"There is no need for an explanation to correct a failure to understand"

Contents:

• System of explanations
• Chance and will

Original title: Le Maître ignorant.

Le Maître ignorant is a work that deeply explores the process of learning and knowledge transfer. The author raises important questions about the role of the teacher in the educational process and how knowledge can be passed on from one generation to the next. The main idea is that a true teacher does not simply transmit information, but also inspires their students to think independently and be creative.

The book examines the concept of the "ignorant master," who, despite the lack of formal education, is able to help their students find their own path in learning. This emphasizes the importance of personal experience and an intuitive approach to learning. The work emphasizes that each student is unique and requires an individual approach, which makes learning more effective.

Le Maître ignorant also touches on the topics of self-knowledge and the development of critical thinking, making it relevant to modern educational practices. The book offers a new understanding of the role of teacher and student, which can change the approach to education as a whole.

Jacques Rancière is a renowned French philosopher whose works cover a wide range of topics, including political theory, aesthetics, and education. He explores how art and politics interact to influence perceptions of social justice. Rancière offers a unique perspective on equality and inequality, emphasizing the importance of active citizen participation in public life. His ideas on the "distribution of sensibility" and the role of perception in shaping social order continue to inspire researchers and practitioners across a variety of fields. Rancière's work is relevant to contemporary debates about democracy and voice, making his contribution particularly valuable in an era of social change.

Publisher: Garage Museum of Contemporary Art is an important cultural institution dedicated to the popularization of contemporary art in Russia and abroad. Garage not only publishes books and catalogues but also actively participates in organizing exhibitions, lectures, and educational programs. Through its contribution to the development of the art community, the publishing house has become a significant player in the cultural market, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and ideas between artists, art historians, and the general public.

Year of publication: 2023.

In 1818, the French literature professor Joseph Jacotot experienced an incident that would radically change his life. By a twist of fate, he was forced to leave France and take a part-time position as a professor at the University of Louvain, located in what is now Belgium but was then part of the Netherlands. A difficult situation arose at this institution: many of the students who wanted to attend Jacotot's lectures did not speak French, while the professor himself did not speak Dutch. This created a barrier to teaching and communication, highlighting the importance of linguistic accessibility in the educational process. Joseph Jacotot, seeking to find a common ground for learning, initiated an interesting experiment. He provided students with copies of the recently published Brussels bilingual edition of The Adventures of Telemachus, a famous novel by the French writer François Fénelon. The students were tasked with memorizing the French text, based on a parallel Dutch translation. After they had successfully mastered half of the first volume, Jacotot asked them to review what they had learned, complete the remainder, and prepare for a retelling. Finally, the professor asked the students to write an essay in French in which they shared their reflections on what they had read. This approach not only improved the students' language skills but also developed their critical thinking and ability to analyze literary works. After independent preparation without the support of a teacher and without basic vocabulary and grammar lessons, it would seem impossible to create a meaningful text. However, Joseph Jacotot was surprised when his students completed the task at the level of many native speakers. This experience radically changed his views on traditional teaching, which relies on explanation and the transmission of knowledge from teacher to student. If students can independently identify and learn the rules of declension and conjugation, as well as the principles of sentence construction, using only a text and its translation, the question arises: do they really need the teacher's explanations? This case highlights the importance of students' active participation in the learning process and demonstrates that independent work can be just as effective as traditional methods. Joseph Jacotot abandoned traditional teaching methods and began developing a unique approach called "intellectual emancipation." The core principles of this method are equality between teacher and student, as well as the belief that everyone is capable of independently mastering any knowledge if they have faith in their own abilities. This approach emphasizes the importance of intrinsic motivation and self-confidence, which contribute to more effective learning and personal development.

French philosopher Jacques Rancière's book The Ignorant Teacher, published by Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, addresses an important topic of educational methods. In this excerpt, the author explains the essence of the Jacotot method and emphasizes how teachers' excessive desire to explain everything can negatively impact students' independent intellectual activity. Rancière emphasizes that such a practice hinders the development of critical thinking and independence in students, which is a key aspect of effective learning.

