Thread

1. cs702 · 1790440778 · focus · HN ↗

   Isn't education the best antidote we have against misinformation, against ignorance, against hateful ideologies, against our least civilized impulses?

   Is it possible to have a civilization that works well, with institutions that work well, if the population is poorly educated?

   Sigh.

   1. maomao5 · 1790440898 · focus · HN ↗

      [dead]

   2. frogperson · 1790442155 · focus · HN ↗

      Many, many times through out history knowledge and education have been destroyed to prop up some group that want to rule.
   3. boelboel · 1790445819 · focus · HN ↗

      Better chance it's the reverse, civilized societies end up educating people.

      1. cs702 · 1790511014 · focus · HN ↗

         I think it's both, in a virtuous cycle:

         Educated people make societies more civilized, and they in turn invest to educate more people.

         Unless there's a catastrophe. In that case all bets are off.

         1. boelboel · 1790513412 · focus · HN ↗

            Yeah it's a bit of both but there's quite some societies which were educated and turned uncivilized or where you have an educated elite that's not really civilized/interested in civilising. Meanwhile pretty much all civilized populations end up educating people,I don't think I've seen a counter example.

            It's a lot easier to educate a decent portion of society than create a society that's civilized as a whole. And I think the latter is more important for keeping things running long term which is grim.

   4. cvwright · 1790449626 · focus · HN ↗

      The counterpoint to this is that early 20th century Germany was one of the most advanced, sophisticated, and educated countries in the world.

      In fact the genocide only stopped when a bunch of unsophisticated American (and Russian) farmboys rolled in.

      1. cs702 · 1790459082 · focus · HN ↗

         > was one of the most advanced, sophisticated, and educated countries in the world

         It was also an economic disaster. Surely that contributed.

         1. t0mpr1c3 · 1790461148 · focus · HN ↗

            WWI was the cataclysm that destroyed the global economy.

            (Its aftermath was a necessary transition, that happened to be disastrously mismanaged.)

            The current proponents of new "realism" who claim that regional empires will co-exist in peace would do well to study the causes of WWI.

   5. juanani · 1790535888 · focus · HN ↗

      [dead]

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.