Attempts at education sans practice of democracy risks indoctrination. More dangerous, gives impression that societies can exist sustainably without democracy or its equivalent given current global situation.
Democracy, as practiced among the Ancient Greeks, has always highlighted debates. Debates themselves among the Ancient Greeks have always highlighted reasoning.
Highlighting reasoning itself has led to strengthening of philosophy as a discipline. More importantly, its has led to the establishment of philosophy as some kind of status symbol even among members of the senate, later among patrician families at large.
Thanks to democracy, Ancient Greeks have come to accept that generals can be wrong. Kings can be wrong. Even priests can be wrong. As they have embraced the value of reasoning, they have come to accept that there are limits to reasoning.
By the time everyone has known it, the Ancient Greeks have come to invent Physics, they have given it its name. Same with Logic. Same with Ethics. They have come to invent Geometry, it is still a required subject among students today. They have come to measure the circumference of the Earth sans sophisticated equipment, they have missed the actual measurement only by some 1.75%. Ancient Greeks are still referred to as fathers of the discipline of History. Graduates of medicine are still required to take Hippocratic oath, affirming the role of Ancient Greeks in the field.
All told, the Ancient Greeks have left everyone an addiction to coherence. Thanks to Ancient Greeks, the civilized world abhors contradictions.
The Ancient Greeks greatly influenced the Western emphasis on coherence in thought. Their contributions to logic have shaped much of the modern world's discomfort with contradictions. (LLM rewording)
LIes and fallacies mix with facts, contradictions ensue. From a contradiction, one can imply any statement whatsoever. If Yao Ming is a dwarf, then I must be Darth Vader.
Attempts at education sans practice of democracy is one of those concerns now where the issue of coherence needs much attention.
I have been told to my face by the chairman of our school Board of Directors (BOD).
No need for debates after nominations to the board have been made. The board is not into democracy. Democracy does not apply to the practices of the BOD. Only votes per se involving shares of stocks matter. (As if saying it is not important if the decision to vote is an informed one or not.)
Educating the youth requires that the young understand the nature and limits of reasoning as the Ancient Greeks have understood it. This is the measure of “critical thinking.” Critical thinking itself is the foundation of strategic and systems thinking — tools themselves that are necessary to have as the young face existential threats never before faced by the preceding generations.
This is the age of smart phones, cryptocurrencies, and Large Language Models (LLMs). This is also the age of pandemics. No single individual today nor single community, nor single society is expected to face the challenges posed by these. This is the age of systems research, the age of teams of teams of teams of teams.
The young need to be taught the value of democracy and the value working together.
Merit ought to be the basis of membership on the board. Reasoning ought to be the basis of the decision who has more merit.
Corporations running schools cannot have room for incoherence as indicated by lack of practice of democracy among members of the board of directors of the corporation. The lack of room for debates involving rational deliberations cannot and must not be tolerated. There cannot be room for machinations as who is to be the next member of the board and who is not qualified to be the next member independent of rational deliberations.
This smacks of incoherence, smacks of bigotry. Rule for the board, another rule for everyone else.
Even LLMs insist on it.
ChatGPT-4o responds to a prompt.
Yes, it is generally necessary for Information Communication Technology (ICT) systems to be coherent and to function within frameworks that are as independent of contradictions as possible. This is important for several reasons:
1. Interoperability: Coherence ensures that different systems, applications, or components can work together without conflicts. If the systems are not logically coherent, interoperability issues can arise, leading to failures in communication or data exchange between different parts of the ICT infrastructure.
2. Reliability and Stability: ICT systems must behave predictably, and coherence is crucial for ensuring that the system behaves consistently under varying conditions. Contradictory or incoherent components can result in unpredictable behavior, system crashes, or data corruption.
3. Security: A coherent system minimizes vulnerabilities. Contradictions or incoherent processes within a system can create loopholes or security gaps that attackers may exploit. Clear and consistent logic throughout a system helps reduce such risks.
4. Maintenance and Upgradability: ICT systems that are coherent are easier to maintain and upgrade. When developers or system administrators work with a system built on clear, non-contradictory frameworks, they can more easily troubleshoot issues, apply patches, or introduce new features without breaking existing functionality.
5. User Experience: For end-users, a coherent system provides a smooth and logical experience, making it easier to navigate, understand, and use the system. Incoherent systems, on the other hand, can be confusing and frustrating for users, leading to reduced efficiency or adoption.
In summary, coherence in ICT systems is necessary to ensure compatibility, stability, security, and usability across the system. While it may not be possible to eliminate all contradictions, minimizing them ensures better overall system performance and resilience.”
There cannot be room for incoherence. There cannot be room for bigotry.
Even Shannon Entropy indicates that. But that is another story.
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