Index
1. Introduction.
To explore this topic, we approach it from the perspective of the history of education, the national context, the imprinting of common sense, the relationship between school and company, and the impact of education on the ego and autonomy of the individual. Each section is a step in a deeper exploration of how education affects the individual and society, and how this impact works with the concept of “brainwashing.”
This article aims to provide deeper insight by re-evaluating the social institution of education and understanding the impact it has on our thinking and behavior. It is our hope that this topic will be an important step in helping educators, students, parents, and society as a whole think more critically about the purpose and effectiveness of education.
2. History of Education
Education has evolved with history, growing and developing in ways that reflect the societies, cultures, and economies of each era. In ancient times, education focused primarily on the transmission of religion, morality, and tradition. Education was conducted through oral traditions, stories, and myths, and served to pass on community values and knowledge of life to the next generation.
However, with the industrial revolution of the 19th century, the form and purpose of education changed dramatically. With the demand for skilled factory workers, education began to focus on the acquisition of basic skills: reading, writing, arithmetic, and obedience. This new educational system became one means of supplying the labor force required in a capitalist society.
Along with this, it is said that education came to emphasize collective norms and patterns of behavior rather than individual free thinking and creativity. In other words, the claim that education became a form of “brainwashing” began to emerge from this period. This is said to be because education was used as a tool to produce obedient workers and suppressed free thinking and critical opinion formation.
Education has continued to evolve since then, and today it aims to provide a wide range of skills and knowledge to cope with the information society. On the other hand, the extent to which education contains an element of “brainwashing” and how this affects education in today’s society continues to be a matter of debate.
3. The State and Education
To understand how education reflects the values and ideals of the state, a clear example can be found in Japan’s prewar education.
In prewar Japan, education emphasized nationalism and militarism and was an important means of fostering imperial loyalty. Education during this period focused on inculcating in students the sacred mission of Japan and absolute loyalty to the empire. Students were also educated to embrace values that emphasized self-sacrifice and selfless service and absolute obedience to the state and the emperor.
Such education is considered by some critics to be a form of “brainwashing. This is because it tended to suppress students’ free thinking and independent opinion formation, and to force certain values and viewpoints on them.
In postwar Japan, the educational system has been criticized by some for a new form of “brainwashing” that emphasizes loyalty to the state and corporations.
The postwar educational system has shifted significantly toward an emphasis on democracy and free thinking, but at the same time it has also placed greater emphasis on honing the skills that students need to succeed in a competitive society. This created the phenomenon of “exam wars,” in which students were subjected to extreme study pressure in order to secure admission to good universities and subsequently good jobs.
There is also a tendency to emphasize certain notions of corporate culture and ways of working in education. For example, values such as “lifetime employment” and “loyalty to the company” are often taught implicitly or explicitly in schooling. This is a trend that continues even after students enter the workforce, as companies expect strong loyalty and dedication from their employees, and this has become part of the Japanese work culture.
These educational elements have been criticized by some as a form of “brainwashing” in that they deprive students of the ability to think independently and form their own values. Nevertheless, they are socially accepted without question. Therefore, the way in which these elements are handled is an issue that needs further discussion.
4. Imprinting of Common Sense
What is called “common sense” is a set of knowledge, behaviors, and values universally accepted in a society or culture, and at first glance appears to be an important tool for adapting as a member of a community and enabling smooth communication.
However, if one views education as an important mechanism for shaping and communicating “common sense,” the problem also becomes obvious. If the educational system builds and maintains “common sense” by teaching certain facts, theories, values, and codes of conduct, it can be seen as a form of “brainwashing.
The basic principles of mathematics and science, historical facts, and social norms taught in schools are often chosen based on the viewpoints of some people or groups, which information is conveyed as “common sense” and which viewpoints are emphasized. As a result, some information and viewpoints may be prioritized while others are marginalized. This can be a dangerous limitation of thinking because it can lead people to uncritically accept certain viewpoints and theories.
