Multiculturalism vs. Critical Thinking

By Tom Rhodes, 10/3/2013

There is a drive in education to teach “critical thinking,” not to just teach students how to memorize dates and words and formulae. Teaching our children how to use the knowledge they have to solve problems and truthfully understand what they see, hear, and read. Teaching critical thinking is a great and noble goal. Except. . . . .

Statists and liberals in teaching don’t actually want our students to actually use critical thinking; because if they did then students would reject much of what they are being taught. That’s why our education pays lip service to teaching critical thinking but never quite gets there.

Our laws reflect and our schools now overwhelming teach that females are equal to males, and should be treated no differently. Girls can do anything boys can do. It’s wrong for a husband to strike his wife, it’s wrong to not allow a woman to do something a man can do, etc. Women deserve equal protection under the law and that because of past oppression; Title IX laws are fair to give women some advantages until we achieve true equality. More than that we have enshrined the idea and belief that individually and as a nation all people “will not be judged by the color of their skin,” or sex, or religion, or natural origin, “but by the content of their character.” We have ingrained into our culture these values.

The same schools and liberals are also teaching that all cultures are equal and that we should not be judgmental of other cultures. We actively teach that being judgmental of other cultures is bad. The goal is to understand and equally value cultures other than our own. Our schools embrace the idea of multiculturalism and diversity; teach our children that although all cultures are different one isn’t superior to another. In fact our teachers are taught specifically that even thinking that Western culture is superior to any other culture is racist and biased.

How does a student who has been taught to think critically reconcile the ideas being presented which clearly contradict each other? If we expect our children to accept “diversity” as a value, and we teach them to think critically, then if they choose to own slave, or beat their wife, or slay their enemy, we cannot be surprised nor say it is wrong. It is only accepting and honoring other equally valid cultures. To accept the idea that all cultures are equally valid is to reject the values of our culture.

We can’t have it both ways, we can’t ask our students to accept our cultures values and accept that other cultures values are equal to ours and then ask them to think critically. If equality for women is good, and treating them unequal is evil, then how do they respect and equally value cultures which openly claim a husband has the right to beat his wife, that women can be restricted from certain jobs or even driving? How can we teach freedom of religion and teach to respect and value a culture that says those who don’t share a specific religious belief must pay an extra tax and submit to having their rights reduced? Much less teach the value of equality under the law.

If you agree that a husband beating his wife to discipline her is wrong, then you are making a cultural judgment against other cultures, and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree that polygamy is wrong then you are making a cultural judgment against many other cultures, and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree slavery is wrong, then you are making a cultural judgment against many non-western cultures that actively allow and participate in slavery today, and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree that eating meat is wrong than you are making a cultural judgment against most of the world, and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree that stoning a rape victim to death because her inappropriate attire caused the men who raped her to sin is wrong, you are making a cultural judgment against Islamic cultures, and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree that arresting and punishing homosexuals is wrong, then you are making a cultural judgment against many non-western cultures that actively punish and execute homosexuals today, and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree that imprisoning, fining, or otherwise punishing, those who speak against their rulers is wrong, then you are making a cultural judgment against most other non-western cultures, and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree that private citizens should not be allowed to own guns, or be severely limited in the guns they are allowed to own, then you making a cultural judgment against about half the adult US population and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

In fact if you agree or disagree with the Bill of Rights then you are making a cultural judgment and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

If you agree that all people should be free to own property and use it as they see fit so long as that use does not infringe upon the same rights of another then you are making a cultural judgment against almost every existing and historic culture in human history and have rejected the idea of multiculturalism.

When we teach our children to think critically, they will reject multiculturalism. The very concept that “diversity is strength” fails any rational BS test and is only accepted because today in the USA not accepting such a provably false idea is so politically incorrect it’s toxic; even in the Libertarian Party.