The seven knowledge necessary for the education of the future, according to Edgar Morin

Edgar Morin is a French philosopher, anthropologist and sociologist of importance in the field of human sciences. His contributions have had great impact, especially in the world of education. UNESCO itself asked him to speak out on the education of the future and from there emerged a famous text on the knowledge necessary for tomorrow.

Everything was condensed in the book The seven knowledge necessary for the education of the futurepublished in 2000. There he talks about the axes that must be taken into account to restructure the educational field, so that it truly trains people capable of responding to current challenges.

The book has not lost its validity. On the contrary, it continues to be the subject of study and debate. Morin stated that Its purpose was not to propose new models, but to fight against the errors of the current educational system.which remain ignored.

Next we will see what it says about the seven knowledge necessary for the education of the future.

1. The blindness of knowledge: error and illusion

The first of the seven knowledge necessary for the education of the future has to do with the fact that knowledge itself is subject to illusion and the error. Emotions, positive and negative, as well as the limitations of perception generate biases and restrictions in particular knowledge.

This is a reality that must be accepted. Therefore, It is important to teach knowledge that is capable of motivating criticism of one’s own knowledge.. The search for truth requires reflection, questioning, criticism and correction of errors.

2. The principles of relevant knowledge

Education must enable people to identify key knowledge. This is only achieved if the context, the interaction between the particular and the general, as well as the fact that all reality is multidimensional, is taken into account.

Due to the above, it seems necessary generate methods that facilitate the detection of complex interactions that exist in reality. In other words, capable of integrating knowledge, instead of disaggregating it as is currently the case.

3. Teach the human condition

One of the seven knowledge necessary for the education of the future is recognize the double condition of the human being: as an individual, with a particular identity, and at the same time as a member of a certain group.

Each human being would be inhabited by three dimensions, or loops: the first is brain-mind-culture; the second, reason-affect-impulse; and the third, individual-society-species. Therefore, each person in training is the bearer of a complex particularity that, at the same time, must learn to integrate with the complexity of others.

4. Talk about earthly identity

Education must have a planetary perspective. This means that intellectual, emotional and moral development must occur on a global scale and not only based on the immediate environment. That’s the right perspective.

The above makes knowledge more real and integrative. At the same time, helps consolidate the idea that everyone’s homeland is the planet and not a particular nation or region. Only in this way can big problems be understood and solved.

5. Face uncertainties

The uncertainty principle must be one of the axes of education. Reality is dynamic, mutable and this has become much more evident since the 20th century. The uncertain not only refers to the future development, but to the validity of knowledge itself.

Likewise, there is continuous uncertainty regarding our own decisions. Therefore, It is not convenient to continue educating people as if there were a system of certainties., since it is not. On the contrary, not knowing “for sure” is the constant.

6. Develop understanding

Morin points out that communication is not understanding. The latter implies the understanding of different codes of ethics, rituals, customs and political options that are further removed from those that do agree or fit more with our ideas.

Specific, one of the seven knowledge necessary for the education of the future is empathic openness towards others. This must be complemented with tolerance for other people’s ideas and feelings, as long as they do not violate human dignity.

7. The ethics of the human race

A valid ethic for the entire human race is a felt need of the current times. It must be based on the loop: individual-society-species. This implies the promotion of democratic practices and respect for diversity; Otherwise it would be a “dictatorship of the majority”.

People must learn to see themselves as “planetary citizens.” We are the same species and that is what is essential.. Projects, interactions and commitments must be designed and experienced at the species scale.

Edgar Morin also raised the idea that all education should be reformed, from primary school to university, with the goal of not dividing knowledge, but integrating it. He proposed creating the “epistemological tithe”: every institution should dedicate 10% of its budget to analyzing the relevance of what it teaches.

Main image: “Creative Commons” by Frontiers of Thought licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

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