December 29, 1979

NEW SOLIDARITY

Page 7

Education: Cornelia Reynolds

What's Wrong With Encyclopedias

"In view of (America's great powers! her fine intellectual strength! her wide imagination! her already "rilliant past! and her "oundless and e#alted future! such a wor$ as the Encyclopedia Britannica should "e resented "y every American%" &'untington Wright! ()(*

At a time when the a!t ma"#rit$ #% !ch##& a!!ignment! c#n!i!t #% the m#!t remar'ab&e m$!tica& garbage ab#(t )%ee&ing!) an* )int(iti#n) (n*er the g(i!e #% a new a++r#ach t# creati it$, #ne i! +eri#*ica&&$ remin*e* that +e*antr$

remain! a ici#(!&$ *e!tr(cti e %#rce in the &ibera& c(rric(&ar re%#rm! #% recent $ear!, Recent&$, a "(ni#r high !ch##& !t(*ent that I 'n#w wa! a!!igne* a !#-ca&&e* re!earch re+#rt #n ancient .reece, The a!!ignment c#n!i!te* #% &#cating in the enc$c&#+e*ia /0 &ea*ing %ig(re! %r#m .ree' hi!t#r$ an* in a +aragra+h %#r each %ig(re i*enti%$ing their *ate!, their &ea*ing acc#m+&i!hment! an* their m#!t %am#(! written w#r'!, S#me rea*er! ma$ w#n*er imme*iate&$ wh$ I thin' thi! i! !(ch a terrib&e a!!ignment, A%ter a&&, it i! hi!t#rica&&$ %#c(!e* an* *eman*! that the !t(*ent &earn a certain am#(nt #% c#ncrete in%#rmati#n ab#(t 'e$ hi!t#rica& %ig(re!, 1ertain&$ it i! better than #ther re+#rt! a!!igne* t# !t(*ent! !t(*$ing ancient hi!t#r$, !(ch a! thi! #ne 2(#te* %r#m an a!!ignment !heet3 )Preten* $#( are the .ree' #rac&e at De&+hi an* ma'e a +re*icti#n ab#(t the %(t(re #% thi! c#(ntr$,) #r )S(mmari4e the c#ntent an* !+irit(a& !igni%icance #% the Egyptian Book of the Dead,) In %act, the c#(nterc(&t(re m$!tici!m #% the &ater tw# a!!ignment! ha! a ici#(!ne!! which i! n#t # ert&$ +re!ent in the %ir!t, 5(t the be&ie% !tr(ct(re behin* the %ir!t i! %(n*amenta&&$ the !ame, Learning b$ the enc$c&#+e*ia i! ba!e* #n the !ame ahi!t#rica&, anti-techn#&#g$ c#nce+t #% 'n#w&e*ge which i! the !#(rce #% the e i& en ir#nmenta&i!m #% the c#(nterc(&t(re, In whate er %#rm th#!e i*ea! are +re!ente* in the !ch##&! the$ are ba!e* #n the attem+t t# rem# e !cience an* materia& +r#gre!! %r#m the hi!t#r$ #% 'n#w&e*ge, What i! &e%t i! n#t i*ea!, b(t &ing(i!tic !he&&! #% i*ea!, *i!emb#*ie* %r#m their hi!t#rica& +(r+#!e an* their +ractica& e6+re!!i#n in man'in*7! !cienti%ic an* techn#&#gica& achie ement!, De!+ite the a++arent nat(re #% the .ree' a!!ignment a! a hi!t#r$ re+#rt, the mere %#rma& in%#rmati#n it *eman*! can ne er +#!e %#r the !t(*ent the rea& c#ntrib(ti#n #% the great .ree' thin'er!8the )P&at#nic) n#ti#n that h$+#the!i! %#rmati#n i! +rimar$8n#r the batt&e th#!e thin'er! %#(ght again!t the #&igarch$7! Ari!t#te&ian n#mina&i!m, the w#r!hi+ #% the i!#&ate* )%act) #(t!i*e the +r#ce!! #% th#(ght that create* it, The a!!ignment it!e&% i! a t##& #% that er$ n#mina&i!t garbage, a! i! the enc$c&#+e*ia #n which it i! ba!e*, 9ew American! rea&i4e t#*a$ that the intr#*(cti#n int# thi! c#(ntr$ #% the Encyclopedia Britannica, #n which a&& the &ater )American) enc$c&#+e*ia! an* Book of Knowledge c#&&ecti#n! are ba!e*, incite* a ma"#r (+r#ar am#ng American !ch#&ar! an* citi4en! wh# +r#te!te* it! c#ntent! a! a t##& #% the

anti-+r#gre!! i*e#&#g$ #% 5riti!h &ibera&i!m, It !h#(&* be c&ear that #(r batt&e t#*a$ again!t the brainwa!hing #% #(r chi&*ren thr#(gh the c#(nterc(&t(re in #(r !ch##&! i! the !ame batt&e the$ %#(ght again!t the 5riti!h a!!a(&t #n the i*ea #% +r#gre!! in the #rigina& Encyclopedia Britannica, In 1917 an American !ch#&ar name* :(ntingt#n Wright wh# &e* that batt&e ha* thi! t# !a$ ab#(t the enc$c&#+e*ia3 N# m#re ici#(! an* *anger#(! e*(cati#na& in%&(ence #n America can rea*i&$ be c#ncei e* than the artic&e! in thi! enc$c&#+e*ia, The$ *i!t#rt the tr(th an* *i!!eminate %a&!e !tan*ar*!, America i! n#w %ar en#(gh behin* the re!t #% the ci i&i4e* w#r&* in it! 'n#w&e*ge #% art, with#(t ha ing a**e* t# that ign#rance the err#ne#(! im+re!!i#n! create* b$ thi! +artia& an* *i!+r#+#rti#ne* Eng&i!h w#r'; %#r in it! treatment #% the w#r&*7! +r#gre!!, it +#!!e!!e! neither (ni er!a&it$ #% #(t&##' n#r %ree*#m %r#m +re"(*ice in it! "(*gement!8the tw# +rimar$ re2(i!ite! #% an$ w#r' which &a$! c&aim t# e*(cati#na& merit, , , It i! ab!#&(te&$ nece!!ar$ that thi! c#(ntr$ thr#w #%% the $#'e #% Eng&an*7! inte&&ect(a& *e!+#ti!m be%#re it can ha e a %ree %ie&* %#r an in*i i*(a& an* nati#na& c(&t(ra& e #&(ti#n, America ha! a&rea*$ acc#m+&i!he* m(ch, She ha! c#ntrib(te* man$ great %ig(re! t# the w#r&*7! +r#gre!!, An* !he i! teeming with tremen*#(! an* !+&en*i* +#!!ibi&itie!, T#*a$ !he !tan*! in nee* #% n# nati#n7! +aterna& g(i*ance, In iew #% her great +#wer!, her %ine inte&&ect(a& !trength, her wi*e imaginati#n, her a&rea*$ bri&&iant +a!t, an* her b#(n*&e!! an* e6a&te* %(t(re, !(ch a w#r' a! the Encyclopedia Britannica !h#(&* be re!ente* b$ e er$ American t# wh#m the we&%are #% hi! c#(ntr$ i! #% %#rem#!t c#ncern, an* in wh#m there e6i!t! #ne at#m #% nati#na& +ri*e, Si6t$-tw# $ear! &ater thi! a* ice ha! $et t# be ta'en,