or go to war?
Some philosophers and theologians have argued that humans are “above” nature or “separate” from nature. But let’s take a step back from that. (Besides, I’m sorry, they’re idiots if they don’t think we are an integral part of the natural worlds! The ‘dominionist’ or ‘exceptionalist’ brand of thinking has a lot to answer for.)Taking a step back though, let’s find a starter, a premise that is useful and relevant in the context of NOW.
What are principles of natural education?
Humans are born with the urge to learn, to compare, to feel, to discover, to create………! How about we don’t shut that down in children for starters?!
Working with our innate intelligences, which are multiple and self -instructive, containing natural thresholds of elevation and progression.
Humans come into this world trusting their systems and faculties. But from early, early on, they learn otherwise. Infants can swim quite naturally!
Humans come equipped with the most extraordinary systems and faculties. Every single human being (with a few heart-breaking exceptions) is naturally capable of unique virtuosity. But we are trained by osmosis and example to use only a fraction of our potential!
Humans are an integrated part of the world! We are not isolated. We are plugged-in to humanity as a whole, hard-wired for community. What we think, do and feel affects other lives, affects our environment and affects our possibility. Humans are NOT meant to experience the loneliness and isolation that is endemic to 21st century living. We are designed to learn by living interaction and connection!
Learning is a living, dynamic process, where the ‘student’ and the ‘subject’ engage in an interactive, connective relationship. Learning actually cannot happen in a static environment. Studying static knowledge, in fact, “teaching to the test” is anathema to learning; it is operant conditioning… and why does anybody think that’s a good idea?!!
We are natural problem solvers! We may be good at breaking things, but we are also very good at fixing things too! It is what we bring to bear that is the challenge. Computer technology may look impressive when considering sheer volume and speed of information exchange. But compared to the versatility, elegance and finesse of the human mind and its untapped technologies, computers are microchip technologies that have developed for less than a century. Human neural-networks, nervous system, endocrine system and biological brain have been evolving within a superior creation intelligence for millions of years.
The mind can heal the body using the body’s natural ‘pharmacology’, but we’d rather surrender our health to medical practitioners who don’t actually practice “medicine” anymore. Medical training now focuses on ‘meds’ rather than medicine, disease treatment rather than preventative health education (which would put the pharmaceutical industry out of business!). Exceptions are Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine and some western alternatives.
Variety is the spirit of life! We know this! The planet certainly knows this. Think of the magnificent array and theater of life on earth. Children need to be exposed to and experience variety and diversity. Mono-culture produces narrow minded, mono-chromatic, monotonous thinkers. Human life is a kaleidoscopic symphony within a panoply of possibility!
We humans know better. We know that bio-diversity is the key to a healthy eco-sphere. We know that life thrives best in symbiotic reciprocity! We know that the best conservation is using something according to its design. We know when NOT to manipulate something to our own selfish ends. We know better! We really do.
Still, we have CHOICE.
In fact, choice is at the heart of natural education. But if our young companions do not realize what the natural range of choices are, we fail them as parents and educators. Our job in part, is to show what options exist, help to generate new options, new ways, and to create the conditions for young agile minds to connect to and create new options – based on natural, perennial principles and values such as – LOVE, HONOR, RESPECT, TRUST and HUMANITY.
For starters….
~paz
Quotes:
“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” ~Neil Postman, The Disappearance of Childhood (introduction), 1982
“We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.” -Kahlil Gibran
“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” ~unknown
“It is always your next move.” -Napoleon Hill
“There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept responsibility for changing them.” -Denis Waitley
“It’s choice–not chance-that determines your destiny”. -Jean Nidetch
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” ~Confucius
“The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” -Victor Frankl “The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.” -George Eliot
