Socrates believed that becoming knowledgeable is not just about the accumulation of information but also a process of individual learning. It is evident that the results obtained in this way often deviate from the established ones.
Only incompetent teachers are afraid that their students will find out that their knowledge is not as solid as they contend.
Good teachers, however, stimulate the confrontation of ideas. Quite a few teachers in Taiwan, it seems, are afraid of their students.
Challenges in an increasingly competitive, globalizing world require intellectual abilities that are Socratic, not Confucian.
This is especially true for young Taiwanese, who lack analytical skills that allow them to study on their own, independent of teachers and textbooks -- a fact that can be easily observed.
There is a similar situation in the case of democratic behavior. The Socratic tradition of thought seems to be closer to the idea of democracy than Confucianism.
Socrates insisted that the principles underlying actions and arguments of the powerful should be open to both public and rational scrutiny, i.e., to everybody who is affected by them, whereas Confucius' main concern apparently was the preservation of the social and hierarchical order, to be best achieved by obedience among subordinates.
It is my impression that people in Taiwan are often quite blinded by the empty phraseology which is used when defending Confucian values today. Without these moral crutches they fear chaos.
But how can individuals -- particularly the young -- find out how to be "good" if prescribed rules of behavior from the past are no longer available to them?
The art of teaching lies in enhancing a youth's ability to make decisions on his or her own -- without teachers or nurses, but with responsibility. And this ability has to be strengthened.
From this perspective it does not make too much sense to celebrate Teachers' Day as a national holiday nowadays.
Apparently, Confucius and his modern followers are less concerned with Socratic views.
These people are also less concerned with the demands and rights of lowly "subjects," instead interpreting responsibility to them as acts of personal favor or benevolence.
Officials are still seen as acting in the spirit of heads of families granting benefits instead of performing duties. This antiquated attitude, however, does not prepare young people for the future.
There is another, non-Confucian attitude, waiting to stand the test of time. Let us, therefore, give Confucius, who doubtlessly had his merits in feudal China some 2,500 years ago, an honorary place -- in the museum of history.
Herbert Hanreich is a professor in the Department of Applied English at I-Shou University in Kaohsiung County.
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