> “A modest proposal for education: not mandatory but free.” I can only speak to the American education system of which I was apart but feel comfortable saying it has failed on all levels primary and higher ed . It is ironic that while so many in the western world would poopoo philosophy as frivolity I am finding new wisdom and strength in just that currently reading the story of philosophy by Will Durant first published in 1922. And what is striking to me at the moment is but I might call a modest proposal by Plato so many centuries ago that lays out a course that he proposes as a “Great Elimination.” For “knowledge which is acquired under compulsion has no hold on the mind.” And I do that so clearly especially having expatriated myself from the United States with its cults of personality that equates “might with right” (Plato’s term) and political idolatry and conspiracy theories that every means and manner except real problems. > All right well let’s think through this further I don’t wish to just issue a pulmic but this is millennia old thinking that should be rediscovered How could a voluntary system be designed as an inclusive system where those who maybe are marginalized and don’t know the value of education can the encourage but not mandated. The goal here is equal access and equal information more importantly, because we cannot soon equal outcomes . in fact our attempts to do so such is through affirmative action in the United States have been dismal failures we must respect the sovereignty of the individual to place their own path and determine their own outcome. and as the proud product of a very very costly but quality public education system having graduated from Rutgers in New Jersey but also as the working class poor child parents who for some reason felt that the expense of sending me to parochial School was better than the public education system that was guaranteed for free so tell me then about the perversity of our current system at least in the United States > I disagree that Plato’s proposal for a great elimination was elitist. In his own words quote a golden parent will sometimes have a silver son or a silver parent a Golden son” and “the test [great elimination] will be impartial and impersonal whether one is to be a farmer or a philosopher will be determined not by monopolized opportunity or nepotic favoritism.” Isn’t it convenient to dismiss this as elitist when that is exactly what America has become. and while other systems seem to have ways of trying to address this such as Germany’s testing system for University or gymnasium or China and other Asian countries notorious testing this seems to be the wrong way what Plato seems to be suggesting is everyone should have the opportunity and then the test is in fact the process not a discrete moment or not a hard moment