Is it ethical to judge someone on lack of education?

[Aristarchus in Exile]

In physics, an electric field surrounds electrically charged particles and time-varying magnetic fields. The electric field depicts the force exerted on other electrically charged objects by the electrically charged particle the field is surrounding. The concept of an electric field was introduced by Michael Faraday.

 

Michael Faraday was reviled and outcast by his 'peers' because he couldn't do the math they demanded of him. However, I can't think of the name of one of his peers, but I do remember Faraday. The story of his life should be compulsory reading to anyone in any advanced science course because it might help them remain open minded about the opinions of others.

 

I think a section of this forum should be devoted to the history of science.

[Psycho]

Michael Faraday was reviled and outcast by his 'peers' because he couldn't do the math they demanded of him. However, I can't think of the name of one of his peers, but I do remember Faraday. The story of his life should be compulsory reading to anyone in any advanced science course because it might help them remain open minded about the opinions of others.

 

No he wasn't, He was elected director of the lab at the Royal Institution of London.

 

I personally think a greater story that should be learnt by many is to not talk about what they don't understand, filling the world with ignorance rather than bothering to read information by people far cleverer than them.

[JustinW]

I think the answer to the topic question depends on the conversation. If someone is willing to listen and learn they should not be judged harshly for their ignorance. People have to talk about what they don't understand in order to understand. BUT, they also shouldn't represent something as fact if it is not. If they do so and are not willing to listen to reasonable arguement then I think it fair to jusge harshly.

[Ophiolite]

To answer the question asked in the thread title I give a resounding YES: it is ethical to judge someone's lack of education if they refuse to remedy that lack and act as if it were not there. An example would be appropriate to illustrate this. You made this statement:

Michael Faraday was reviled and outcast by his 'peers' because he couldn't do the math they demanded of him.

This is a gross misrepresentation of the facts. He was an honoured and respected individual. You are confusing matters of class distinction, which were deeply rooted and iron cladat that time, with 'true' peer review.

In pursuit of your agenda that would have us disregard solid evidence in favour of self indulgent whimsey, you wish to demonstrate that great thinkers were ignored by their conservative contemporaries. To ignore and distort facts in order to support that agenda is evidence of a lack of education, for which you should be judged. Indeed it would be unethical not to judge you for such a corrupt action.

 

I think a section of this forum should be devoted to the history of science.

This is an excellent idea.

[questionposter]

I wouldn't blame people for being ignorant, but I would blame them for making up stuff up because they don't have an answer.

[archer73]

Michael Faraday is truly a great example of an auto learner who had divine inspiration and got all his knowledge form within and without learning. I heard a professor who trained his 3 daughters to become chess champions that it's a crime to send children to school because it ruins their brains. But some fields do require formal education, for example by attending one of the top nursing schools simply because you are delaing with human lives.

[TonyMcC]

I think it is just as well to remember that we were all born ignorant. None of us knew much at all until we were taught. When I was a lecturer I did my best to instil in my students the concept that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Students can be left behind if they are afraid of ridicule resulting from the asking of a question.