The
Merits of Reciprocism
Definition:
Reciprocism n.—a social and
political system in which a cooperative interchange of favors, goods,
or privileges, or labor is the foundation of human activity, and its
economic order—rather than moneys, debt, or fiat. Citizenship, a
chosen and then earned title through beneficial activity of any kind,
represents the medium of exchange. Earning citizenship grants an
individual the privileges of free food, clothing, shelter,
transportation, information, medical care, and whatsoever shall be
deemed deserving of a citizen by the people themselves. However,
the more one contributes, the more resources they may be allocated.
(More on citizenship later)
It follows concurrently that banking, debt, and the institutions of financial control, which have lorded over the earth with absolute authority for centuries, would have no place in the future under reciprocism. However, as it is framed, the function of capitalism would remain an integral premise in reciprocation, but would require amendments in order to function under reciprocism (those amendments are shown below).
Based on the principle of benefit reciprocation obligation (requiring an understanding of chaos theory—the agreement that one's work potentially benefits everyone, thus obliges everyone to reciprocate to each other with services or goods in exchange), a new economic system can be manifest in which taxation becomes unnecessary; and the question, “where will we get the money to pay for projects public or private,” becomes as nonsensical as, “where will we get the inches to erect a building?” both are but measurements of wealth, and not the actual source of the resource—and serve only to limit and confound the mind when not used properly.
It follows concurrently that banking, debt, and the institutions of financial control, which have lorded over the earth with absolute authority for centuries, would have no place in the future under reciprocism. However, as it is framed, the function of capitalism would remain an integral premise in reciprocation, but would require amendments in order to function under reciprocism (those amendments are shown below).
Based on the principle of benefit reciprocation obligation (requiring an understanding of chaos theory—the agreement that one's work potentially benefits everyone, thus obliges everyone to reciprocate to each other with services or goods in exchange), a new economic system can be manifest in which taxation becomes unnecessary; and the question, “where will we get the money to pay for projects public or private,” becomes as nonsensical as, “where will we get the inches to erect a building?” both are but measurements of wealth, and not the actual source of the resource—and serve only to limit and confound the mind when not used properly.
[The new economy will be based on the
necessity to heal the planet of its previous wasteful and senseless
plundering and misuse of resources of the past century]
First, the
redefinition of the profit motive from returns over expenditures
to observable human or ecological benefit, would ensure that
the motive of society is redirected into the positive, instead of a
malign tendency to largess—which has been used by corporations to
plunder and make ruin of the earth;
Second, the
prohibition of all persons to invest in property or market shares, is
a fundamentally important premise to limiting the destructive power
of a corporation upon society; in fact the limiting of the
corporation must be perceived with the same necessity as that of
limiting government; because, indeed, the corporation of today has
replaced the government as master of the realm, and become the lord
of our society. However, investing resources in services and
opportunities for the good of the community is favorable, and all
persons should not be excluded access from the benefits thereof.
By the authority of a government whose
powers are derived from the consent of the governed, a new version of
citizenship requiring the chosen participation of the individual in
society by contributing to society will be instituted—signified by
a request sent by the individual to that government entity—obliging
government to reciprocate to the individual; a representative of that
entity will thereafter observe a person's benefits to an individual,
society, or government itself, and document them for posterity
bestowing the person with the title of citizenship thereafter.
With citizenship, the first half of the exchange process has already taken place. The means of economic exchange—along with the right to have free travel, free medical care, and free education for themselves and their children—is formally given through identification as a citizen. The degree of recognized services rendered to society or the government will determine the liberty with which items and services may be purchased. In other words: what you give is what you get.
With citizenship, the first half of the exchange process has already taken place. The means of economic exchange—along with the right to have free travel, free medical care, and free education for themselves and their children—is formally given through identification as a citizen. The degree of recognized services rendered to society or the government will determine the liberty with which items and services may be purchased. In other words: what you give is what you get.
Government must
take on an attribute of society to reciprocate as if it were a patron
of the individual. The act of “labor” replaces taxation under
this premise, and is considered the first half of the exchange
process between government and the individual. Any or all acts that
can be observed and recognized as beneficial to society and
government, under this premise, require an act of reciprocation by
government and society independently, and in joint effort, to reward
labor.
