Outside the Box

During an Interview, William Deresiewicz and Mark Edmundson have a conversation about universities. They blog and post video chats on blogheads.tv. In The Academic-industrial complex they discuss: “Is there still room for big questions in college” In the video chat these to take turns debating their opinions on the matter. They speak formally and prove their point over a video on their blog.

William gives Universities bad image in the opening part of the video. For example he states that universities are businesses and the “purpose of Yale College is to raise Yale alumni”. The University’s goal should be to educate and promote growth in students, not to raise alumni who will give money back to the school. With that mind set, students become objects of money and not brilliant minds of the future. They are only teaching students information that is directly related to their classes. This is a good idea, but they also need to incorporate “big questions” that lead further enlightenment.

Although it seems bad to think of students as investments, the University still puts effort into teaching students because they want students to be successful. If the students become successful, they donate money back into the university. The more alumni that are successful, the more donation money the university receives. There is a problem with this ideology, if they are teaching students what the need to be successful; they are raising leaders, and not thinkers. They do not propose the big questions in these universities to the students.

William uses the term “leaders” differently than a normal person would use it in everyday conversation. For instance, he explains them as people who “insert themselves in hierarchy… and rise to the top and keep the system going”. This sounds like an outstanding person in society, the one who is the best and keeps the system on track. In reality, these people may lead the system or business, but they are just followers who keep the system going. They are just tools for the university to craft and use however they like.

William classifies other people as “Thinkers”. Thinkers are people who are skeptical, ask questions, and stand outside the institution. These are the people who make break the norm, the people who make changes in society, and the people who should be called “Leaders”. Thinkers change society because they see things differently from outside society. They observe and make changes accordingly for the benefit of society. These thinkers are able to change society because they think about the “big questions”. They speak their opinion and stand up for what is right; protesters, lobbyists, and interest groups are examples of “thinkers”.

In the nineteenth century, universities were religious institutes. These institutes taught basic arithmetic and literature. They focused primarily upon religion, Christianity. They used the Bible and other religious documents from the Vatican in class. These classes posed “big questions”. These big questions were religious of course; most likely involving creation and stories in the New and Old Testament. They focused on the morals and messages delivered in the books. These institutions also focused on creating people with manners, gentlemen. These institutions are far different from the current institutions today.

The universities asked the students questions dealing with people’s beliefs, morals, and values. These “big questions” had no correct answer as long as they followed the Christian principles. These are not the only questions asked today. This is because Universities today have become more “secularized” and tolerant of other religions. The institutions respect others peoples’ beliefs and customs. Today the “big questions” involve “what is the good life” and “how does one improve society”. The good life involves; what a person must do to live a good life. Is the good life the American dream of “rags to riches”? Society is constantly running into problems. It is a Thinkers job to improve society and find solutions to its problems. This can be done by creating compromise, protesting, or even using force. These questions and problems are solved by the “Thinkers”. They study society and make changes to it, unlike leaders who just lead society in a circle.

Universities cannot give the answer to the “big question”; they can only lead one in the right direction. It is the job of the “Thinker” to think outside the box and create a solution for the problem. The reason students go to college because “students want a good education”. Students want a good education so they can be successful. This makes a symbiotic relationship between Leaders and social systems, and a parasitic relationship between Thinkers and the system. Leaders do as the system tells them to, while Thinkers always ask questions.
The “Big Question” is something that Universities do not ask anymore. Universities focus on teaching students what is on the curriculum, instead of promoting students to think outside the box.