Opinion and Analysis
A past graduation ceremony at KCA University in Nairobi. Nations should
focus a little more in developing the intellect through provision of a
strong general education curriculum. PHOTO | FILE
By Kennedy Buhere
In Summary
- The deification of material values invariably means that society can easily ignore the development of the mind, soul and spirit of its young people.
- What we end up having with are men and women who not only don’t understand themselves, but also don’t appreciate the true meaning of the powers and privileges society has given them.
I found Dr Wale Akinyemi's proposition that where
there are philosophers to stir thinking, nations advance, stirring in
its own right.
Dr Akinyemi expressed the need for societies to
elevate thinkers if they have to prosper, saying nations such as the US
is leading on many fronts because it respects its thinkers.
I agree with his overall proposition that societies
must listen to its thinkers if it has to grow. However, I believe that
the greatest danger facing modern societies, and Kenya included, is the
prospect of having no bona fide thinkers within its midst to think for
it.
Societies that have had thinkers had institutions
that grew or developed its thinkers in the first place. Most of these
societies had certain traditions and institutions that provided fertile
soil for the free developments of the minds and intellects of gifted
young people.
Think of Ancient Greece, think of Early Rome; think
of Britain at the highest of its power. Think of France a few years
before the French Revolution. Think of the earliest beginnings of the
United States of America. Each of these nations had institutions that
nurtured the gifted few to think and to grow.
The thinkers of these nations did not just happen.
The societies which each of these great minds grew in valued knowledge.
They valued things of the mind: things of the spirit.
It also amply supported institutions that educated
these people. These institutions embodied and affirmed enduring values
ideals, principles and moral orientation or perspectives that are define
the dignity of man.
It is the early exposure of these and many others
that helped to systematically impart into these people and a succession
of generations respect for certain ideals, and visions that befits
humans.
All of these nations have used public education as
the chief instruments for providing optima development of the individual
and dedication to common goals needs to provide the conditions and
opportunities to individual fulfilment in a context of shard ideals,
values.
Those who have been inducted into these values and
ideals in turn become the guardians of the community or nations: some of
them join various institutions, assume policy making positions while
others join academic bodies and other institutions whose job is to
think.
Those who join either state or church institutions
are presumed to make decisions and execute them in accordance with the
values, ideals and principles that affirm the dignity of man—values they
learned while in school, from teachers and from interaction with the
great books that have recorded man’s heritage over the years.
Those who join academic or media institutions and
professions such as law or who practice opinion journalism are expected
to help shape public opinion. As we well know, this opinion is expected
to critique the efficacy of policy initiatives the government or other
organisations take to address social problems.
This in effect means that the government, the
church, the military, and private sector institutions sorely need
thinkers at all levels of their respective organisations to steer them
through the changing and sometimes turbulent and confusing environments
in which they operate.
The leaders of these institutions need not wait for
criticism from outside to address causes or steer courses that
effectively safeguard the wellbeing of the people they serve
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