Reciprocating with
civil privileges, society provides the opportunity to purchase goods,
and the rewards of citizenship mentioned above—with the help of
local government agency—formed out of the grass roots organization
of the people. Thereafter, banking and the entire enterprise of
monetary institutions shall be rendered obsolete, along with the fiat
money system, and the deceitful game of debt.
Nonetheless, the
capitalist model may still be utilized under reciprocism. By
redefining the profit motive to observable human, or ecological,
benefit; by reestablishing conservation and thrift as fundamental
principles of resource distribution; the economy of reciprocist
design will shame the present form, and cause a new industrial
revolution, but one more creative and conservative compared to the
negative effects of the present order of perpetual growth economics.
The more one contributes to society, the more they are rewarded by society for their actions—as long as society and government recognize those actions as profitable according the definition given above. Therefore it will require government and society working in concert to establish an office of oversight; such an office would act as an observer and reporter of individual and collective benefit to the society at large. (It is the belief that such an effort will make great strides in establishing an economic order that would most effect the prosperity of the individual and the whole simultaneously.)
The more one contributes to society, the more they are rewarded by society for their actions—as long as society and government recognize those actions as profitable according the definition given above. Therefore it will require government and society working in concert to establish an office of oversight; such an office would act as an observer and reporter of individual and collective benefit to the society at large. (It is the belief that such an effort will make great strides in establishing an economic order that would most effect the prosperity of the individual and the whole simultaneously.)
Reciprocation,
under reciprocism, is not limited to a government and its citizens;
government would in fact be reflecting a fundamental urge in the
hearts and minds of the individuals that constitute it, doing so with
their participation; instituting, therefore, an economy facilitated
by a government that is driven by the consent of the society who
wields both. Society itself, under this premise, would be the
foundation of government and the economy; finding the principle of
motion resting in the hearts of We the People, and not by some
authority telling them to do so. Community, therefore, is the most
important resource, and the source from which this system derives
power.
With reciprocism
comes the immense potential of a truly great civilization, limited
only by the activity of the community, and the interest of the
individual to participate—in benefiting society through whatever
means: government, law, art, education, entertainment, community
service, farming, etc.
[Please note that this version of
economic order is more congruent with the original constitution of
the united States of America, than the present Federal Reserve
monetary system in place today—as the constitution gives the power
to coin and distribute money to the congress rather than any other
institution.]
The incentive to
contribute would be greater than the desire to be independent from
civilized society under reciprocism, and virtually any government who
wields it; for the benefits of citizenship are so great, and the act
of reciprocation so fulfilling, that the individual will be compelled
to choose citizenship over independent personage. However, for those
who choose to opt out of citizenship, the world is open to them as
agrarians, or whatever path may be most amiable to them, and would be
encouraged to pursue a life of their own free will; for all human
beings are people, with the inalienable rights of life, liberty,
property, and the pursuit of happiness.
Citizenship, under
reciprocism, represents a status worthy of additional perquisites in
the form of the free food, clothing, shelter etc., because one has
earned it through labor. The mutual respect that citizenship implies
transcends and includes natural law, rendering a just compensation,
and ensuring a mutual respect, establishing the conditions for true
equality to be manifest.
A community that
recognizes the good deeds of others is more connected in gratitude
than it ever could be in greed. The collective human will to
contribute to society is the currency of reciprocism; and the
incentive to contribute more is what makes this system similar
to capitalism in that it rewards the individual based on the degree
of their contributions, rather than distributing wealth to all
parties equally like in socialism or any other -ism.
Nonetheless, it is the intent, and
ultimate goal of reciprocism, to establish foundational principles
that organize society towards moral and psychological sanity; doing
so in such a way as to provide the people with the means to secure
themselves, and render them independent from any authority,
ultimately dissolving government altogether from society—leaving
their potential unlimited, and our species unfettered forever.
It is therefore essential to establish that people who do not want to participate in this system are equally free, equally sovereign, and equally capable of having property as any other human being under reciprocism; in fact all people are created equal, and those rights expressed in the declaration of independence would still apply for all people. All citizens are people, but not all people will want to be citizens, and it is therefore imperative that people be given the just rights and legal jurisdiction of people under the bill of rights and constitution of America.
