Genpe Roshi's resignation, moralism, responsibility, and growing up

So the Prussian education system (which we use here in the States) was conceived as having a sorting function, achieved by assigning arbitrary tasks with no overarching meaning, rigidly enforcing rules and authoritarian leadership style (totalitarian), and strict systems of rewards and punishments. The students would automatically sort themselves, based on how they responded to these pressures, into one of three groups. The first group never really clues in to the whole pattern-- they just go along to get along, doing the tasks, following the rules (or at least being discrete). They sort themselves into the group of folks who'll just work-a-day through life without worrying about the big picture. The second group sees all the power dynamics, understands the arbitrariness of it all, and determines to make the most of it by staying on the good side of the authorities. They identify with the authoritarian leaders and resolve to be on that side of the equation, taking responsibility for the big picture, seeing how all the little tasks fit together, and so sort themselves into the middle management/professional class. Many in this category will be at a lower level of social maturity than the first group. They will often be narcissistic, out for themselves, clever (they're clued in to the game) and see that it's better to join em if you can never beat em. Also the selection process for this group is slanted to lower maturity levels because in order to see the authoritarian dynamics and not challenge them but identify with them, you've got to be willing to exploit the fact that most aren't clued in to the Game).

The third group is clued in to the power dynamics but can't get over the injustice of it. They can't conform blindly, and can't identify with the authoritarian side of the equation. If they can't pick a side, they will flunk out. Without that certification, they're no threat to the system, since no one will take them seriously.
So now, understanding that most likely Genpo and most of his students' most influential source of solcialization from 5yrs to 18yrs was just this sorting mechanism, and understanding how this mechanism will shift diproportianate numbers of institutional-level folks into "follower mode" and likewise disproportianate numbers of pre-institutional folks into leadership positions, is it any wonder that we have so many examples of communities with narcissistic leaders (who see that the best way to get what they 'need' is to be on top) and conformist followers who project idealizations onto the leader (he must know the big picture; he must see things I don't, so I'll trust him over my judgment). I mean, this pattern is pretty universal in our society, it seems to me. Look at politics, business world, academia. Leaders in our society often have an inflated sense of importance pasted over self-interest; followers often have an attitude of *not even wanting to know the Big Picture* and thus not having any responsibility for it. And as far as i can see this system serves exactly the same function in our society as it did for the Prussians, as was intended by the folks that imported that system in the 19th Cent. Namely, it sorts the working and middle classes in a way that's most useful to the owners in terms of either working blindly for the owners or managing the owners' interests (by organizing the labor of the masses).

Oh, and bare in mind that the "leaders" often have high cognitive development but low social maturity-- like Genpo, and perhaps Ken Wilber, and Adi Da, and Andrew Cohen, and probably ninety percent of politicians hahaha. So they can convince themselves that they really are more mature (that's the grandiosity side of narcissism) than their followers, more wise, more important in a word, while not at all coming off as low-lifes or criminals and probably having great social skills (i.e., can intentionally make others feel things, are good manipulators).

Hi Jake,

You finally got me convinced. Whew!

I'm familiar with the Prussian school system - I'm German, living in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, after all.

Would you agree that the drop-out group in your exposition would have a very high proportion (compared to the other two) of what's called "chronical yogi" around here?

I don't know if this axis of development is covered in Wilber's grand model scheme, but even if it isn't, I think it is tragically ironic how it's one of his big blind spots regarding cult-like players in the "integral" playground. Oh well, here's to noticing the splinter in a brother's eye...

Cheers,
Florian

When I look at "moralizing", it is just brain simplifying a cause and predicted effect while adding an emotional component.

A person that sticks strongly to socially conditioned moral behavior will not give themselves the opportunity to examine those beliefs and develop a more nuanced morality-feel.

I'm always amused by my mind's tendency to moralize whatever behaviors I feel are in people's best interest, whether its environmentalism, what they eat, what they do for entertainment, etc.

@jhsaintonge: This institutional sorting process you are talking about is a very interesting line of thought. Can you recommend some sources to read more about this idea?