The System of Explanations

Joseph Jacotot's sudden insight revealed to him an important aspect of learning: the need for explanations. It seems obvious, but in fact, each person truly understands only what he can comprehend. In order to achieve this level of understanding, it is necessary for the teacher to provide explanations that help free the material from its silence. Explanations are key to the learning process because they allow the student to deeply perceive and assimilate information, turning it into knowledge.

This logic has its unclear points. Consider, for example, the book that the student is holding. This book consists of a set of arguments designed to explain specific material. In this context, a teacher who begins to explain the book's contents also uses a set of arguments. But the question arises: why does the book need such support? Instead of paying for an explanation, can a father simply provide his son with the book, and he will be able to understand the ideas presented on his own? If the child cannot comprehend them, why will he be able to understand the arguments that are intended to clarify the unclear? Are they of a different nature? Perhaps it will be necessary to explain how these arguments should be perceived so that the child can comprehend them? The logic of explanation involves the principle of infinite regression, in which there is no reason to stop doubling arguments. The regression stops when the explainer becomes the sole judge, determining the moment when the explanation is sufficiently complete. He evaluates whether the student has understood the arguments that are aimed at developing his understanding. In this role, the teacher replaces the father of the family, who, like the teacher, must be confident that the child has assimilated the material in the book. The father lacks the necessary skill of explanation, which involves the ability to find a distance between the material and the student, as well as between knowledge and understanding. The explainer establishes and abolishes this distance, manipulating it through speech. Thus, the teacher's ability to recognize and manage distance is a key aspect of effective teaching. The privileged position of oral speech eliminates the problem of infinite regression, creating a paradoxical hierarchy. In a system of explanation, oral explanation is necessary to clarify written explanation. This suggests that reasoning becomes more understandable and memorable for the student when it is conveyed by a teacher using fleeting speech, rather than a book in which thoughts are forever inscribed in ink. How can we understand this paradoxical privilege of oral speech over writing, of hearing over sight? What, then, is the relationship between the power of oral speech and the authority of the teacher?

There is an interesting paradox: children best absorb language and grasp its meaning when they learn it without the help of teachers. The most effective way for them to learn is through mastering their native language, which they perceive in their environment. Children hear their native speech, memorize it, imitate it, make mistakes and correct them, sometimes achieving success by accident, and sometimes methodically, starting over. In childhood, when teachers' explanations are not yet relevant, virtually all children, regardless of gender, social background, or ethnicity, are able to understand and speak the language of their parents. The effectiveness of such learning underscores the importance of a natural language environment for children's development.

A child who has learned to speak thanks to his intellect and teachers who did not explain the language to him begins the learning process. At this point, it seems that he can no longer learn using the skills he used before. The process of independently comparing knowledge and verifying it becomes inaccessible. An insurmountable barrier arises between these two aspects. Understanding is something a child cannot do without the help of a teacher, and in the future, he will need explanations from many teachers in different disciplines.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that since the beginning of the era of progress, explanations have continued to improve in order to better convey information and teach learning. However, it is impossible to measure this progress in understanding. As a result, there is constant dissatisfaction with the declining effectiveness of the explanatory system. This, in turn, emphasizes the need for further improvements in teaching methods to make explanations more accessible to those who do not absorb them.

Joseph Jacotot came to an important revelation: it is necessary to change the approach to the explanatory system. Explanation is not required to eliminate the inability to understand. On the contrary, it is precisely this imaginary inability that shapes the concept of explaining the world. The one who explains needs those who do not understand, and not vice versa; it is the one who explains who is incapable. By explaining something to someone, we first of all demonstrate that this person is not able to understand it himself. Before becoming an act of teaching, explanation is a pedagogical myth, reflecting a society divided into the learned and the ignorant, the mature and the immature, the capable and the incapable, the wise and the foolish.

The explainer demonstrates the dual nature of the introductory gesture. On the one hand, it proclaims the beginning of learning: a new stage begins now. On the other hand, it veils ignorance over all the future knowledge that lies ahead. Before the explainer, the child acted intuitively, solving riddles at random. Now the learning process begins. The child listened to words and repeated them, but now it is time to talk about reading. He will not be able to understand words unless he masters syllables; syllables will not become accessible to him unless he understands letters. And neither books nor parents can help—only a teacher can guide him along this path.