It is therefore essential to establish that people who do not want to participate in this system are equally free, equally sovereign, and equally capable of having property as any other human being under reciprocism; in fact all people are created equal, and those rights expressed in the declaration of independence would still apply for all people. All citizens are people, but not all people will want to be citizens, and it is therefore imperative that people be given the just rights and legal jurisdiction of people under the bill of rights and constitution of America.
Political Changes
The structure of
reciprocal government, most likely to affect the safety and happiness
of its people, is a democratic republic similar to that of the
American version. With the power of the executive held by Wisdom
Councils (see Jim Rough Wisdom Councils), having an odd number of
members, no lower than five and no greater than thirteen, and having
among its obligations the coalescence of community; to establish
reciprocity from the republic to the individual, and society to the
individual, the establishment of an office of economic observation
and oversight; to establish education systems that are thereafter
given resources by the republic at the discretion of the people; to
perform the legislative functions of the executive branch such as
veto; and finally the council is responsible for holding local
festivals and communal events to promote community where there is
need of one.
In order to
establish an effective check to this council, the people must play an
active role as its negative counterbalance, preventing the inward or
outward influence towards corruptions to surface; the council members
are selected through lotto, and with enough votes can be impeached
either individually or collectively to ensure that the people are in
complete control of the council, and at the top of the political
totem pole.
Given tremendous
tasks, some councils must be composed of scholars of fields such as
law, agriculture, sociology, education, energy, economics, etc.
Rather than being politicians, the people of this speciation of
office must be experts of their field, and willing to endure a public
service that is tiresome as it is stimulating.
The office of
economic observation and oversight regulated by Wisdom Councils would
account for the economic structure of this system, and ensure the
just compensation of individuals for their observed contributions to
society; further, as a method of regulation and limitation to the
risky, or dangerous practices of a business, this office would be
given managerial authority of a business’s entire staff, and grade
a business based on the quality of its overall contribution to
society—in addition to its popularity and customer satisfaction.
Similarly, on the individual basis this office would hire representatives that, by request only, would observe and grade contributions of one individual to another, or to society, by personally monitoring and assessing those contributions, which the individual person must have requested in the first place—otherwise the contributions are a voluntary service.
Similarly, on the individual basis this office would hire representatives that, by request only, would observe and grade contributions of one individual to another, or to society, by personally monitoring and assessing those contributions, which the individual person must have requested in the first place—otherwise the contributions are a voluntary service.
The people, via the
council, must then safeguard this office in order to ensure the
economic structure is not unbalanced, prejudiced, or unjust. The
office members must be given salary based on how generously, but
justly they evaluate contributions to society, ensuring that all
people are given abundance to thrive—and ideally reach
self-actualization and self-improvement.
The reason it may
be necessary for Wisdom Councils to facilitate community is as
follows; community is the foundation and true constitution of any
government and it stands to reason, therefore, that this system must
regard reciprocation as a gift to a friend, rather than an obligation
to an institution or idea. Reciprocism is founded in the roots, the
interactions between individuals, and finds its power not in the
halls of any government whatsoever, but rather in the good will
towards humanity that this system engenders by its very nature.
The contamination
of society into government, and this limited form of governance into
society, is designed to cultivate the conditions necessary for
government to become altogether unnecessary; and indeed for us to
transcend the flaws which have plagued humanity for centuries; to
inhabit the dignified station which we consider most capable of
ensuring peace, freedom, happiness, and gratitude for this planet,
its many species, and the life with which we are granted—by forces
incomprehensible to us.
By design, this
council will be in a reciprocal relationship to the people of its
influence; it will receive recommendations and hear the grievances of
the people, formally and informally, as well as disclose advice and
establish educational forums, for adults and children alike; in order
to accommodate for the people to ascend to whatever project they
mutually decide is necessary and proper; and this relationship will
engender a mutual respect, and even fondness in people for society;
and consequentially, though this will not altogether prevent
corruption, it will certainly lessen the frequency and likelihood of
that tendency to manifest in the hearts and minds of the council
members, and in the people for that matter.
Through this
design, the people will be less likely to descend back into
complacency, and more likely to protect and defend their rights from
corrupt men; given a direct role in government, society has thus
intruded upon government in such a way that they are a direct
negative to the Wisdom Council, acting as an executive. The intrusion
therefore is not government into society, as has been the case with
the present American system, but rather the intrusion of society into
government; and in fact a takeover of government by the people will
surely take place; such a takeover, with time, will result in the
gradual dissolvement of government altogether, and the ascendancy of
society to its rightful status as free and independent.
