- Oct 2017
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engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu engagements2017-18.as.virginia.edu
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Education generates habits of application, order and the love of virtue; and controuls, by the force of habit, any innate obliquities in our moral organization.
This is an interesting quote as it made me question how education generates habits of application? Is this implying that students of the University of Virginia will provide structure for future generations? “Habits of application” connotes that students will become ambitious, rather than waiting around for change, they will implement it themself. This task can often seem impossibly challenging in today’s times, however it is interesting to see how UVA’s mission was to generate powerful students since it’s creation. The “order and love of virtue” mentioned in this quote shows that education must be driven by passion. Jefferson’s entire perspective of his University was for it to be a center for lifelong learners as education should not have a limit. To lack passion is to be ignorant as there is no point to be informed without any desire or intent supporting it. Another question I had was whether the “moral organization” of society is pointing to the idea/conclusion that everyone should think in the same way? It is important to have a wide range of varying opinions; changes within societal culture and norms do not change without this element. How can there be “habits of application” if everyone is under one “moral organization”? This statement seems to contradict itself as they are developing students who will potentially change and challenge the moral organization of our society. Perhaps this was the point all along. My Doing Fieldwork engagement has taught me to look at each person as their own system, so it is interesting to see how each of our individual systems are supposed to conform to a single ideal and organization within our American society (not even considering all of the standards from the rest of the world).
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