The pedagogical myth divides society into two categories, denoting differences in intelligence. On the one hand, there is lower intelligence, which intuitively perceives, remembers, and interprets information, acting within a limited range of habits and needs. This is typical of young children and people with simple thinking. On the other hand, higher intelligence assimilates knowledge through logical arguments, acting consistently and methodically, moving from simple to complex, from the specific to the general. This type of intelligence allows teachers to convey their knowledge, adapting it to the student's level of understanding, and to check the correct assimilation of the material. The principles of explanation, according to Joseph Jacotot, will subsequently be associated with the method of dumbing down, which emphasizes the importance of this approach to teaching and its impact on the development of intelligence.

Let's understand the meaning of the term, eliminating traditional stereotypes. Stupefaction is not carried out by an old teacher who fills students' heads with insignificant knowledge, nor is it a malicious act aimed at maintaining power and social control. On the contrary, stupefaction is associated with the effective transmission of knowledge, enlightenment, and a conscientious approach to teaching. The more educated a teacher is, the more clearly they recognize the gap between their knowledge and the students' lack of knowledge. The more enlightened they are, the clearer they become about the difference between haphazard actions and methodical research. As a result, they try to replace deep understanding with simple formulas, and clear explanations with the authority of textbooks. Above all, they will strive to ensure that the student truly understands the material. If doubt arises about understanding, the teacher will seek new, more rigorous and appealing methods of explanation, constantly testing the student's level of assimilation. A noble concern. Unfortunately, it is precisely this short word and the associated call of the enlightened—to understand—that becomes the source of many problems. It stunts the development of the mind, undermines self-esteem, and leads astray, creating a gap between instinctive behavior and an educated approach, between common sense and science. As soon as this call for duality arises, any efforts to improve understanding, which are the primary goal of methodologists and progressives, turn into a process of dumbing down. A child faced with threats obeys instructions, but soon their intellect shifts to other areas. Meanwhile, a child who has received an explanation begins to realize that understanding requires further clarification. Subsequently, they no longer obey instructions, but a hierarchy of mental abilities. Otherwise, he remains calm: if the solution to a problem turns out to be too difficult, he will be wise enough to simply admit it.

The teacher is vigilant and patient. He will notice that the child has become distracted and is not following him, and will then put him back on track by explaining the material again. This will give the child the opportunity to gain a new level of understanding based on the teacher's explanations. In the future, he will also be able to share his knowledge. He has all the necessary skills for this, which he will develop and improve, demonstrating a progressive approach to learning.

Chance and Will

In the world of explainers who have received their explanation, the situation is the same as with Professor Jacotot, if circumstances had not presented him with a fact. Joseph Jacotot believed that any reasoning should be based on facts and subordinate to them. However, this does not mean that he was a materialist. On the contrary, like Descartes, who used movement to prove his theories, or his contemporary Maine de Biran, a staunch royalist and Catholic, Jacotot believed that for an active and conscious mind, facts are more undeniable than any material given.

The key fact is that his students learned to speak and write French without his help. He did not impart his science to them or share his knowledge of the roots and inflections of the French language. He did not follow the example of reformist educators who, like the tutor in "Émile," create obstacles to better manage students, forcing them to overcome difficulties on their own. Instead, he left them alone with Fénelon's text and their determination to learn French. He merely pointed the way, not knowing how to get out of this thicket on their own. This forced him to abandon his intellectual mediation, which linked the knowledge imprinted in written words with the mind of the novice. At the same time, he eliminated the imaginary distance often used in pedagogy to manipulate students.

Of course, I am ready to help with the editing of the text. Please provide the text itself that needs to be revised.

The situation developed between the intellect of Fénelon, who sought to use the French language in a certain way, the intellect of the translator, who was looking for its Dutch equivalent, and the intellect of the students wishing to master French. As a result, it turned out that this process does not require anything superfluous. Jacotot encouraged them to realize what he himself had already realized: all phrases, and therefore the minds that create them, are essentially the same.