So limited will the
government come to be, that eventually nothing will stand but the
council and the legislature, which eventually will become virtually
powerless and incapable; the result will be a society completely
freed, and a community totally pursuant of just causes; with the
assurance of Wisdom Councils that such a society will be instituted,
the noble pursuits of healing the planet, developing civilization,
and protecting and maintaining the species will replace those of war
for the sake of dominion, economic supremacy, and the plundering of
this planet for profit.
Without the
influence of financial institutions, and indeed without the influence
of money, the votes of the people will stand as the only influence on
government legislation and decision making. This too will affect the
future security and happiness of the people; decent life too, under
reciprocism, will be an effect most expediently inhabited by the
people by way of liberty of transaction and trade--the ease of which
could be comparable to the credit system of today, but without debt
and taxation to indenture one to a life of perpetual servitude and
subsistence.
The institutions
of old must be gradually dissolved, replaced instead with community;
it is the right and glorious inevitability of futurity promised by
nature and nature’s god.
[If it is alright
for the government to establish the CIA, FBI, DEA, IRS, Homeland
Security, the TSA, and so on, why would it not be acceptable for such
an office be established? The activity of the former institutions
serve only to observe and punish the supposed wrong doings of
individuals, whereas the latter is employed to observe and reward the
contributions of individuals to society; it is no more an intrusion
of government into society than those are, and for a far greater and
more positive effect and affect upon society.]
[Further, this
institution will thwart much of the problems, which are caused by
having a paper money system, and the necessity of the IRS and the DEA
to be obsolete and less necessary respectively.]
A New Independence: Reciprocism's Merits
Compared to the
overall duration of mankind’s history, it has been but a moment
since the spirit of Glorious Revolution ('76); nonetheless, an even
greater imperative for independence faces not one colony, but one
human race. We require independence not from one tyrant, but from a
higher species: a species of super organism called the corporation,
and their source of power called money; these entities are what
really control, not just American government, but every modern nation
and society, the nature of our laws, and the quality of our lives. At
the seat of power, the international bank is tyrant King of the
world, and with more power and less accountability than any nation’s
government.
The imperative of becoming independent
from these institutions and reclaiming sensible government from these
interests, which are as distant from human interests metaphorically
as Great Britain was from America literally, is as clear as day; yet
how to do so is not so clear to the common man. Rather than working
with the system which is inherently flawed—showing its volatility
throughout history in the form of ups and downs that fluctuate
erratically—it seems sensible to reshape the system of our future
with a more solid ground, beginning first with the principles and
foundation of society.
The parallels of
today with that of 1776 are clear when we consider the financial
institutions of the world as a Tyrant, lording over the world,
plundering its resources and taxing its people for its doing so.
Indeed it is a cruel king that blames the victim with such certainty,
and goes about it in such a way as to convince the one harmed that
they are indeed to blame.
If the financial
institutions were but one man, the intense disdain for that man would
be incomparable even to Hitler, because the corporation does not harm
millions directly, but billions indirectly by enslaving them to
menial labor in third world countries across the globe, and ruining a
once pristine planet that belongs not to us, but to future
generations.
Society, being an
abstraction of a collection of relationships and interactions to the
literal mind, is in simple reality you and me having an interaction
or making a transaction. That being said, it is clear that society is
not a concrete notion, and it is determined only by how we chose to
interact with one another; by that rationalization, it is not
difficult to conceive of a new system by which we can interact—all
it takes is a little imagination.
Dissolving the
powers present in monetary institutions, and their influence on
society is the goal of the reciprocal system; once that is
understood, the elimination of money—specifically fiat—is a clear
necessity, which means that a new method of exchange must be
established in order to keep societies functioning. However, due to
the technology that is present today, the available options are as
various as what is for dinner.
It stands to
reason, nonetheless, that this new means of exchange, replacing
money, must be as familiar to the present means as possible so that
no one is confused. Therefore, the new means of exchange could be
initially a card, which expressly entitles an individual to food,
clothing, or shelter, transportation, education, medical care, and so
on—and the liberty thereof based on the degree of their
contribution to society.
