“I cannot teach anyone anything. I can only make them think.” Socrates
Lisandro Prieto
Teacher. Writer. Philosopher
San Juan – Argentina
Today we would like to invite you to reflect on a matter that excites and distresses us, namely, the assessment of the role of the teacher from a strictly emancipatory point of view. We will try to think about this matter from the proverb “Carpe diem!” or “seize the day” (also commonly translated as “seize the moment”) in a more authentic and less vulgar way, for the practical purposes of trying to understand the true meaning of the educational act.
The complete ode from which the aforementioned motto comes is by Horace, a Roman poet who lived between 65 BC and 8 BC and is part of his collection “Carmina” (Odes), specifically the phrase that appears in 1.11, addressed to Leuconoe, which can be interpreted as a symbolic character, representing any person whom the poet wants to inspire or give advice to:
“Do not ask—it is sacrilege to know—what end the gods have given you and me, Leuconoe, nor attempt Babylonian calculations. How better to accept what is to come! Whether Jupiter has granted us more winters or the last one, which now weakens with its opposing rocks the Tyrrhenian Sea. Be wise, filter your wines and shorten the long hope. While we speak, envious time will have fled: seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow.”
Specifically in her poetry, it is common to find names of women who function as literary figures rather than specific characters with a detailed concrete story. The advice to seize the day, in this context, refers to her as a way of involving the reader or listener in a strictly personal philosophical reflection on life and time: we must stop obsessing over the prediction of an uncertain future using calculations (in the case of the poem, “Babylonian,” that is, astrological) and be willing to accept “what is to come,” whether in abundance or precariousness. The main message is not to live like an idiot, but wisely, enjoying a priceless present without letting ourselves be subjected to the torturous omens of an uncertain tomorrow. Leucónoe, therefore, today, is you, my beloved and faithful reader.
Surely many of you have been familiar with this powerful motto of Horace through its use in the film “Dead Poets Society” (1989), in which the previously explained theme of finitude is intertwined with a poem by Walt Whitman, entitled “Oh Captain! My Captain” through a majestic act of pedagogy by the character John Keating, the inspiring teacher played by Robin Williams. In this sense, the teacher uses “Carpe Diem” to encourage his students to live their lives fully and authentically, inviting them to take advantage of each day, day by day, seeking their passions and not conforming to the expectations that society in general and their families in particular place on their shoulders. As an illustration, Keating invites students to the school’s trophy room, showing them photos of former students conquering and winning hundreds of awards for sports and intellectual competitions, showing them that the characters of those achievements were also young, with dreams and aspirations. As the pupils admired the faces of youth immortalised in a mausoleum of memories, the teacher murmured to them: “Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.”
Returning to Whitman’s poem, which was written in homage to President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination, it denotes a clear sign of lament for the loss of a beloved leader who symbolizes the respect and admiration that is earned by those who are worthy of knowing how to lead with courage and wisdom. In the specific context of the aforementioned film, the students recite “Oh Captain! My Captain” as a tribute to Professor Keating, who has been an inspirational figure (as good teachers should be):
“My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse or will;
The ship is safely anchored, her voyage closed and done;
From the fearful journey, the victorious ship enters with the objective won;
Rejoice, oh shores, and ring, oh bells!
But I, with a mourning step,
I walk the deck where my Captain lies,
“Fallen cold and dead.”
It is time to ask ourselves about the connection between both poems in the script of the referenced film piece. In “Dead Poets Society”, Horace’s phrase “Carpe Diem” and Whitman’s poem intertwine to highlight two main themes: the importance of living in the present and the inspiring influence of a leader or mentor. The educational journey of every human being sets sail at birth and does not end until death, and in the course of docking from port to port, we experience different captains who make us sail the seas of knowledge. Just like Keating, who represents that captain who guides his students on their educational-existential journey, urging them to take advantage of each day and to be authentic, we must look for the way in which our students perceive us in our role.
At this point, I must ask you: which teacher do you remember with such fondness? It is certainly easy to remember the one who made us understand content that up until that moment was incomprehensible to us. Yes, we remember the teachers who know how to explain, but we go further with the question: which one can we not forget? Basically, those who marked a before and after in our lives, not only in our education, but in our way of perceiving and being in our existence. It is unfortunate that so many among us tell us that they cannot remember such inspiration, either because they did not live it, did not have it, did not perceive it or simply “it did not touch them”. That “I have not had the pleasure” is very sad, because it is assumed that in more than twelve years of compulsory schooling, with so many teaching staff that passed through our educational trajectory, someone, at least one, at least one, should have inspired us in something.
Obviously, dear readers, this is not an article about art and poetry, but rather about pedagogy and education for freedom, in which we intend to establish that to teach is to inspire, not only with knowledge, content and forms, but also with the example of those who were able to escape from the cave, see the light and return to the depths to loosen the chains of slavery that represent a life immersed in ignorance. Living the day and paying homage to those who have been worthy of admiration is nothing other than honoring existence together with those who have inspired us and taught us to live with meaning.
Just like the prisoners in Plato’s myth, students can only see what they have been allowed to see in their homes, in their small groups of friends, and on social media. Well, those shadows of what really matters are all they know up to this point, and it is part of the teacher’s civic and pedagogical responsibility to return to the plain, to the darkness, and to start from there with them to begin the ascent towards a more dignified life. That is educational quality, it is nothing else: those of us who have had the privilege of having students in our care should not limit ourselves to imparting pre-established knowledge, but we have to go a step further, that of challenging students to question their perceptions of what is happening around us, to guide them in the search for a deeper and more authentic understanding of reality.
If we view the teaching process in this way, it is normal that at first students may feel uncomfortable, disoriented, and even harbor a certain hostility towards the idea of being able to question “what is given,” but, and this is fundamental, the teacher should be trained to patiently accompany them on their path to understanding in a journey that not only expands their knowledge, but also develops their critical and reflective capacity. In this methodology, inspiration is aimed directly at a permanent criticism of those shadows with which our children tend to content themselves or hide, whether it is superficial information of the moment or poorly explained and misunderstood dogmas, seeking in this way to shed light on true knowledge, which can only be given by fostering an environment in which curiosity and the desire to learn are fundamental values. In other words, if the student does not know why he is learning what he is learning, he will not learn. However, the difference is abysmal when the educational miracle finally occurs, and this is something that many teachers can attest to: the release of endorphins is enormous for a teacher who can appreciate how his students, motivated by this passion, become active seekers of truths, committed to their own intellectual and personal growth.
The transformative process we have just described, which is real, although it does not occur on a massive scale (unfortunately), not only enriches the mind, but also the spirit, preparing our youth to face the world with courage, wisdom and, above all, purpose, since a human being who understands that he or she is valuable in and of himself or herself feels that his or her life has meaning, and that is extremely valuable because it provides a solid foundation for acting with confidence in himself or herself and in others, in order to withstand inclement weather with resilience and to contribute positively to society, knowing full well that his or her existence has a meaning beyond the immediate.
2024-07-12 03:27:10