Dualistic Thinking, Maintaining Philosophy, and Maturing Society

Philosophy is a necessary replacement for polytheism in a monotheistic setting. This is because all of the aspects of humanity assigned to multiple gods require much deeper thinking than the dualistic thinking that becomes more common with monotheism. In essence, the transition from multiple gods (with multiple human characteristics to be considered) to a single God (relatively inhuman and ideal, who only gave humanity its form, not its characteristics) may have changed thinking from multiplistic to dualistic for many generations.

Note: As a concession to the human nature of humanity, God gave us Jesus (from the Christian perspective), who was entirely human yet miraculous and ideal (just how entirely human isn't really mentioned, and such writings have been excluded from the bible).

In order to maintain deeper and broader thinking on multiple levels and of multiple viewpoints (humanistic) we have to maintain philosophy as a higher order of thinking which is necessary in higher and middle education.

Dualistic thinking is better for younger children as part of scaffolding in order to get to multiplistic thinking in middle/high school and above. So, education should use dualistic thinking for elementary school at a higher degree than in later schooling. This is necessary for maturing societies in which monotheism and dualistic thinking are prevalent.

Educational Reform Research

My research of MA 2020 Reform initiative as well as of the Reform Leader William T. Harris can be found at the following links.

MA 2020 Reform: http://curriculumreform.wikispaces.com/Massachusetts+Reform+2020

William Torrey Harris: http://curriculumreform.wikispaces.com/William+Torrey+Harris+Reform+Leader