This system has a
striking similarity to the present system, yet it not only sets up a
condition which wipes out the dubious influence of monetary
institutions on government and corporations alike, it also eliminates
the potential for a black market to exist unless through bartering or
other contrived means.
The benefits of a
system such as this could be seen in the music industry, in so far as
the freedom of music can finally be realized because of reciprocism.
In fact, industry itself would be radically transformed once the
profit motive is redefined to observable human or ecological benefit.
Without money, the dilemmas of the technological age are solved and
transformed into more perfect usefulness.
The artist,
independent from an industry that only abuses their talent, would be
better served in reciprocism, and could better serve mankind without
the imposed limitations of record labels—that are only for monetary
gains rather than human happiness and the overall quality of music.
Under this system, potentially anyone could be a recording artist,
but the quality and likeability of the music would determine the
degree of an artist’s compensation relative to others.
The illusion of
sovereignty becomes immediately apparent in a world governed by the
Global Corporate Empire, when considering the all-encompassing reach
of industrialized slavery, which has become ubiquitous as an
unwelcome condition to people living in an undeveloped colony of the
world; indeed the unknowing victims of this empire fall prey to its
promise of development and prosperity, ultimately falling to its true
motive: plunder and prostration of those lands and its people.
Beyond causing governments to become
destructive of their just ends, the Corporations decide what is most
likely to affect their security and their happiness;
the destruction of the environment by corporations has, therefore,
caused an insecurity, paralleled and equal, to that of our sacred
rights; life is no longer worth living when it is consumed by toil
without just compensation; when the environment, once held sacred, is
ravaged so voraciously for the purpose of hypothetical abundance.
Moreover, how can we have abundance when the
world we love, which in turn loves us, is being ripped away from us
in the name of so called progress? The industrialists would have us
believe that in order to cure the diseases caused by industry; we
must lay waste to the forest that contains the resources necessary to
heal us, which in turn exacerbates our already terrible condition.
Liberty is no
longer worth having if I cannot do as I please in my own residence,
explore the beauty of nature, or express myself in my own way without
being in danger of incarceration—and for some illegal act that I
nor any other can accurately define; indeed the pursuit of happiness
is as lost as the pursuit of independence, not from national control,
but by corporate control over our lives.
The lobby of
corporations in every state of every country, of every continent of
the world constitutes a great empire, one which cannot be denied or
accurately declare—except in principle of its existence as a
corporate entity—and may be categorized as a new species of
predatory animal, or more accurately described as a sycophant,
leaching off the resources and life energy of this earth and its
people, providing them with entertainments and obsolescent wiggits in
exchange. The nature of this creature is composed of the worst of
mankind, and reflects a psychopathic misanthrope, yet has neither
body to incarcerate nor a soul to save.
Therefore, if the
lobby of corporations represents a hidden government, the official
governments of our world are pejoratively under the dictate of a
Global Corporate Empire, and not effective in representing the people
or governing them justly; in fact governments are becoming
destructive of these ends; the positive of both government and
corporation have turned negative by government entrusting its powers
to the corporation through the Central Banks of London, New York
through the Federal Reserve, and the Vatican Bank. Indeed, it is
money that has, for centuries, caused the necessity of war, and it is
those whom seem most likely to seek money that have contrived events
to stir the worst in mankind—ensuring that debt is king, and war
the method of control under its hidden yet obvious empire.
Farmers, in
countries fully under the control of the Global Corporate Empire,
have little to no control over which crops they can afford due to the
patenting of life, which was a method first employed by Monsanto
corporation, and later upheld by the Supreme Court. The patenting of
both a seed and a pesticide have been the cause of much consternation
in conservation circles, and consequentially the destruction of
natural and wholesome food; both the crop and the pesticide have
negative effects such as evolution of insects immune to the pesticide
anyway; and crops that have been modified to be immune to pesticide,
which have been proven to sterilize rodents, have other ill effects
on the body of animals; the use of steroids in livestock if studied
will evince a destruction of the health of the animal and the human
that ingests its products; the limitation of the farmer by government
to allow his or her sons or daughters to help in the chores of
farming is the final and greatest threat to the heart of this once
great country.
Corporations
have polluted the waters of the world, yet no one nation can claim
sole abuse by the corporate empire, and no one nation can do anything
about preventing any future abuses or usurpations by the Global
Corporate Empire.