Understanding a text comes down to its translation, that is, to the presentation of an equivalent, and not to the revelation of deeper meanings. There's nothing hidden behind the written text that requires analysis by another mind or intellect capable of explaining its content. There's no need for a teacher's language to interpret words and phrases to convey their true meaning to the reader. An example is the Flemish students who relied solely on Fénelon's own words when discussing Télémaque. Thus, simply hearing Fénelon's phrases is enough to understand them and express one's thoughts on the text's content. Understanding a text is possible based on its wording, underscoring the importance of verbal expression in literature.

Learning and understanding are two aspects of the same process of translation. Behind texts lies a desire to express themselves, which is, in essence, the act of translation. When students learn a language, for example, through the works of Fénelon, it is not simply a mechanical comparison of pages. What is important is not only the ability to switch between columns, but also the ability to express one's thoughts in the words of others. If students learned this, it was because Fénelon himself, as a writer, acted as a translator. He transformed political ideas into engaging narratives, adapting Homer's Greek and Virgil's Latin to the culture of his time, and also drawing on a wide range of other texts—from children's fairy tales to scholarly works. Fénelon applied the same mental faculties that students used to express their opinions on his works, drawing on phrases from his books. Thus, the process of translation and interpretation becomes an integral part of language learning and literary comprehension.

Learning French with Télémaque was made possible by the same mental abilities that once helped master one's native language. This process involves observation, memorization, repetition, and verification, as well as comparing new material with what was already known. The students behaved as children do, acting instinctively and at random, which facilitated their learning. This approach allows for more effective language acquisition, using natural learning mechanisms and intuitive methods.

The question arose: should the existing system of intellectual values ​​be reconsidered? Is the condemned method of guessing a true manifestation of intelligence, which utilizes its innate abilities? Perhaps behind the criticism of this method lies a desire to divide the world of the intellect into two parts. Methodologists contrast the unreliable method of chance with rational reasoning, but they formulate their arguments in advance. They believe they are dealing with a small creature who, while exploring the world around him, cannot yet fully comprehend it, and it is this world that teaches him to distinguish objects. However, a small human is, first and foremost, a creature endowed with speech. The child repeating the words he hears and the Flemish student who finds himself in "Télémaque" are not acting by chance. Their efforts and research are driven by their engagement with human speech, seeking to understand and respond to it—not as scientists, but as people engaging in dialogue as equals.

Research shows that students are capable of mastering material independently without the help of a teacher. This phenomenon, which has only been observed once, could form the basis for new approaches to education. A discovery that could undermine the traditional views of Professor Jacotot confirms the diversity of human potential. Jacotot, the son of a butcher and the grandson of a carpenter, himself became a professor of rhetoric. In 1792, he answered the call to arms and, thanks to the support of his comrades, was appointed captain of artillery, demonstrating outstanding skills in this field. This story highlights the importance of a personalized approach and diversity in educational methods.

In 1793, the Latinist became a chemistry instructor at the Bureau of Gunpowder, responsible for the accelerated training of workers who were sent across the country to apply Fourcroy's discoveries. It was there that he met Vauquelin, who, the son of a simple peasant, was secretly studying chemistry. At the École Polytechnique, he oversaw young men selected by a commission based on their intelligence and patriotism. These students became outstanding mathematicians, not only thanks to explanations from scholars like Monge and Lagrange, but also through their independent study of mathematics. Using his administrative powers, he independently mastered the mathematical skills he later applied at the University of Dijon. He also expanded the curriculum, adding Hebrew to the ancient languages ​​and writing "An Essay on Hebrew Grammar." He believed in the future of this language despite the lack of support. Ultimately, through determination, Jacotot achieved recognition as a national representative, a testament to his influence and importance in society. He understood that in a context where time for detailed explanations was lacking, individual will, combined with a threat to the homeland, could unleash hidden talents. He realized that such exceptional circumstances, driven by national needs, are analogous to the urgency that drives children's exploration of the world, or that which compels scientists and inventors to pursue their unique paths.

The method of chance, mastered by Flemish students, reveals its second secret through the experiences of a child, a scientist, and a revolutionary. This method of equality is based primarily on willpower. If you truly want to learn, you can successfully study independently, relying on your own desires or the necessities of the situation, without the need for explanations from a teacher.

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