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A Christian Response to Liberal Arguments

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A Christian Response to Liberal Arguments IS WORLD VIEW NEUTRAL EDUCATION POSSIBLE AND DESIRABLE? AChristian response to liberal arguments Thesis submitted for the degree of PhD Institute of Education University of London 1998 ABSTRACT The main object of this thesis is to find out why it so often is assumed that education can and should be neutral between world views, and to argue against this. It is also discussed what the world view basis of the common school should be when neutrality is impossible. The idea of a common school that inculcates common values without taking a stand between different religions and secular world views, is central in today's idea of liberal education. It is argued here that however thin the common basis for the school is, certain world view presuppositions will always be conveyed, at least implicitly. It is easier to see the world view presuppositions in one account of education if it is contrasted with another. An account is given of Christian education, emphasizing its view of reality and human nature, the meaning of life and the corresponding purpose of education. Contrasted with this, an analysis of J. White's and K. Strike's accounts of education based on common values only, shows that they both convey world view presuppositions that are incompatible with a Christian view and therefore not neutral. The argument of incompatibility is strengthened by a discussion of T. H. McLaughlin's three different accounts of common, world view neutral education, Catholic education, and liberal religious education. Several kinds of argument for the possibility and desirability of world view neutral education are analysed, and it is claimed that none of them is valid. Some imply a shallow understanding of religion, others a biased view of education. It is argued that liberal education in many ways is more likely to indoctrinate than Christian education IS. Finally, it is argued that it is desirable to have Christian education in state schools, and the degree to which this is possible is discussed. CONTENTS ABSTRACT 2 PREFACE 6 Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 8 1.1 Background for choice of topic 8 1.1.1 Puzzlement over assumptions that education can be neutral between world views 8 1.1.2 The situation in Norway 9 1.1.3 The situation in England 10 1.2 Purposes for working on this topic 12 1.2.1 Reasons for belief in neutrality 12 1.2.2 Alternatives to a neutral school 13 1.3 Some concepts 14 1.3.1 World view 14 1.3.2 Upbringing 16 1.4 Education in Norway, past and present 18 1.5 Outline of argument 20 1.5.1 My perspective 20 1.5.2 Outline 21 Chapter 2 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION AND ITS PURPOSE 23 2.1 Aspects of a Lutheran world view 24 2.1.1 View of reality 24 2.1.2 View of human nature 27 2.1.3 Meaning of life and the aim of education 29 2.2 The model of the two governments 31 2.2.1 The secular government 34 2.2.2 The spiritual government 43 2.2.3 Autonomy 49 2.2.4 A Lutheran school 54 2.3 Other views of Christian education 55 Chapter 3 LIBERAL, NO-STANDPOINT EDUCATION 61 3.1 Liberal education and pluralism 62 3.2 Liberal as quality, basis, or alternative 66 3.3 John White's view of education for all 69 3.3.1 Purpose of education and the good life 70 3.3.2 World view presuppositions 76 3 3.4 Kenneth Strike's view of liberal education 89 Chapter 4 ARGUMENTS FOR NO-STANDPOINT EDUCATION 99 4.1 Presuppositions about religion in arguments for religiously neutral education 100 4.1.1 Religion is only or primarily a set of beliefs 100 4.1.2 Religion is only or primarily a set of practices 102 4.1.3 Religion is about spirituality 103 4.1.4 Religion is an optional extra 105 4.1.5 Religion is a separate realm 108 4.2 Presuppositions implicit in arguments for world view neutral education 110 4.2.1 There is enough common ground in public values 110 4.2.2 We can teach about world views without promoting a particular one 111 4.2.3 Each child has got a basic understanding from home 114 4.2.4 It is possible to neutralize the school's world view influence so that the choice is left with the pupils. 