To quote the
original Declaration of Independence, “He [King of Great Britain]
has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and
destroyed the lives of our people.” And in every way, the much
hidden governing power of our nation is as bad if not worse than the
King of Great Britain, and must be stopped. Further, “He has
combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our
constitutions and unacknowledged by our laws…” The corporation
has transformed this country from a once just nation with its few
flaws, to an unjust nation with many flaws; it has affected to render
the police and military independent of, and superior to, the civil
power.
Thus the very
nature of the all-effecting corporate predator impels the species of
mankind to fight back by altering the forms to which we are
accustomed and providing new guards for our future security; as a
colony of regions abundant with resources, and capable of instituting
new government, separate from the power of corporations, We the
People of the World must declare separation from, and an end to the
Global Corporate Empire.
Global Society and Universal, Individual Sovereignty
It stands to reason that a global
society, incapable of resolving global problems, must unify and
recognize the need for global democracy, or perish. The misfortunes
of one region can have a global impact, and cause equal suffering for
others thousands of miles away—as evidenced by the tragedy in
Fukashima Japan. Further, the interests of every nation are so
intrinsically unified economically, as compared to a hundred years
ago—let alone a thousand—that a trend towards world unity must be
recognized, and indeed that that apparent tendency evinces a greater
design than humanity can imagine.
Humanity, acting as its elementary
constitution, is a product of this planet, and the ever-changing
condition of the environment. At present, our species has the
capacity to manipulate the surface of this planet, and even
eviscerate every square inch with our martial technology; with great
power, such as this, comes an equally great responsibility and duty
to take great care, and develop in such a way that is beneficial to
this planet—showing gratitude for the opportunity to have life on a
gem such as this. A planet that supports life is a rare thing in the
universe, and it makes much more sense to be stewards of its
resources, than to plunder them for temporary titillation now, while
sacrificing all futurity.
As a product of this planet, and as
beings capable of rational thought, it is only fair that we should be
responsible for our actions, and try to heal the considerable damages
we have made to the many ecosystems within the biosphere—something
that no one nation can do while divided from all others by arbitrary
lines in the sand. Only a global initiative, one that is agreed upon
by the whole people of the world, can put such a cause as this into
action; only love can bring the people into unity for such a glorious
event.
Indeed, it is love that has generated
the force of life into existence, and it is its opposite: fear, which
has prevented the kind of unification that would otherwise seem
natural and desirable from taking place. Humanity has an immense
capacity for both emotions, and it is for this reason that we are
gifted, for we have the choice of embracing either one: heaven or
hell on earth—based upon the choices we make, and the perspectives
we take.
If one has chosen fear, and perceives
the world as a scary place, he or she has chosen to live in hell, but
if one has chosen to love, and perceives the world as a beautiful and
lovely place, he or she must live in paradise. However, because of
the mixture of emotions that people can affect, the world is both a
heaven and a hell simultaneously; the proportion of fearful and
loving individuals thus determines the degree to which either fear or
love is pronounced in a given area of influence.
The further one gets from humanity,
the more one starts to perceive the world independent of society’s
influence, and can clearly notice which emotional version of the
world they inhabit. Because nature is neither loving nor hateful
inherently, neither perspective is false and, in nature, both are
healthy and a means to happiness.
The beauty of nature is only matched by its ferociousness; however, that ferociousness is not out of hatred, but rather out of necessity, and somewhat out of coincidence to the subject being destroyed and consumed; and it is due to this process that we have an evolutionary process at all, which in the long run causes the kind of spectacular life that is possible in the modern age. That being the case, however, does not imply that humanity is the sole purpose of evolution; rather, it implies that the process itself is the sole purpose, which means that when mankind puts itself on a pedestal it is behaving like a child, deceiving itself—inevitably causing suffering and needless destruction.
The beauty of nature is only matched by its ferociousness; however, that ferociousness is not out of hatred, but rather out of necessity, and somewhat out of coincidence to the subject being destroyed and consumed; and it is due to this process that we have an evolutionary process at all, which in the long run causes the kind of spectacular life that is possible in the modern age. That being the case, however, does not imply that humanity is the sole purpose of evolution; rather, it implies that the process itself is the sole purpose, which means that when mankind puts itself on a pedestal it is behaving like a child, deceiving itself—inevitably causing suffering and needless destruction.