@ Florian-- lol you're a damn good sport brother!! Yeah, I think the drop-out category probably refers in one form or another to lots of us here. Remember these are like what Weber called "ideal types", i.e., each of us has a bit of each, some kind of balance, and more besides. I'll have to look up references to the "chronic yogi" but I bet you're right.
R.e. Wilber: there is a need at the cutting edge to re-claim integralism from Wilber's brand-name Integral Theory. Basically and briefly any developmental level can be looked at on a spectrum from functional to pathological, and each level has characteristic weak-spots where if it's going to go pathological it will go in those certain directions. Suffice it to say that the "integral' level, which is somewhere around the inter-individual level (maybe just after it) has a weak spot for authority and hierarchy, higher is better and so on. Ken's system, for all the brilliant stuff he's borrowed from others, still reminds me of 19th century Theosophy. you know, melding spirituality with modern science with evolution with an evolutionary theory of culture that can be a bit racist/elitist. I was corresponding with a person on the fringes of Ken's Integral World who reported Ken's opinion that 'the Spiral" (i.e., the spirit of evolution) had chosen G. W. Bush, who was a brilliant leader, etc etc. Kinda wierd (but now you know my political bias haha!) Well now you know Ken's too.

@ Orasis: I'll look that up for you. I bet if you googled "Prussian Education System" or something like that you'd be able to track it down. It's one of those "open secrets". A big opponent here in the states was John Dewey. The Progressive movement (in the first few decades of the 20th Cent) appropriated his ideas and incorporated them into the existing system in such a way as to nullify them. The result was the Trade School system (you know: you're dad's a mechanic? Don't worry about high school) and the integration of multiple small school districts into many fewer huge ones (increasing the systemic pressure on teachers and administrators to inhabit impersonal authority roles and encouraging youth to be strictly segregated by age), both of which moves served to reinforce the Prussian-style sorting business. Dewey's thoughts on education are a great place to start if you're interested in the resistance movement. In contrast to how his ideas were applied he was all for everyone, regardless of class background, exploring art, carpentry, farming, math, science, critical thinking, sociology, psychology, literature, history and all through direct experience (through actually doing things and having personal responsibility and accountability rather than reading about stuff in books and moving when bells ring). If you can find a copy of Wilson's speech (I forget the occasion) while he was President of a University (Harvard? Can't remember) before bcoming a Progressive Democrat President, in it he gives an articulate and straightforward exposition of the mainstream (Prussian-esque) education theory in which he speaks glowingly about the sorting process and straightforwardly praises it for keeping the masses under control so that the owners can make the important decisions about what to do with their stuff (you know, everything.) Great points about moralizing by the way. And feel free to call me Jake

Available @http://www.sntp.net/education/school_state_3.htm. Haven't read the whole thing but seems like a critique from a libertarian standpoint, so be aware of that slant.

"It cannot be overemphasized that American schools, which have changed only slightly since the 19th century, were modeled on the authoritarian Prussian schools - not much of a recommendation. Albert Einstein was a product of those schools. Considering Einstein's intellectual achievements, that might suggest that the schools in Germany were of high quality. Before drawing that conclusion, however, hear Einstein's own words:

'One had to cram all this stuff into one's mind, whether one liked it or not. This coercion had such a deterring effect that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year.... It is in fact nothing short of a miracle that the modem methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty. To the contrary, I believe that it would be possible to rob even a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness, if it were possible, with the aid of a whip, to force the beast to devour continuously, even when not hungry - especially if the food, handed out under such coercion, were to be selected accordingly."
Also some neat info here on decline of literacy rates in USA after institution of compulsory state schooling.

And here's one from (I sense, haven't read the whole thing yet) the other end of the political spectrum and probably closer to my own biases:

@http://www.spinninglobe.net/againstschool.htm
The other of this piece lists six functions of mandatory state schools, the sixth of which is the one to which I reffered above:
"6) The propaedeutic function. The societal system implied by these rules will require an elite group of caretakers. To that end, a small fraction of the kids will quietly be taught how to manage this continuing project, how to watch over and control a population deliberately dumbed down and declawed in order that government might proceed unchallenged and corporations might never want for obedient labor. " Groups one and two are represented here, group three of course is irrelevant.
Note the factual overlap between the two and even the common themes, suggesting that right and left political orientations have much to share when articulated outside the context of the suppressive mass cultural "mainstream" variants (dems and repubs, i.e.).

www.spinninglobe.net/againstschool.htm

Thanks Jake, I found this earlier this evening and read the whole thing. I give it the much coveted "Clayton's Seal of Approval"

Ha.. sweet