b'THEFebruary 2024PURPOSE OF EDUCATIONBy Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.January 1, 1947 to February 28, 1947Writinginthecampusnewspaper,theMaroon Tiger,many instances do not give us objective and unbiased King argues that education has both a utilitarian and atruths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in moral function. Citing the example of Georgias formermy opinion, is one of the chief aims of education.governor Eugene Talmadge, he asserts that reasoning abilityisnotenough.HeinsiststhatcharacterandEducation must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, moral development are necessary to give the criticalto discern the true from the false, the real from the intellect humane purposes. King, Sr., later recalled thatunreal, and the facts from the fiction.his son told him, Talmadge has a Phi Beta Kappa key, can you believe that? What did he use all that preciousThe function of education, therefore, is to teach one to knowledge for? To accomplish what? think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest Maroon Tiger menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may As I engage in the so-called bull sessions around andbe the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.about the school, I too often find that most college men haveamisconceptionofthepurposeofeducation.The late Eugene Talmadge, in my opinion, possessed Mostofthebrethrenthinkthateducationshouldone of the better minds of Georgia, or even America. equip them with the proper instruments of exploitationMoreover,heworethePhiBetaKappakey.Byall so that they can forever trample over the masses. Stillmeasuringrods,Mr.Talmadgecouldthinkcritically others think that education should furnish them withand intensively; yet he contends that I am an inferior noble ends rather than means to an end. being. Are those the types of men we call educated?It seems to me that education has a two-fold functionWe must remember that intelligence is not enough. to perform in the life of man and in society: the one isIntelligence plus characterthat is the goal of true utility and the other is culture. Education must enableeducation.Thecompleteeducationgivesonenot amantobecomemoreefficient,toachievewithonly power of concentration, but worthy objectives increasing facility the ligitimate goals of his life. upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated Educationmustalsotrainoneforquick,resoluteknowledgeoftheracebutalsotheaccumulated and effective thinking. To think incisively and to thinkexperience of social living.for ones self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths,If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group prejudices,andpropaganda.Atthispoint,Ioftenof close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, wonderwhetherornoteducationisfulfillingitsconsumed with immoral acts. Be careful, brethren! purpose. A great majority of the so-called educatedBe careful, teachers!people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in Follow us on4'