Liberation through Education

610 Words2 Pages

Man is created in the image and likeness of God. The purpose of his existence is to reach his full potential, that being to live a life that is more human, more Christian a life that is similar to that of Christ's. Thus, our existence revolves upon loving and inculcating our knowledge in the minds of others. These Christian concepts is essential in Fr. De Torre's discussion of the perfectibility of man through education.

In the opening of his selection, he talks about the notion of individuality against collectivism. He states that as man completely isolates himself from society, he is in complete dilemma because he is not aware of what is good from bad. Furthermore, he does not have any identity because he cannot distinguish himself from his surroundings, which are merely animals and plants. On the contrary, a person who allows himself to be dictated by the society loses his personal identity and ends up being a follower of what is imposed upon him. We must realize that man should not follow solely on what the society dictates nor completely isolate himself from his surroundings but instead a balance must exist between these two extremes. Based from our discussion in class, man is considered to be social being and needs interaction in order to live. Man should not be easily influenced by externalities; rather, he must use his intellect and free will to educate himself about life.

Another point that Fr. De Torre raised is the relationship of man with God. Man must reflect upon himself and realize that God is everything. Thus we must depend on God alone and do what He wants and not to anything else. This is because we can only see our purpose if we put God into our life.

We must also understand the importance of educ...

... middle of paper ...

...on to another. In this process of exchange, both parties are able to pick up something new.

In our society today, education has become more of a privilege than a right. Not all people are fortunate enough to have been blessed with good education. Thus, those people have the responsibility to impart that knowledge to his neighbors, especially to the less fortunate one. What empowers us to educate others? It all goes back to love. God's love enables us to love our neighbors. Educating others is brought about by our love for our neighbor. Passing on education is similar to passing on something that is part of you. It takes more than knowledge in order to educate others. Educating others requires patience and compassion, two things that are rooted from love. Thus, I strongly believe that without love, from God and from neighbors, education would not be possible.

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