GRE 写作 issue 112

issue 112

"Some educational systems emphasize the development of students' capacity forreasoning and logical thinking, but students would benefit more from an education thatalso taught them to explore their own emotions."

The speaker asserts that educational systems should place less emphasis on reason andlogical thinking and more emphasis on the exploration of emotions. While I concede thatin certain fields students are well served by nurturing their emotions and feelings, in mostacademic disciplines it is by cultivating intellect rather than emotions that students mastertheir discipline and, in turn, gain a capacity to contribute to the well-being of society.

I agree with the speaker insofar as undue emphasis on reason and logical thinking canhave a chilling effect on the arts. After all, artistic ideas and inspiration spring not fromlogic but from emotions and feelings such as joy, sadness, hope, and love. And, the truemeasure of artistic accomplishment lies not in technical proficiency but rather in a work'simpact on the emotions and spirit. Nevertheless, even in the arts, students must learntheories and techniques, which they then apply to their craft. And, creative writingrequires the cognitive ability to understand how language is used and how tocommunicate ideas. Besides, creative ability is itself partly a function of intellect; that is,creative expression is a marriage of one's cognitive abilities and the expression of one'sfeelings and emotions.

Aside from its utility in the arts, however, the exploration of emotions has little place in

educational systems. The physical sciences and mathematics are purely products ofreason and logic. Even in the so-called "soft" sciences, emotion should play no part.Consider, for example, the study of history, political science, or public policy, each ofwhich is largely the study of how the concepts of fairness, equity, and justice workthemselves out. It is tempting to think that students can best understand and learn toapply these concepts by tapping feelings such as compassion, empathy, sympathy, andindignation. Yet fairness, equity, and justice have little to do with feelings, and everythingto do with reason.

After all, emotions are subjective things. On the other hand, reason is objective andtherefore facilitates communication, consensus, and peaceful compromise. Indeed, on asystemic scale undue emphasis on the exploration of our emotions can have deleterious

societal consequences. Emotions invite irrationality in thought and action, the dangers ofwhich are all too evident in contemporary America. For example, when it comes to thewar on drugs, free speech and religion, abortion issues, and sexual choices, public policytoday seems to simply mirror the voters' fears and prejudices. Yet common sensedictates that social ills are best solved by identifying cause-and-effect relation-ships---inother words, through critical thinking. The proliferation of shouting-match talk showsfueled by irrationality and emotion gone amuck is further evidence that our culture lendstoo much credence to our emotions and not enough to our minds. A culture that sanctionsirrationality and unfettered venting of emotion is vulnerable to decline. Indeed, exploitingemotions while suppressing reason is how demagogues gain and hold power, and howhumanity's most horrific atrocities have come to pass. In contrast, reason and betterjudgment are effective deterrents to incivility, despotism, and war.

In sum, emotions can serve as important catalysts for academic accomplishment in thearts. Otherwise, however, students, and ultimately society, are better off by learning totemper their emotions while nurturing judgment, tolerance, fairness, andunderstanding--all of which are products of reason and critical thinking.