Left to our own devices, we are apt to backslide to our…
““Left to our own devices, we are apt to backslide to our instinctive conceptual ways. This underscores the place of education in a scientifically literate democracy, and even suggests a statement of purpose for it (a surprisingly elusive principle in higher education today). The goal of education is to make up for the shortcomings in our instinctive ways of thinking about the physical and social world. And education is likely to succeed not by trying to implant abstract statements in empty minds but by taking the mental models that are our standard equipment, applying them to new subjects in selective analogies, and assembling them into new and more sophisticated combinations.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Education should reshape innate intuitive thinking by linking familiar mental models to new concepts through analogies.
In simple terms: Teach by connecting what we know to what we need to learn.
Key Takeaway
Use analogies to bridge gaps.
Themes
education
science
critical thinking
democracy
knowledge
learning
Mood
inquisitive
hopeful
Type
philosophical
practical
When to use this quote
- classroom teaching
- public policy
- self‑education
Key Concepts
cognitive scaffolding
model building
analogy
scientific literacy
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we ensure analogies are accurate?
- What role does curiosity play?
A Different Perspective
Education alone cannot change deep biases.