Education, Leadership and Morality

Does University Education improves a person’s ability to make quality decisions in life. During the last three weeks I have been staying with a 20-year-old young man who needed a place to stay while sorting out some job issues. The quality of decisions he makes is amazing for someone who has no University degree, his level of thinking is often lacking in people with bachelor degrees. I was reminded of a short discussion I had with Dr. Nick Rowe on Education and preparation for life. We basically talked about how University often prepares you to make a living, but does not prepare you for life. Does the fact that you are educated guarantee that you will always make the best decisions on moral issues? The world often looks to the educated for leadership, but are they always automatically the right people to lead.

Ronald B. Standler wrote a research paper on Education and Morality, he asked if (1). Does education have an effect on moral behaviour? (2) Does more education makes people less moral?. He looked at a few high-profile cases to find answer the two question. The cases are as follows.

1. Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal

Richard Nixon was the president of the United States in the 1970’s, he was implicated in a great political scandal. Nixon wanted to cover-up the break-in into the Democratic Party’s office. It is believed that the breaking was to serve his re-election as president. After much investigation, Nixon was implicated in the crime and he subsequently resigned to avoid impeachment. He is the only US president to resign in office. It is said that no less than 21 of Nixon’s advisors were attorney’s, probably graduated top of their class at graduate school.

Nixon himself was a force to be reckoned with, Standler sates that Nixon was:

– B.A. in History summa cum laude, ranked second in class of 85 students at whittier College.

– Graduate of Duke University Law School. Nixon was ranked third when he graduated in his class.

– Attorney in a prominent New York law firm who had argued Time vs Hill, 385 U.S. 384 (1967) before the U.S. Supreme Court

2. Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky

Bill was the president of the U.S. in the 90’s. Some have claimed that he is one of the best president’s America has ever had. He was sued by Paula Jones in 1991 over sexual harassment. Jones withdrew her appeal after a negotiated settlement of $850 000. In 1998 Clinton appeared before a grand jury to testify in a case of inappropriate relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House of representative.

Standler argues that it was impossible for the relationship with Monica to be consensual because of the disparity in rank between the president of the United States and a 23-year-old lady. Clinton was:

– Bachelor’s degree international relations from Georgetown University.

– Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University in England

– Graduate of Yale Law school.

professor at Arkansas University Law School.

– Attorney General of Arkansas.

Standler concludes that Bill Clinton’s “extraordinary education and legal experience was inadequate to his decent moral judgement.”

The following are my own additions:

3. Judge Nkola Motata- A Pretoria High Court Judge found guilty of being drunk while driving and crashing into a wall. He was acquitted of defeating the ends of justice. Chairman of Black Advocates forum and Commissioner of TRC hearings.

4. Jackie Selebi- The former S.A. Police Commissioner found guilty of taking bribes to protect Mafia’s. Former president of Interpol and Ambassador to the U.S.

5. Brett Kebble- A south African mining magnate and Former CEO RandGold and exploration. A BA LLB graduate from University of Cape Town. Planned his own assassination.

6. Arthur Brown- The former CEO of Fidentia holdings, accused of stealing almost R1billion. A BComm graduate.

7. Bernard Madoff: Defrauded the American people in what has been called the greatest scam in history. He stole about $65 billion. A former chairman of NASDAQ

Standler concluded that “education has no effect on moral behaviour, because secular education is directed developing the intellectual skills: both knowledge of facts and ability to analyze those facts.” He also concluded that requiring students to take Ethics as a course at University will have little or no effect on the moral behaviour of these candidates later in life.

Having worked on Campus, I have seen how students take lightly the seemingly insignificant things like cheating in an exam or lying. The truth is that it becomes a habit as time goes. The want for easy and quick success often makes people want to take the shortest way there, sacrificing integrity and faithfulness. Someone just doesn’t decide to steal a million rands over night, it started a long time before, it’s just that they didn’t think it was that important to deal with. A student may cheat in their relationship once in a while and think once they are married they will be faithful, it’s a lie. They are building a foundation upon which they are going to buils their whole marriage, a foundation of infidelity.