New Athenian Academy

Remember, remember the fifth of November
The gunpowder treason and plot,
I know of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
should ever be forgot.

- Commemorating Guy Fawkes

I have two simple questions to pose today. How many students in high school know who Guy Fawkes was? How many only know because of a graphic novel turned movie, V for Vendetta?

Now, I love the graphic novel and movie. I wasn’t taught about Guy Fawkes in school either. In fact, I believe I was introduced to the gunpowder treason of 1605 through the graphic novel; however, I wonder why?

This strikes me as a rather important moment in history for both Great Britain and the United States. It’s one of the first violent reactions of oppressed religion in Britain. Certainly events and sentiment such as this led Jean Jacques Rousseau and, therefore, John Locke to many of their conclusions about social contracts. This, in turn, led to much of the philosophy that founded the United States. It might have taken a few generations to reach critical mass, but Guy Fawkes and others like him arguably started the revolutions of the 18th century. Doesn’t that seem pretty important for our children to understand?

Of course, 90% of the students graduating from high school today can’t explain the basic tenants of social contract theory. Ultimately, this is a problem with the way we segregate academia from the pragmatism of real-world operations. More on that tomorrow. For now, let’s all just remember, remember…

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Education Process by Josh