Paper presented to the third INPE conference, Leuven, August, 1994.
This paper attempts to broach questions to do with the limits of cultural self-definition.
Within the bounds of common humanity the variations which do matter to us are for the most part culturally based. Recognition of cultural variety often goes along with a wish to downplay the importance of the differences. Associated there may also be a thought that elements of cultural life can be chosen or rejected, that each one of us can, and perhaps should, make his or her own cultural identity.
Since such cultural self-creation seems to me a worthy aim of
an educational process, at least if the direction of choice is
guided by some sort of reasonableness, I intend here to review
the limitations to its application.
First there is the pedagogical impossibility of bringing someone
up from scratch in a culturally fluid medium. The logical
point here should not be overdone, however. It concerns
initial learning, not what may come after.
An empirical point may be of more significance: initial
learning is profound, and often beyond the reach of
consciousness.
One important limitation has been alluded to by Bernard Williams
when he distinguished forms of life which are feasible for a
person from those that are not. An important point here is
that culture is a matter of belief and emotion as well as
behaviour.
Adopting customs or beliefs, or merely entertaining them for imaginative relish, are fairly self-conscious activities. Two issues at least deserve attention here. The first is that one's ability or disposition to engage in such activity may reflect a self-confidence, perhaps a taking for granted of one's own cultural superiority, not available for all.
The second is that people are not totally self-conscious.
A final limitation arises from the point that cultural self-creation, if it is to be an educationally valuable goal, be guided by some sort of reasonableness.
To conclude I wish to note a couple of features of at least many traditional cultures which may support efforts to spread cultural self-consciousness more widely. One point is that cultures are not as unified and coherent as they present themselves. Awareness of the facts may be a powerful force for the removal of prejudices.
As a specific kind of variety, it is worth recalling that cultures typically include their own opposition. The "canon" of many societies contains much of their most incisive self-criticism. No doubt educators try to expurgate it, and often render it irrelevant when they don't, but for those with ears to hear the messages are there.
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