Knowledge without Character

Taking a more inclusive mess of the biblically-based Seven Deadly Sins, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (i.e. Mahatma Gandhi) wrote his version the Seven Deadly tender Sins. one of the sins he warns of is Knowledge without personality, and to understand why he presents this combination as a electromotive force sin, one essential look at what Gandhi melodic theme of education (Hansen).Of education, Gandhi said, The ancient aphorism Education is that which liberates, is as true as it was before. . . . . Knowledge includes all training that is useful for the service of mankind and carrier bag means freedom of all manner of servitude . . . . . . slavery and domination from orthogonal and to ones cause artificial needs. The knowledge acquired in the pursuit of this ideal completely contributes to true study. (Gandhi & Education)A simple interpretation of this account requires that those who are currently pursuing a higher(prenominal)education in a collegiate setting need to analyze their reasons for doing so, and if they find thatthe potential to earn a greater income is the primary drive, they are headed down a path of socialsin. Students need to consider the bigger picture what discharge their particular academic interests doto make the sphere a wear out place? Can the lessons learned in an economics class be applied tothat students participation in local giving medication to a solution to nation-wide obliteration ofhomelessness to increasing the wealth of the entire world so that no human being is faced withdying of aridity or is that lesson merely a small step towards making more money for a privateenterprise?A grander interpretation of these actors line could be applied to the current desire to end terrorism. Looking keystone to WWII, the scientific knowledge postulate to create the atomic assail was utilise without character. Without taking sides or creating a political debate, the fact is that the United States of the States dropped tw o atomic bombs on Japan, and no other country before or since has dropped an atomic bomb in an act of war (Burr). mournful back to today, it is the United States that is leading the fight a come tost terrorism, and that fight began as an eradication of world-wide weapons of mass destructionweapons that were made possible and whose force was proven by the same nation that is currently acting as the worlds watchdog. Fortunately, the United States is getting a sulfur chance if we are capable to combat terrorism and eliminate the threat of atomic weapons and their kin, it may be that the knowledge gained so long ago regarding the devastation of the atom bomb will be applied today with the needful character by assuring all of humanity that such force will neer again be unleashed.The reason that the Social Sin of Knowledge without Character is such a great threat to humanity is directly think to the degree of power that is inherent to the possession of knowledge. Looking back at the p light of Frederick Douglass, a man born into slavery who taught himself to read and draw up so that he might better understand his captors and eventually safety valve his enslavement, it is clear that absent the knowledge of reading and writing, he never would takings a leak had the power to forge his papers and flee to the South (Douglass passim).Today, politicians, attorneys, the media, and others like them who interpret the information used by society to stay informed moldiness(prenominal) comprehend the responsibility of what they do. The power they possess to control the knowledge that is disperse into society demands that they have the character to present all sides of an issue and key out only factual detailsof course, as Gandhi predicted, the character flaws inherent in the average human being often precludes the knowledge being disseminated in a manner that is completely accurate and/or honorable.Consumers of this information must take it upon themselves to assess w hat they read and hear and are told with a vituperative eye, and when discrepancies are found, each observer must demand correction. The knowledge needed to assess information critically is often honed in the arena of higher education, so individuals involved in academia have an opportunity to gain knowledge and apply that knowledge with strength of character.Patrick Bassett expresses the relationship between educators and Gandhis Seven Social Sins in this way, we must continually seek to ruin opportunities to challenge our students and to have them challenge us on values issues. We must continually seek to carve out time to address issues of the community. We must continually keep the moral agenda before us. When our first and second curricula merge, we teach youngsters to avoid all of Gandhis sins and perhaps a few of their own design. (Bassett)As responsible individuals in a world that is partially in our hands, we must each consider the words of Gandhi and our connection to th em. It may be the role of the educator to plan actions, but it is the role of the student to take them. If this were not the case, the words spoken by Gandhi would have fallen uselessly to the ground, never having been truly heard and incorporated into the lives of those who have both the necessary knowledge and character.Works CitedBassett, Patrick F. Do the Right Thing The Case for Moral Education. NAIS academic Forum. Dec. 1995. Independent Schools Association of the Central States.Burr, William. Ed. The Atomic Bomb and the End of demesne War II A Collection of Primary Sources National protective covering Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 162. The National pledge Archive. 5 Aug. 2005. 27 Sept. 2006. <http//www.gwu.edu/nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/index.htm>.Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. New York Dodo, 2005.Gandhi & Education Basic Education (Buniyadi Shiksha). MKGandi.Org The Complete site on Ma hatma Gandhi. 25 Sept. 2006. <http//www.mkgandhi.org/edugandhi/index.htm>.Hansen, Paul. Biblical Justice Consultancy Gandhis Seven Deadly Social Sins A Reflection. Redemptorists of the Edmonton-Toronto Province. 2005. 27 Sept. 2006. <http//redemptorists.ca/justice_articles/social_sins.htm>.