Revive scholasticism as an academic lart

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At this point I asked the student if he really did know the conventional answer to this question. He admitted that he did, said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors trying to teach him how to think, using the "scientific method," and to explore the deep inner logic of the subject in a pedantic way, as is often done in the new mathematics, rather than teaching him the structure of the subject. With this in mind, he decided to revive scholasticism as an academic lark to challenge the Sputnik-panicked classrooms of America.

Hi,

What does the bolded part in the above talk about, especially an academic lark and the Sputnik-panicked classrooms? Thanks.

RayH · Accepted Answer

Angliholicrevive scholasticism as an academic lark to challenge the Sputnik-panicked classrooms of America.

I'm not sure it means much of anything.
As far as I can tell there's no practical difference between "the deep inner logic of the subject" and "the structure of the subject." The student in question seems to dislike the scientific method so he provides scientifically correct but deliberately odd answers to his teacher's question. When challenged to explain why, he gives this sophisticated sounding but rather incoherent answer. I suspect the whole parable was concocted to amuse physics teachers and perhaps to poke a little fun at them.

Here is my understanding of the possibly difficult terms in the quote:

"Scholasticism" is an ancient method of learning whose primary purpose is to arrive at an answer. But the "scientific method" the student seems to dislike is also a method of learning whose primary purpose is to arrive at an answer.

A "lark" is a kind of joke or prank.
"Sputnik-panicked" refers to the large increase in funding for science teaching in American schools that resulted from the Soviet Union launching the Sputnik satellite.

Revive scholasticism as an academic lart

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