Hands cannot work without power.
Who follows the weak? To change a person’s behavior, one must be powerful. This power may not be physical or weapon-based; the foundation of the power of knowledge also lies in the ability to fight and achieve desires. Those who ignore the fact that knowledge is produced for conflict deceive themselves into thinking they are engaged in innocent acts, instead serving ill-intentioned people. Our foundation is life, and life is a form of self-sufficiency. We are at the forefront of a grand endeavor to pierce the universe with the spear of vitality.
Even though it may not be pleasant, education is a political institution, and all forms of it require power. Whoever holds power sets the standard for education. Power is the head teacher of education. The struggle for power can be traced back to the first living cells. Life is a speculative condition that instrumentalizes the environment, in a sense, politicizes it. We are heirs to a strange anomaly that forcibly changes its surroundings. While it is possible to be ashamed of this inheritance, stabilizing it and turning it into a narrative of goodness is the most beneficial path for everyone.
Still, for those who do not doubt their own government or individual authority, let us ask: What part of this death deserving rebelliousness can we pity? What food descends into our stomachs willingly? Even hands that hold pens are part of the same continuum as those that wield weapons. What moves our fingers? What gives strength to the hands that hold weapons? Even the most innocent arrow is piercing. Even if it is shot for sport, caution is necessary.
Education is in the orbit of power.
What turns an innocent baby into a terrorist? What declares innocent people, even countries, as terrorists, leading to total wars? Who decides who is a terrorist? Can we determine who is the traitor in a civil war just by looking from the outside? Why are there different lessons in different countries? Why are different rules valid in different families? These are differences in education resulting from the differentiation of power domains.
We are a group educated into a certain way of life and instrumentalized by powers. Humans follow the powerful, the ones who can wield power, and power is not only a weapon. Academic authority, parenting, and social status are also forms of power that enable one to impose their will. If we have no power over the learner, we cannot achieve the desired behavioral change. We cannot even ensure behavior that benefits them, which is why we always raise children with force.
Let us not forget that we are at the head of the army.
Whether as a government official, a parent, or as an individual, unless one demonstrates willpower and is respected as an authority figure, or at least portrays a leader figure, no gains can be made. The institutions that most transform society—family, politics, religion—are all composed of power figures. Education does not take place effectively without the presence of an enemy on the other side or the feeling of our own power. We use emotions, the strongest of which is survival, to realize mass education.
All forms of education and cultural transfer reflect a certain power. Even if you educate your child at home, this is an imposition of your worldview. Any education given by any person is also a transfer of human power. There is no ideal education; there can only be ideal education for a purpose. Just as we cannot decide which color is more beautiful, we cannot determine the correct education. Education changes according to what we desire to achieve.
We do not present this unpleasant situation as something necessary. Even though we are engaged in a power struggle, it is paradoxically true that the branch of compassion, which balances this, continues from humanity. What we write here is a warning about power. Education would be better if it appealed not to power but to the greatness within us. However, we must describe reality and then guide the misguided arrows toward the right path. In the first section, we will discuss the power of the institution, the teacher, and the learner.
