The God of the Machine - Tranche 46
Chapter XXI, Excerpt 1 of 2
Our Japanized Educational System
For over a thousand years, the Japanese have been taught the purest form of altruism, in the communal cult. Forty years ago, Lafcadio Hearn described the educational principles and methods of Japan, “No man’s time or effort can be considered his own. His right to live rests solely upon his willingness to serve the community. The individual was completely sacrificed to the community. Every member must carefully watch the conduct of his fellow members.”
The philosophy with which pupils are indoctrinated is that of ‘instrumentalism’, which denies that there can be any universal moral values or standards. The result is “the sinister absence of moral freedom – the right to act according to one’s own convictions.” Indeed, there can be no concept of justice if the sole authority is that of the collective. Neither evidence nor logic penetrates the fog in which they have been reared. When detached from the group, they will say, “Well, I just don’t think so.”
As far as it can be done, instead of persons, they have been reduced to neural processes in a collective body. Another method does not mark examination papers for their accuracy; grades indicate that the child has done well in relation to his capacities. That is, the teacher assumes divine omniscience. The negligent child is advantaged, and conscientious child deprived an earned benefit. The purpose is not to learn things which are true nor to develop independence, but to conform to arbitrary authority.
Our Japanized Educational System
For over a thousand years, the Japanese have been taught the purest form of altruism, in the communal cult. Forty years ago, Lafcadio Hearn described the educational principles and methods of Japan, “No man’s time or effort can be considered his own. His right to live rests solely upon his willingness to serve the community. The individual was completely sacrificed to the community. Every member must carefully watch the conduct of his fellow members.”
The philosophy with which pupils are indoctrinated is that of ‘instrumentalism’, which denies that there can be any universal moral values or standards. The result is “the sinister absence of moral freedom – the right to act according to one’s own convictions.” Indeed, there can be no concept of justice if the sole authority is that of the collective. Neither evidence nor logic penetrates the fog in which they have been reared. When detached from the group, they will say, “Well, I just don’t think so.”
As far as it can be done, instead of persons, they have been reduced to neural processes in a collective body. Another method does not mark examination papers for their accuracy; grades indicate that the child has done well in relation to his capacities. That is, the teacher assumes divine omniscience. The negligent child is advantaged, and conscientious child deprived an earned benefit. The purpose is not to learn things which are true nor to develop independence, but to conform to arbitrary authority.
The term "Japanized" confused me at first, but when I realized that what she described was actually collectivism, it all made sense.
Also enlightening was the discussion of how "losing face" (although I don't think she used that term) is so important in Japanese culture. I never before had connected the dots between collectivism and their view of how devastating "losing face" can be.
The problem with trying to be a philosopher lies not in the contemplation of the easy either/or questions such as “Is murder for profit right or wrong?” It is always wrong! The problem lies instead where a murder is committed and the causes and intents are not so clear. For these, tomes of law books and many courts and systems of justice have been created to establish the truth. I’d always assumed that everyone would want to follow a concept attributed to Aristotle viz. “I want what I write to be the truth not because I, Aristotle, wrote it, but rather because it could not be otherwise.” So, is Individualism always good and Collectivism always bad?
Japan’s collectivist educational system served them badly in WW II. Their equipment was inferior when compared to that of America owing to the lacking of Individual initiative. The fanatical devotion to their Emperor Hirohito by its Military and troops led them to early victories against soft targets only to receive their comeuppance when faced with Individualism and a mostly Capitalistic economy.
When I competed against them in the 1980s in the semiconductor manufacturing arena, their collective acceptance of Statistical Process Controls as advocated by D W Deming led them to become the high quality – low-cost producers and the most prosperous. Yes, their lack of respect for the intellectual property of others helped them also.
Can Individualism and Collectivism always be separated into good and bad?
Will enough of us have the courage to tip the steamroller over before it has done its job globally?