- #1
avant-garde
- 196
- 0
Are you for or against (certain forms of) indoctrination?
Can indoctrination be used in a constructive manner?
The philosophy of individualism fully blossomed in the second half of the 20th century. One of the many pro's of individualism was the freedom to choose the "right" value systems for oneself. However, the advent of moral diversity (coupled with geographic mobility) clearly had its social consequences, one of them being much greater loneliness. This was never a problem until religious bonds came under attack as well.
Nowadays, it's much harder for me to connect to people in general, much less my own neighbor (if you can, that's wonderful). There are just too many different value systems floating around, and thus it's difficult to forge quality social bonds. It seems that society is more about quantity these days over quality. Even in the realm of value systems. The more value systems you have in your society, the better (yeah, right). And also, it seems that many young adults these days haven't been taught any kind of values at all, other than the consumption of goods and sex. Commitment, the core of creating vibrant social communities, has already become a value of the past.
Should the government take a role in indoctrinating a standard, non-religious value system in order to create a more integrated society? Although there are many pro's to individualism, it seems that (assuming the sampling procedures were effective), people are generally less satisfied and less trustful of others than they once used to be. So a utilitarian would possibly claim that less choices is actually better for our well-being. Perhaps an indoctrinated (and educated) democracy would be the next step to harmony.
What does the PF community think about this issue?
Can indoctrination be used in a constructive manner?
The philosophy of individualism fully blossomed in the second half of the 20th century. One of the many pro's of individualism was the freedom to choose the "right" value systems for oneself. However, the advent of moral diversity (coupled with geographic mobility) clearly had its social consequences, one of them being much greater loneliness. This was never a problem until religious bonds came under attack as well.
Nowadays, it's much harder for me to connect to people in general, much less my own neighbor (if you can, that's wonderful). There are just too many different value systems floating around, and thus it's difficult to forge quality social bonds. It seems that society is more about quantity these days over quality. Even in the realm of value systems. The more value systems you have in your society, the better (yeah, right). And also, it seems that many young adults these days haven't been taught any kind of values at all, other than the consumption of goods and sex. Commitment, the core of creating vibrant social communities, has already become a value of the past.
Should the government take a role in indoctrinating a standard, non-religious value system in order to create a more integrated society? Although there are many pro's to individualism, it seems that (assuming the sampling procedures were effective), people are generally less satisfied and less trustful of others than they once used to be. So a utilitarian would possibly claim that less choices is actually better for our well-being. Perhaps an indoctrinated (and educated) democracy would be the next step to harmony.
What does the PF community think about this issue?
Last edited: