Rote Learning Vis-à-vis Physical Comprehension

Manto writes "Masadi mian,

What about 43% in India? Is there a Church of MAJ there as well? "

No, the Church of MAJ operates in Pakistan and is not that well organized elsewhere. Regarding the 43% in India, those people would probably give a 45% Or higher approval rating to Daffy Duck, Mickey Mouse and the gang, to them "approval" of "MAJ" figures with those other prominent loony (tunes) characters...

In addition to #49, I'd like to add the following for Manto:

" ..any other questions about the poll you rat, that are not accompanied with threats to get me fired from my job (at your imagined institution)?"

Khuram writes "But "Intellectual Understanding" is even more good. With "practical understanding", you just "practically implement" already existing theories. But with "intellectual understanding", you invent and make new theories!"

Actually it is "critical" understanding that takes existing theories, practical empirical evidence and then critically analyze that to combine it into workable/reasonable theories. But Gill wouldn't know becauce he himself, as his work shows, can only produce tape-recorderesque renditions with zero original intellect involved, like a damn calculator that tabulates entries and spits out that same thing in summary form.

Pure intellectual understanding of the philosopher kind is also misleading, as C. W. Mills said facts without a connecting theory are mere bits of information, and a theory without facts is mere speculation.....

The key is being skeptical of existing knowledge, being careful and systematic with the facts, and at the same time not being overly concerned with existing methods or concepts but having the imagination to invent new ones that mesh facts in ways that best explain them. But when a-holes like Gill and Co censor my articles and then write ones with titles borrowed from its text, you don't expect them to have any concern for knowledge or truth...

Madani sahib thanks for your continual support, may Allah take you to ever higher planes of learning...

@ masadi #51

I think "critical method" is the "tool" which helps in the development of "intellectual understanding".

And I don't even want to degrade "mere speculation". Mere speculation also can lead to many new testable hypothesises. Then "scientific research method" can take those new hypothesises as it's input in the process of creation of new factual, valid and empirical knowledge.

regards!

Masadi mian,

That was a lame answer as usual.

Now how many times are you going to repeat the thing about Government College. I understand that your application for employment there was never accepted.

My point however was never a threat to you... you kept accusing me of "deleting" your articles from Chowk because I apparently owned it.

-YLH

"is even more good."

Makes sense why your application for employment at GC met with resistance.

“You are explaining theory with real-life examples and that makes understanding the theory very easy.....”


This struck me well and this was my dilemma and I always pestered my mathes teacher/lecturer/professors abt this & I never got my answers but followed the flock in solving the mathematical problems...almost mechanical approach to mathematics.....I think it's still the case now in many schools in India.

I was more puzzled to understand the underlying theroy (or examples) than the ways to answer vector algebra or vector calculus. Same with spherical trigonometry in later years. It never made sense to me in college days & the teachers were never interested to explain me/us why?

Good artilce to read Dr. Gill.

VRV: #56

This is the kind of feedback I was expecting from the readers. I wanted to understand if the current methods of teaching have changed (they ought to be) for the better from the old ones (say of 1950s). If yes, in what significant manner they are different.
Thanks for your input.

Mohammad Gill

Manto writes ""is even more good."

Makes sense why your application for employment at GC met with resistance. "

Einstein, learn how to read first, those were Khuram's words not mine, I was only quoting them...those are still better than your dimwit man-worship...By the way my application was not "rejected" by GC. I can get in there today if I want to...

Khuram writes "And I don't even want to degrade "mere speculation". "

Mere speculation needs to be checked, imagination should be guided by facts or you get a whole bunch on nonsense that you cannot work with

Manto writes ""is even more good."

Makes sense why your application for employment at GC met with resistance. "

Einstein, learn how to read first, those were Khuram's words not mine, I was only quoting them...those are still better than your dimwit man-worship...By the way my application was not "rejected" by GC. I can get in there today if I want to...

Khuram writes "And I don't even want to degrade "mere speculation". "

Mere speculation needs to be checked, imagination should be guided by facts or you get a whole bunch on nonsense that you cannot work with

Khuram writes "I think "critical method" is the "tool" which helps in the development of "intellectual understanding".


No, Critical understanding transcends the so-called "intellectual understanding" which more often than not is understanding that is circumscribed by (i.e. restricted by) narrow methodology or the most favored paradigm at whatever time. It is understanding that is affected by academic culture and its dominant themes. It is to be avoided by all those who seek true, unadulterated, non-pretentious knowledge...

Manto writes "Now how many times are you going to repeat the thing about Government College. I understand that your application for employment there was never accepted."

As many times as it takes to get people here to understand how low you can get, and how infantile you are in your thinking that reduces you to such "threats" when you don't agree with other people's pov. It also explains how feudalistic you are in your outlook (like MAJ) when you invoke your "connections" in high places that would circumvent a person's merit in making decisions, precisely what is keeping this nation down (and subverting democracy in the tradition of the MAJ).

Walter Russell Mead of the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) is in town trying to show the "benevolence" of US Foreign Policy......As cultural technician of the US elite he is employed to promote barbarism garbed in fine silk thread, draped with the finest perfume, "intellectual (BS) thinking" at its best... Boy is he in for a grilling during the Q&A session....let's see how his fat A$$ responds....

"Indeed we hurl the truth against falsehood and its knocks out its intellect and it vanishes clear away...." (Quran)

Masadi, let me guess, WRM handed your head on a platter with dismissing your knuckleheaded views with sharp smackdowns and genuine wit.

Alas..when faced with logic and the truth. I am sure yu hurled a few epiteths against the zionis capitalist corporate machinery and everyone laughed at you.

So now Mahomed Ali Jinnah... the son of a small time Karachi Khoja merchant ... who spent his early youth in poverty but dignity after his father's demise... and who made made his wealth through dedication, hard work and devotion which is legendary and acknowledged by all of his colleagues and opponents.... is suddenly a "feudal".

Beautiful.

The biggest subverters of democracy are people like you Mr. Asadi... fascists trying to be populists. Trying spinning your god awfull theories in public and you would be lynched by the same people whose cause you claim to champion.