And it is problematic because the very act of imprinting “common sense” may prevent free thinking and the discovery of new perspectives. While a certain amount of shared knowledge and understanding may be necessary, it should be considered in terms of how it is formed, the extent to which it inhibits critical thinking, and what the consequences are.
5. School and Company
Schooling and the work environment often seem to have similar structures. For example, in a school setting, the daily schedule is closely controlled and students are expected to perform certain activities at certain times of the day. This is very similar to the “9 to 5” working hours of a corporate environment.
In addition, both schools and companies tend to emphasize productivity and efficiency. In schools, students are expected to learn efficiently in order to perform well on exams and earn recognition. In a company, on the other hand, workers are expected to complete tasks quickly and meet goals.
This similarity between education and labor illustrates how education relates to the labor market. Specifically, schooling prepares students as future workers while reflecting the needs and demands of the labor market. This indicates that schools tend to help students acquire specific skill sets and adapt to specific work environments.
It has been suggested by some that a form of “brainwashing” exists in this relationship. This is because schooling may force students to work in a particular way, e.g., long hours or loyalty to a company. This may be considered a form of “brainwashing” because it emphasizes certain notions about how students should work as members of society, which may limit their free thinking and individual choices.
However, this is not uniformly true in all educational systems and work environments, and it is important to note that each educational system and work environment takes different forms. Therefore, it is important to consider their specific context when assessing these factors.
6. Loss of Ego.
The educational system should play a role in fostering the ability of individual students to think and act independently. In some educational settings, however, this is not always achieved.
In particular, some educational systems tend to encourage students to “do as they are taught” and place less emphasis on critical thinking and independent problem solving. In addition, there may be situations where cooperation and agreeing with the group’s opinion are overly valued. This peer pressure can create an environment where having an original viewpoint or deviating from the norm is punished.
This type of educational environment can limit students’ ability to think for themselves and act freely. It can result in students learning to act merely as they are taught or in response to the expectations of those around them, rather than exploring the “right” answers and actions.
This phenomenon is also associated with “loss of ego” or “brainwashing”. When students tend to uncritically accept the information and values provided by the educational system or the opinions of the group, rather than forming their own opinions and beliefs, this indicates that they have lost their own “ego” and accept the “ego” formed by the educational system or group consciousness The system of education is often a system of the student’s own.
The system of education often functions as a mechanism to suppress the student’s uniqueness and critical thinking. In many situations, education tends to force “right answers” and “acceptable ways of thinking” on students and does not allow them to question or have a different point of view. As a result, students often lose their own voice and are forced to develop an attitude of uncritical submission to existing frameworks and authorities. This type of education can be a barrier to true learning and personal growth.
7. Places that are not schools or companies
It is often forgotten that the place of education and work is not necessarily limited to traditional schools and companies. Students and workers have the potential to explore other options and redefine the way they learn and work.
- Home Schooling: Home schooling is one example of a form of education. This is a form of education in which the student is directly supervised by a parent or tutor, providing an environment free from the limitations of typical schooling. Homeschooling allows students to develop self-learning skills and have the opportunity to pursue a curriculum based on their own interests and talents.
- Online Education: Technology developments have also expanded the possibilities for online education. This allows students to learn at their own pace and access materials from around the world, transcending geographical constraints.
- Self-employment and freelancing: On the labor side, there are avenues for self-employment and freelancing. This is a way for individuals to offer their abilities and skills directly to the market and work independently of the traditional corporate framework. This method offers individuals the freedom to manage their own time and the opportunity to choose work based on their own values and goals.
- Communities and cooperatives: In addition, there are other ways to work outside the traditional corporate structure, such as communities and cooperatives. In these formats, individuals can work more directly, share in decisions, and share in the benefits of the organization.
These alternatives offer individuals the opportunity to choose their own methods of learning and labor and to act on their own values and goals. This reduces the likelihood that they will become a means of “brainwashing” while education and labor remain important elements in shaping one’s identity and perspective.