In Crunchy Cons, I quote E.F. Schumacher as saying that if we are going to reform our education system meaningfully, we have to once again educate with metaphysics in mind. I think what he means, in layman’s terms, is we have to have a certain idea of transcendent reality, and transcendent truth, undergirding the entire educational process. John Taylor Gatto identifies himself as a “lapsed Roman Catholic” who identifies strongly with the Western, Judeo-Christian spiritual tradition. He says the spiritually contented man is the greatest enemy of the mass society, and argues that there is no greater way for big government and big business to impose their will on the American people than by pushing religion to the sidelines of American education:
Spiritually contented people are dangerous for a variety of reasons. They don’t make reliable servants because they won’t jump at every command. They test what is requested against a code of moral principle. Those who are spiritually secure can’t easily be driven to sacrifice family relations.
Schumacher wrote:
For it takes a good deal of courage to say no to the fashons and fascinations of the age and to question the presupposition of a civilization which appears to be destined to conquer the whole world the requisite strength can be derived only from deep convictions.
My view is that the deep countercultural convictions individuals and families need to hold on to tradition in the face of mass society can best be cultivated through home education.
