Great post. This topic deserves a lot more attention and discussion than it gets. It is literally the means by which we are programmed.

It's seems like this is the system that replaced religion as the obedience training for the masses

Yes. And along with it, the religion of scientism. Not actual science, but the worship of the scientific establishment's theories, which may be warped by their funding and papers published and edited by biased gatekeepers. Science is great, but it's not a bulletproof way to understand the world like many seem to be under the impression. A long time ago people had this conviction about religion too, that it was a bulletproof way of understanding everything. I think what you say is very true.

Without doubt, the scientific method is a great and valuable tool helping make sense of the universe and how it works. What I find so problematic about the current popular understanding of "science" is that it has become shorthand for "absolute truth" and replaces critical thinking skills, by externalizing thinking processes. "All experts agree", "what is your degree" - $cience has become a cult complete with high priests, saints and believers unable to understand the language of their holy scriptures. No real opinion on things that matter can be formed anymore because "the topic is too complex". This development is utterly undemocratic and tyrannical.

$cience has become a cult complete with high priests, saints and believers unable to understand the language of their holy scriptures.

Spot on.

Then maybe ya know, like educate yourself on the matter. There's soooo much information in the world. To be able to sift through and actually employ critical thinking skills you need to know what is going. Boasting of ignorance does not bolster your argument.

Boasting of ignorance does not bolster your argument.

That is the point I was trying to make, though. Have you ever had a discussion about the "collapse" of the Twin Towers, for example? "There were no demolition devices because a.) planes (post hoc ergo propter hoc), b) the experts said so (appeal to authority), c) structural dynamics is more complicated than Newton's Laws of Motion (appeal to complexity), d) I don't believe the government would so such a thing (strawman, appeal to personal incredulity), e) I don't understand the experts and so you don't either (argumentum ad ignorantiam)."

Hence, your LPT is of limited value, as it premises critical thinking as a given. That this skill is actively discouraged in our education system and academia, and even frowned upon by society, is a very dangerous, antidemocratic development and the matter of this discussion.

So what I'm saying is "scientific method, critical thinking, knowledge yeah - $cience, externalized thinking and ignorance boo" and that makes me a conspiracy theorist. Who, btw, survived the Prussian education system in Prussia.

So in your statement point b was rather telling. Are you suggesting that you did not appeal to evidence provided by experts or were you present and taking notes?

My premise is that the abundance of video footage is the strongest evidence. All else follows from the assumption it shows what happened and was not CGI. After that, I take your advice and inform myself on the laws of motion. Then I compare the various analyses by different experts. I also perform an experiment or two or more to try and falsify or verify the allegations. Now I consider my opinion well-founded and supported by experts - but it does not rely on them, as in, I don't have to appeal to their authority to make my case. But I know I could be wrong and am even looking forward to be proven wrong, because each time I learn something new.

This Prussian system was brought to assimilate the large numbers of rural people and immigrants of the time into the rapidly urbanizing country. Yes, it's also true that the system was designed primarily to make them good workers.

Here is a quote from 1913 by Frederick Gates, who was a close adviser to John D. Rockefeller and President of the General Education Board.

In our dream we have limitless resources, and the people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hand. The present educational conventions fade from our minds; and, unhampered by tradition, we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive rural folk. We shall not try to make these people or any of their children into philosophers or men of learning or of science. We are not to raise up among them authors, orators, poets, or men of letters. We shall not search for embryo great artists, painters, musicians. Nor will we cherish even the humbler ambition to raise up from among them lawyers, doctors, preachers, statesmen, of whom we now have ample supply. We are to follow the admonitions of the good apostle, who said, "mind not high things, but condescend to men of low degree."

1. http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1225&context=gov_fac_pubs&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3Dfrederick%2520t.%2520gates%252C%2520%2522the%2520country%2520school%2520of%2520tomorrow%252

Frederick Gates sounds about as smug and psychotic as they get. This world has truly been hammered on by evil, not in a religious sense, but by its very definition, for a very longtime now.

The speech and text of books 200 years ago suggest a society that was more intellectual by leaps and bounds compared to what we are experiencing today.

I feel intellectually lobotomized at the same time as feeling, honestly, like I'm smarter than many of the people that I meet on a daily basis, which to me is very sad because I am not by any means extraordinary in any sense other than the fact that I have an open mind. Really -- our awful education system compounded with what is a poor excuse for modern culture has left me feeling slow, regretful, and most of all unable to explain the choices I make on a daily basis because I make choices based on emotion rather than rationality, as I have been taught to since I was a child. Now I do as much as I can within my power to change this -- mostly by educating myself about the world around me, but in the end neuroplasticity is greatest during adolescence and because of the state of our underwhelming education system I feel I haven't met my potential because as a young boy I was confined by the inherent structure of modern education.

