Enlightened Empire

Chapter 335: Modern Education

Once the topic of separate universities was breached, Corco got excited again. After all, this was one specific area where he applied some of his own ideas to the educational system of the other world. Although his plans were unproven, he felt confident. After all, Saniya’s school curriculum was also markedly different from the other world’s school system.

For one, memorization was considered less important, and there was a greater focus on teaching students how to research and learn for themselves, from mnemonic techniques to teaching them how to seek out knowledge and how to navigate a library. Further, students were taught many practical skills to prepare them for public life in a modernizing society.

This included their rights and obligations as citizens of Saniya, from teaching the youngsters how the new tax system worked, to teaching them how to apply for work and how to start their own business. So far, results had been very encouraging, so Corco was ready to try his hand at the university system as well. Splitting the campus in three was the first step in that regard.

“First is this place, SohCahToa University,” Corco explained to Wachatay. “This is where most of the magic happens, so to speak. In this university, we’re teaching and researching all empirical sciences, as well as anything else empirical science needs to properly function, the bedrock those sciences are built on. That includes the basics, like biology, chemistry and physics, but also mathematics, logic, and, of course, scientific methodology. In the future, other fields may join this club and be placed inside this campus, but only if they fulfill the basic requirement of being based in, or necessary for, empirical research. The new field of cultivation studies is already trying to operate like that, but for now we really don’t have enough concrete results to teach it to anyone else.”

At the moment , Corco had high hopes for the future of several fields, but none was more intriguing to him than the study of this world’s cultivation systems, and their effect on the human body. At the moment, they were still just conducting limited experiments on some of the smaller islands around Saniya. But since they were using an empirical approach, Corco was expecting the first, proper results very soon.

Maybe once the situation in the Verduic Sea had stabilized a bit, he could focus more on this area. Gaining new knowledge that was exclusive to this world was an exciting prospect for Corco.

“I don’t quite understand, but it does sound important,” the priest vaguely replied.

“It is the most important university, as far as I’m concerned. That’s why I’m still hoping that economics will end up here at some point in time. Maybe political science as well. Really, as many fields as we can get in here, following the precepts of empirical study, the better for our future. Only like this can we find the most objective truths about the world. I’ve even made space for a retest department, that will be paid to do nothing but repeat studies from other departments to check the results. To show the importance of the knowledge gained here, the graduates of this school will receive degrees, allowing them to call themselves doctors of their fields in public, meaning they are experts in at least one empirical science… sort of. It’s complicated.”

“Then I will not ask.”

Although Wachatay already looked a bit overwhelmed, the king rarely found someone who talked so little and listened so well. Maybe that was because he was a priest and was thus used to listen to the troubles of all kinds of people. Either way, Corco didn’t care so long as he could keep introducing the details of his newest project.

“Anyways, the second university will be built to the south of here, closer to the farming area outside of the city, name to be determined. I’ll call this a vocational academy, which will teach less theory. Instead, this school will focus more on practical skills that the students will need to work in certain professions. Of course, compared to the usual craftsmen, those profession will also require vast theoretical knowledge. Otherwise, there’d be no point in teaching them at a university. That includes lawyers, judges, doctors, and architects, among others. Over there, we’ll also educate teachers for our schools. Beyond simply teaching them the skills of their profession, there will also be some very important research housed here. Medical research will be a big focus, obviously, but there will also be a strong focus on engineering and agriculture, which be well-funded, so long as the people in the treasury stop moaning. Oh, since it’s a vocational school, the people studying there will earn the title of ‘Master’ once they graduate, proving their mastery over their specific field. It’s similar to regular master craftsmen, except it’s an official title that will be registered in the kingdom’s archives, to prove their higher education. Ah, also, since this school obviously draws a lot from the theoretical knowledge of the other two universities, it’s location is right between them.”

While Corco was talking, Wachatay took a seat on a stone bench by the wayside, close to the soon-to-be-built printing house that would be tasked with printing all the research papers of the university. His breath was heavy, though he pretended like nothing was wrong. Sometimes, Corco forgot that the priests were only mortals without cultivation. In his excitement, he had gone his usual speed and forced the priest to keep up. Since it was a bit of an embarrassment for both sides, they both decided to ignore it.

“In that case, I suspect the third school teaches rhetoric? After all, how else could the vocational school teach lawyers?” the priest asked after he had caught his breath a bit.

“That’s the idea. The third academy’s name will be Amaya Academy of Arts and Culture. It’ll be south-west of here, and it will house any non-empirical fields of study that aren’t directly teaching vocational skills. For now, that includes almost everything you can imagine. From linguistics and rhetoric, to anthropology, the study of culture, history, and archaeology. Music, some strands of philosophy, political science, economics, and a number of other subjects. Of course, these fields are important as well, and will receive the funding they deserve, but they are not searching for truths after all. They’re either normative, trying to imagine a better world, or they’re… lexical I guess? Trying to faithfully record everything a specific subject has to offer. They hold great value to society as a whole, with the ability to lead us down the right path and imbue values and ideals of a modern, enlightened society into the people, but their value to society is less less direct than that of empirical sciences, and they’re a tool that can be abused as well, so they’re distinguished from the empirical academy. The students here will receive degrees as ‘Scholars’, similar to Chutwa’s example, where scholars are also mostly masters of language, culture, and politics. Though of course, all the placements of various fields are still fluent at the moment, and may change as the disciplines develop further.”

“And why would it be important to distinguish these fields so much? What is the benefit for a field to join one campus over another?”

