some news that we can use,” was their cry. For the Sophists, the person who made the most persuasive argument won the debate, no matter if the argument was true or not, much like the "clickbait" culture we see today, where truth is often determined by popularity polls. It was into this environment that Socrates stepped; and he said that if the ideas of Sophism won out, then civilization would be destroyed. He reasoned that if there is no ultimate truth, then ethics, the means by which people determine what is good and evil, would be lost. And if ethics were lost, then civilization would resort to barbarianism. Fast forward from the sixth century to the year I graduated high school—1987 (although my students think I was alive during the 6th century). During that year, a book was published that hit like a bombshell on the world of higher education. The book was titled, The Closing of the American Mind, written by professor Allan Bloom. In it, professor Bloom made an astonishing observation; he noted that 95% of all freshmen entering college were committed to the worldview of Relativism—which is a Sophist belief there is no absolute truth. Bloom noted that these ideas were now held by the majority of his students. He went on to say that this type of thinking, rather than being challenged, was reinforced in high schools and colleges around the county. Sometimes, as parents, we assume that a “The end then of learning is to repair the ruins of our first Parents by regaining to know God aright, and out of that knowledge to love him, to imitate him, to be like him […]” —John Milton, Of Education school system, to which we give our children, is the same school system we attended when we were children, teaching the same values and beliefs we hold. However, this is not the case today. The secular thought in 2023, when it comes to education and its curricula, is that not only is there no absolute truth to guide us, but also that education is neutral when it comes to its pedagogical practices. The problem with this thinking, however, is that no educational institution is neutral, because no person is neutral. Every educational system has a worldview—a system or way of seeing the world, by which it attempts to answer critical questions. Therefore, every educational system or program is working to produce some kind of student based on that institution’s beliefs about the world, about humanity, and yes, about God. To illustrate this, the late theologian R.C. Sproul told a story of when he and his wife enrolled their first-grade daughter, in the 1960s, into a highly acclaimed and “progressive” school in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. After a few weeks of classes, and wanting to know what the school was teaching their daughter, he attended an open house event. During that evening, the principal of this school informed the parents of their new approach to education. Recalling that night, Dr. Sproul writes, The principal reviewed a typical daily schedule. He was both winsome and articulate. “If your children come home and tell you that they do jigsaw puzzles in class, don’t be alarmed,” he said. “They are not just ‘playing.’ From 9:00 to 9:17 AM, they assemble these puzzles, which have been designed by pediatric neurosurgeons to develop the motor muscles of the fingers on the left hand.” Then he went through each segment of the school day, demonstrating that every moment was spent in purposeful activity. This tour de force overwhelmed the audience with its detailed and erudite explanation of every element in the curriculum. When finished he asked, “Are there any questions?” Spontaneous laughter erupted. Only a fool would raise a question after the principal had so masterfully covered all the bases. I risked everyone’s disdain by raising my hand. When the principal called on me, I said, “Sir, I am profoundly impressed by your careful analysis. You have made it clear that you do everything for a Socrates (469-399 B.C.) FEATURE STORY 19
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