Developmental Education
Accordingly, the standard and practice
of education must be radically changed. The present version of
education is school, which is a perverse invention of the Prussian
government during the nineteenth century in order to produce more
dependable solders. Before this, the elementary education which
children learned consisted of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, which
together were called the Trivium (where we get the word trivial
from), and when they were ready they learned math, geometry, music,
and astronomy, which together was called the Quadrivium. The merits
of the Trivium and Quadrivium speak for themselves, and are still
used today in the highest forms of education.
The reintroduction of the Trivium and
Quadrivium (combined with some basic understanding of the human
brain) could help to produce a new renaissance of education. To do
this, first it must be understood that a child’s brain is like a
sponge the younger it is, and so it stands to reason that the more
you teach them at a young age, the more intelligent they will be in
maturity; and from this fact we can derive some basic ideas that
could enhance the education system, essentially flipping it on its
head, or rather onto its feet, because the current system is so
flawed.
The outline for this system is as
follows:
- First, educate the children with one subject per seven-hour day, and break that subject up with recesses spanning an hour in duration; the recesses themselves will not just be free time—although the last recess will indeed be free—but rather they will consist of things like martial arts, agriculture, art, meditation, culinary art or cooking, etc.; always learning, always stimulated, education is something fun and disciplinary at the same time, with so many possible subjects, the students will grow to appreciate their own particular interests.
- Second, the elementary school teachers will be professors of their field; without curriculum, without homework, and with minimal testing, the students will be put into a setting where memory consolidation, rather than memorization, as well as understanding, rather than regurgitation, is the primary focus; further, because it is one subject per day, the constraint of sinking in the subject will no longer be an issue; also, elementary teachers would have the help of a childhood psychologist to help them to explain the subject to the children in such a way that they can understand. Also, understandably, the teachers of early education, along with the other staff, will be the highest paid in the series K-12, and will be paid as well as professional athletes are today.
- And finally, the education process will gradually decompress until high school, where the teachers will act as librarians, and the students are left to self-research; they will also learn important, practical skills such as driving and car maintenance.
The capability of
the future generations to cope with a vastly more complex world is
imperative, and I believe this education system is the keystone in
making that a reality. By instituting an education system of this
kind, not only is critical thinking magnified in the individual, but
the level of intelligence as well; and given that the future of
society is headed into a world of vastly more compressed technology,
and in a sense time, the individual must be capable of performing
under great circumstances; this education system will pave the way.
A public that is properly educated
will reflect that in their conduct, and concurrently, the government
and the conduct of nations will reflect the state of its people. The
trivium and quadrivium should not only be available to children, but
to adults as well, setting up the conditions for a critical public,
capable of giving its government and even its society it’s just
scrutiny. This is not what the governments of today want, and that
means that the governments of today are not right, but ruled by
might, and must be overthrown not by might, but by right, for love is
the only thing capable of thwarting hatred.
The purpose of this education system,
unlike the present school system, is to enlighten the public—not
training them into obedient workers. The purpose of this societal
system is to liberate the public rather than condition them to be
consumers. Therefore the system is radically different with a greatly
different purpose, and accordingly must appear unfamiliar, but rest
assured that this is what government and society should very well be
about: agrarian, with culture in the pursuit of greater knowledge and
meaning, and sensitive to the responsibilities of a modern world,
capable of handling the duties of governmental and societal scrutiny,
forming better conditions for them and their offspring independent of
government nannyism.
By instituting a government that,
under the condition of contributing to society, provides
opportunities that can potentially self-actualize the individual, and
free up their time in such a way as to grant them the liberty to
handle, not only responsibility to their government, but to their
family as well; the profound conditions for more decent life,
independent from, and towards the scrutiny of government may come
into being. The whole of society can exist in collaborations which
are appropriate in the result of their ultimate freedom and
independence from government in the long run. These are the
conditions not of reciprocism inherently, but of the world citizen
constitution, for which reciprocism is the foundational principle.
1 comment:
I have been thinking a lot recently about the concept of reciprocism recently. I was trying to come up with a way of building a philosophy around it. Looks like you've beatememe to it. This description is more or less what I had in mind. I have a few things to add but I will flesh them out a bit before I post them.
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