I mean, have you ever read the thoughts of a layperson of merely a century ago? Their diction... their capacity for language and just overall competence makes me sad and wonder about the future of humanity. In another century will we have digressed even more from whatever our natural state is? I know every generation ever recorded in history thinks that the following generation is going to shit, but even so I can't help but agreeing.

Sounds like you did not take chances in life and did not work hard for a dream constructed of your innate talents. Noone's fault but yours. You cannot save the world. Save yourself.

If you believe I am blaming anyone other than myself for my own actions then I have failed to properly communicate my thoughts.

Almost everything, EVERYTHING these shit heads says sounds right at home in r/iamverysmart. Every time I hear a quote from these douche licks, it always gives me this same reviled feeling in my stomache. I'm wondering what the fuck is going with these people, I mean, honestly, are they actually human? I feel like more they are just beasts.

The only explanation I can think of is that Horace Mann was brutally raped as a child, so fuck it, at least he got what he deserved.

They are narcissists that never got told "no" in any real way, and therefore think they deserve to literally own the world.

Obedient workers are good for the nation's elites and today our nation's elites are industrialists. They want workers, to steal a quote from George Carlin, just smart enough to work the machines and do the paperwork but not smart enough to know they are slaves and not in any position to take control of their lives. Creativity is the biggest enemy and that's why rote is used. They want memorization, not critical thinking.

George Carlin

I spent a lot of time reading about the Prussian Education method and the trivium method of education; absolutely mind blowing and enlightening. What has been done can be undone.

Search for Gene Odening, John Taylor Gato for more.

The peace revolution podcast has a bunch of stuff on the trivium and Prussian education. They draw HEAVILY from Gene Odening and have even got a marathon interview with Gato (it's like six or twelve hours long or something crazy like that, quite a few gems). They're pretty Ayndroidy, but if you're into that sort of thing they spend a lot of time on objectivism as well.

Why I quit Academia. Good post.

The University of Chicago was underwritten by the Rockefellers.

Just to help illuminate this path of thought:

http://www.thrivemovement.com/follow-money-education

Allegedly a grade 8 test from the 1800s http://thinklab.typepad.com/think_lab/2006/03/8th_grade_exami.html

It's interesting that the comment section after the test questions are all people searching for the answers.

It seems that they are so used to just turning to the back of the book

Because as OP mentioned, we are so conditioned To not think this way. The texts teaching the answers to these questions are obscure now, if not non-existent.

Most of those answers can be easily found

They're definitely not things I was ever exposed to or taught

I found it really eye-opening to learn about this. There's also a good book on this subject by a young Canadian author named Zander Sherman called The Curiosity of School

in order to generate obedient workers and soldiers who would not question his authority.

Answered your own question.

So what is the preferred replacements? I haven't thought of this st all, but I don't see any solutions. Sorry if this sounds stupid

I grew up in Canada and I find that I was far more educated than my American counterparts after k-12 with absolutely no religious or nationalist indoctrination.

America is a gigantic corporation attempting to constrict the world. Of course it wants a one world system with alot of plebs, few middle class as govt workers/corporate desk jockies and a dynastic upper class. It is plain to see.

Irreligion is indoctrination.

Secular education is the opposite of indoctrination. Did you grow up in South Carolina or Alabama?

Australia

Here are some relevant quotes on our education. If you have any resources that cover the subject, please share them.

in order to generate obedient workers and soldiers who would not question his authority.

This is why Romney lost the election, he wanted to get rid of the public education system in favor of allowing parents to choose their schools and help fund them with educational vouchers. The power that he would never allow their slaves to leave the education system.

Teachers are Lazy to the point they would dope little children to turn them into drones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuMcL3AQZq8

Look at how they attack their male students who want to be employed in blue collar work.

Anyone who had to go through apprenticeship deserves more praise than a teacher.

in order to generate obedient workers and soldiers who would not question his authority.

Wow, that's not a completely objective opinion now is it?

Op left out the story behind it.

Originally prussian education focused on common sense and fostering the ability to think for yourself. Sadly it worked too well. At war soldiers would break formation and rather try to save themself than follow orders wich caused much heavier losses than necessary and ultimatively defeat . After a shocking defeat that should have been a clear victory they decided that they had to change education to get soldiers that would follow orders.

Clearly we still have people who think for themself today but the goal was as stated.

So what do we propose we do to fix it?

Edit: typical. Always complaining but never can contribute ways to deal with the problem

You can't fix it. I'd replace it with the classical education. It worked for thousands of years.

Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric. First the facts, then logic, then use the facts and the logic to develop rhetoric.

Most of those answers can be easily found

If you believe I am blaming anyone other than myself for my own actions then I have failed to properly communicate my thoughts.