Education and Human Response to Global Crises

Source: The post Education and Human Response to Global Crises has been created, based on the article “Mourn for the lost connection” published in “Indian Express” on 9th January 2025

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education,

Context: The article discusses the human response to a decaying world marked by crises. It critiques hasty actions, emphasizing the need for reflection and mourning. Education should foster thoughtful responses to crises, instead of focusing on superficial, urgent solutions.

What is the current human condition in the face of crises?

1. Loss of faith: People are losing faith in the stability of the world due to ongoing violence and environmental crises.
2. Unexamined actions: In response to crises, there is a tendency to take hasty actions without proper examination, aimed more at temporary fixes rather than long-term solutions.
3. Exploitation by market: The state-market nexus uses crises to profit, pushing quick solutions while creating an artificial divide between humans and nature. For instance, promoting bottled water and air purifiers that do not address root causes.
4. Role of education: Education is often seen as a tool for quick fixes, such as organizing poster competitions and marches, which may raise awareness but seldom lead to deep understanding or substantial change.

What is the role of education in addressing crises?

1. Education is pressured to respond to crises through awareness programs and action plans.
2. However, these efforts often prioritize immediate solutions over deeper reflection. For example, poster competitions and cleanliness marches focus on activities rather than meaningful understanding.
3. Freud’s essay On Transience suggests mourning helps people reconcile with loss and adapt to change.
4. Instead of promoting hyperoptimistic programs like happiness curriculums, education should teach individuals to feel loss and create thoughtful, grounded responses to crises.

Conclusion

In conclusion, addressing global crises requires more than quick, superficial actions. As Hannah Arendt and Freud suggest, meaningful responses emerge from deep reflection and understanding of our losses. Education should prioritize these elements, fostering genuine connection and empathy, rather than pushing immediate, profit-driven solutions that widen the gap between humans and nature.

Question for practice:

Examine how education can contribute to meaningful responses to crises rather than promoting superficial solutions.