Objectifying perception

Yesterday, one of my students asked me in class if I thought our democracy was doomed to failure because every other democracy has failed; he wanted to know what I thought would cause that, if anything. After attempting to frame an appropriate response for a moment, I finally told the student that I had very strong opinions on this subject and that I didn't want to unduly influence them, nor did I want to scare them into thinking they could not be intellectually honest in their papers or class because their views were opposed to mine. I try as best as I can to keep my political beliefs out of class for those reasons, but it is impossible to do it completely. Teaching something like philosophy is subjective in nature and it would be impossible to teach without an agenda as a human being. All of that stated, I do have to wonder how far is too far in these things. If I remain totally devoid of personality and only relate the philosophy in the most mundane way I would not be teaching; that would be simple recitation and the students can get that from a book on CD. However, if I were to tell the students that my opinions and ideas are right above all others, that would be an attempt at indoctrination. It would only be an attempt because my students are smarter than a person who would be easily led down a path of unthinking acceptance. In teaching something as subjective as philosophy, where is the balance?

I use the example of disability in many classes to illustrate ideas and realities and to educate my students in a way that is both foreign to them and relevant. I didn't do that before I became disabled, though. I've heard that another professor spent an entire semester mostly talking about his bankruptcy and misery, relating it to the material. I'm sure other professors use their pet ideas and issues in their classes. We can't divest ourselves of our particular experiences and opinions when we teach, but I think there is a bold necessity to make sure the opinions do not become more important than the material. While I would love to be able to turn out nearly 200 students who leave my class willing and able to vote for Barack Obama by November and who will support stem cell research and support equal access for all through the renewal of the ADA, I know that such a thing is both impossible and wrong. To make my own beliefs, the very specific manifestations of my moral foundation, the priority over the broader educational purposes of the class would be missing the point entirely. It is far more important that I give the students the ability to decide for themselves and to understand and choose the foundational morality behind the particulars in life. I must, to put it plainly, teach them to think for themselves. How could I do such a thing if I am attempting to make them think like me?

I had several professors who missed the point. Actually, I've spoken to colleagues who miss the point. When our agenda becomes more important than the class subject, or when our pass/fail rate becomes the focus of our attention we have lost the ability to educate. It will never be true that my stance on abortion is as important to my students' education as their understanding of the logic behind the issue of abortion. I can't tell them what to believe but it is incumbent upon me to teach them how to get to reasoned opinion. It is for this reason that I do my best to not tell them anything about my beliefs, other than what they will learn from the discussions. I always argue from the point of view of the philosopher we read for that class and I think I've been fairly successful at keeping many of my beliefs hidden. I don't think it would be possible to keep it from them utterly and I think they generally know I am liberal, but they also know that I can argue effectively for either side. I imagine that would be enough to cause doubt. I finally do not see the point in teaching a class about me; that is what a class would become if we fail to struggle against our agenda every time we walk into a classroom.

Every semester my students beg and plead with me to tell them my opinions on particular issues. Every semester I tell them that I will answer any questions they pose on the last day of class. They always respond with glee and say they can't wait for that, even bringing it up throughout the semester. Here's the funny part: I have yet to have a student take me up on that offer. They never indicate a disillusionment with me or a lack of interest, but they come to the realization that it does not matter and that they know my ethical foundation well enough to know that my opinions about politics or social issues are dependent and secondary to the reasons behind them. They just get it.* And the funniest part of all? I can't take credit for a single one of them getting it; they learned it themselves by taking responsibility for their education and their lives.**

The fact that my students become responsible for their own education isn't unusual or even remarkable. It is necessary. I've always hated the expression "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." I've always hated it, that is, until I became a teacher. It's not that teachers can't do the thing they are teaching (that would be ridiculous), but it should be that teachers understand that doing and teaching are two separate things.*** The truth is, in doing we put the emphasis on ourselves, and in teaching we allow the emphasis to be on the student. I do get an equal amount of edification and benefit from teaching, but the benefit I receive is separate from the purpose of teaching. My benefit comes from the satisfaction I personally feel; the job remains the job whether I get that satisfaction or not.**** My benefit is also solely dependent on the edification of the students. What I mean is, the benefit I get cannot exist if the benefit does not exist first for the students; it is created by their edification but is not necessary to their edification.

I hope teaching becomes the art and honor it once was. I hope we get away from the idea of teaching as a part of something else rather than teaching for its own sake. I know it's a pipe dream and one that would require the complete overhaul of academia, but it is one I hope we realize someday. We will be better people for it.

*I am powerfully and willfully holding myself back from gushing about my darlings. You know I want to and am thinking it.

**It's killing me! I want to gush.

***Not that we don't teach by example, of course.

****It is also true that if we are not perceiving benefit from our work then we should probably not continue in that work. But that is another topic entirely.


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