115 4.3 Arguments for world view neutral education being desirable 119 4.3.1 In a pluralistic society, it is not the school's task to transmit one particular world view 119 4.3.2 The school's task is to go beyond their home background 121 4.3.3 We do not know which view is true 123 4.3.4 There is no universal truth 126 4.3.5 To present one view as true deprives the pupils of the possibility of making a rational autonomous choice 129 4.4 Arguments for secular education being better for autonomy 134 4.4.1 Religions are full of detailed beliefs 134 4.4.2 Religions claim to be true 136 4.4.3 Religious practices create habits it is difficult to get out of 139 4.4.4 Religion imposes faith and worship, which are not only unnecessary, but also irrational 140 4.4.5 If God is the ruler and master, people cannot be autonomous 141 4.4.6 Faith is so important to religious people that they will use all means to make the pupils believers 143 4.4.7 The influence in religiously based education will be very one-sided 144 4.4.8 Separate schools may not nourish a suitable civic culture 145 Chapter 5 LIBERAL CHRISTIAN EDUCATION? 149 5.1 T. H. McLaughlin's view of liberal religious education 150 5.1.1 Common values education 150 5.1.2 Catholic education 158 5.1.3 Liberal religious education 164 5.1.4 Are 'common' and 'separate' useful labels ? 171 4 Chapter 6 THE PLACE OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE NON-NEUTRAL STATE SCHOOL 174 6.1 Deciding the basis of state education 175 6.1.1 Parents' rights and responsibility 175 6.1.2 Arguments for Christian education in the state school 177 6.2 Christian education in the state school 183 6.2.1 Ethical values 186 6.2.2 Service as the meaning of life 189 6.2.3 The curriculum 192 6.2.4 View of human nature 194 6.2.5 Teaching of Christianity 196 6.2.6 God-centred education 198 6.3 Christian education in a secular state school? 201 6.4 Negative consequences of labelling common education 'Christian' 204 6.5 Conclusion 207 NOTES 210 BIBLIOGRAPHY 219 5 PREFACE When I started working on my PhD four years ago, the aim was to find out what Norwegian teachers were thinking about the state school's Christian basis. What could it mean that the common school should give 'a Christian and moral upbringing' and that it was based on 'Christian and humanistic values'? The plan was to interview some teachers about these central, political statements: what they mean, what they should mean in a more or less secular and pluralistic society, how the teachers themselves put them into practice, and what problems they saw. After four test interviews I gave up. I found out that the teachers did not have a very refined language for talking about these things. After a while I also realized that I myself did not know enough to give any fruitful input. The interviews led nowhere. It was necessary to turn to more theory. As I worked to find out the differences between Christian education and secular education, the focus changed, as this work will show. However, the last chapter is about the possibility of having Christian education in state schools and the problems this might cause, particularly for non-Christian teachers. And one day, only weeks before the completion, I found myself asking a teacher for an interview about the Christian basis for the state school: what it means, what it should mean, how he himself and his colleagues put it into practice, and what problems he saw. It was satisfying to realize that these years of reading and thinking made a difference to the interview. I was able to dig deeper, to see the crucial points, to give some fruitful input. The next step may be to follow up with more interviews, to get some empirical knowledge about how teachers think in this area, including reflections about world view neutrality. Many colleagues and friends have given help and encouragement during the process. First of all, my supervisor Graham Haydon deserves thanks for discussions and advice, both on the overall argument and on details, including gentle warnings when needed. 6 Others have read and commented on parts of drafts at different stages. I am grateful to Arve Brunvoll, Trevor Cooling, Terence H. McLaughlin, Shirley Pendlebury, Svein Rise, Jorun Sandsmark, John Shortt, Paul Standish, and John White. I have also gained much from discussions of papers that in some form are included in this work, and I am thankful to the participants at seminars at the then Department (now School) of Education University of Cambridge, Institute of Education University of London, branch meetings of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain in Cambridge, Birmingham and Gregynog, and at the 1996 conference about church schools in Durham. My college in Norway, Norsk Lrererakademi (Norwegian Teacher Academy), has given me research leave twice, and in the same periods I was a Visiting Scholar at the Department of Education University of Cambridge.
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