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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: The Philosopher who wrote (41375)	6/21/1999 5:35:00 PM
From: Bill Ulrich	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Compare a list of countries with > 90% literacy rates, with those of < 50% Which of these societies grows—becoming more developed—not only economically, but in terms of its Systems of Justice and Education? Applying the definitional rule of 'civilised' as including education and learning, and applying the thought that 'civilisation' (or "becoming civilised") is an ongoing (mutative?) process, then indeed: “Can a society be civilized if half of its citizens are well educated and the other half are uneducated?”

To: The Philosopher who wrote (41375)	6/21/1999 6:08:00 PM
From: Bill Ulrich	Respond to of 108807

Another way of looking at the question is to take the case of China. Mao (of all people) stressed the need for education and implemented policy (post-'49) to move the country to a higher level of literacy through universal public education. I believe they went from something like 40% to 85%+ in the period between '49 and the Cultural Revolution aberration in the latter part of the Sixties (Steve Rogers, do I have this right? I'm scratching brain cells which haven't been used in 10 or 12 years since college). So—where is China today? Civilised? (I ask because some people would disagree from the 'human rights' standpoint) Is 'civilised' absolute or relative? Was pre-49 China uncivilized, becoming civilised in the 50s and 60s excluding the Cultural Revolution period? Completely different culture—but an interesting study in how far a country can go when education is dramatically improved. Brings us back to the 'whole of society' part, to which all people should contribute (all people, hence the China reference). No tax break. (hmmm…doesn't sound very Republican of me, although I tend to identify with that party more)