“Well, funding for one. The empirical academy will get much higher research grants than the others, though it depends on the individual field and project. Even if I’m a music lover, I simply can’t take public funds and allocate them mostly to the culture academy, when the benefits of medical or chemistry research have such a strong impact on the lives of people. Also, the students who graduate from the different campuses will have different skill sets, which is reflected in their titles. For example, a Master from the vocational university will be able to start work in his field on day one, while someone from other universities may have broader theoretical knowledge and may be able to work in more fields as a result. But they would have to be trained first, to do whatever job they’re hired for. For company owners, that’s an important distinction to make. Most importantly, the authority on truth between different schools would be different as well. Just imagine, someone from the empirical school and someone from the Amaya Academy disagreed on something, like a physicist on one side making a statement about the world, and a philosopher imagining how the world ought to be. Now imagine they were given equal weight by the uneducated. That could cause big trouble in society, and attract all kinds of demagogues and false priests to those fields. I’d rather make clear that they’re different from the start. This way, there will be no confusion in the general population about who has an authority on the truth.”

By now, Wachatay had recovered his breath, but he still didn’t speak up. For a while, the priest seemed to be thinking hard. When it looked like he had made a decision in his head, he continued hesitatingly.

“...since the differences between the schools are so large, then surely their exact placement matters. If I may ask, which one of the three would teach about the stars, or teach reading the ancient texts? Where is the Pacha faith to be taught?”

“Do we really need to do this? I was just having fun.”

Just as he had forgotten about his disagreement with the priests, Wachatay had to bring it up again. Since Corco knew that his answer would only cause more trouble, he would have loved to ignore the question, but the priest wouldn’t let up.

“It is a question master will ask on my return,” Wachatay explained. “I cannot forego it.”

After an exaggerated sigh to show his displeasure, Corco explained, “I was planning to have an astronomy division in SohCahToa University. Theology, the study of religion, will end up in the Amaya Academy, I’m afraid. Though if you want to fund a priest’s seminar in the vocational school, you’re free to do so.”

The priest carried a troubled smile. Maybe he also knew that conflict was inevitable at this point.

“King Corco,” he said. “You understand that this will only cause further problems. Not only are you declaring the Pacha faith less important than something like mathematics, you are also taking the study of the stars out of the hands of the priests. If the high priests were annoyed before, this is what will force them over the edge. All this time, many of them have defended you because of your contributions to stargazing. Now, I fear you may lose your last allies among the priests, and they will begin to openly oppose you.”

Of course Corco knew. As a Pacha believer, this was something he had considered long and hard. However, in the end, his own feelings weren’t as important as the education of his people. He would do this right, without bringing any of his personal bias into it. While it did make him uncomfortable, he couldn’t back down on this issue. Although it hurt his heart, he tried to sound as matter-of-fact as possible in his response.

“I can’t compromise, not on this.” Corco shook his head. “The way I see it, there should be a clear distinction between secular power and religious power anyways. Our ancestors clearly saw it the same way. That’s why the priests aren’t even an official part of Medala’s old class system. If the priests get the power to influence the real world too much, there’ll be nothing but trouble. Imagine this: I try to pass a law for the good of the people, but then some selfish priest decides to fake an oracle reading and pretends that my new law is unjust, all just because he got some money from a political opponent.”

Although the angered Wachatay stood up, Corco interrupted him before he could say anything.

“Don’t tell me this doesn’t happen, we’re not children. I’m a politician myself, and part of the problem. During the succession war, I’ve struck deals like that as well, as have countless others before me. I’m also not saying that the Pacha priests are all corrupt. But in the end, it doesn’t matter if most of the priests have good intentions. With the unchecked power to interpret the truth, all it takes is one misguided priest, to create endless trouble for any ruler. Just look at the sort of influence the scholars have in Chutwa. I really can’t allow that sort of unchecked power in my kingdom, no matter how much faith I may have.”

“King Corco, you talk about faith, but to me it always sounds like you believe more in your modern sciences than in the Pacha faith.”

Although the priest’s reply was bitter, Corco wasn’t bothered. Over the years, he had long made sense of his own belief.

“One does not preclude the other,” he explained. “In fact, I’m pretty sure that one has nothing to do with the other. Saying that I choose science over religion is like saying I can’t like apples and the color blue at the same time. Of course I can, they’re in no way related. Science is a way to make sense of the world, and to use this knowledge in order to develop new way to see the world, or to manipulate it. In the end, the empirical method does not look for truth anyways, not really. It just looks for explanations that are congruent with what we can see. That’s it. On the other hand, I view religion as a way to make sense of yourself, and your humble place in the universes.”

“Yet the Pacha faith offers so much more than that,” the priest argued.

“But that’s the nice thing about religion. Unlike science, which is as objective as possible, religion offers a deeply personal experience. It means something different for everyone who experiences faith. To some it may be guidance they need in their life, or hope. Others may see it as a way to make sense of the world, or they may simply play a part in religious rites to feel as part of a community. No matter what, all of it is based purely on belief, devoid of proof. Because as soon as you have proof, it’s not faith anymore. And I’m not saying that religion has no worth, or is in some way lesser than proof-based science. Of course it has worth. As a common ground that connects the people of this country, or as a guidance for morals in society, or as an anchor and relief for the poor and neglected, religion can play a tremendously important role. By splitting the universities in threes, I’m not ranking them based on importance. I’m just highlighting that, while all of them might offer education, they all serve very different purposes. You can’t compare religion to chemistry. One’s ‘blue’ and the other’s ‘apple’. But both matter, and I can’t neglect apples just because some blue people feel offended.”

After Corco’s long explanation, the priest seemed to have calmed down. Now, he no longer looked angry, he only seemed frustrated with hanging shoulders and a saddened expression.

“I am glad to see your opinion laid out as such, and I feel your deep faith,” he said, but then he sighed again. “If only the old priests would see it the same way, then there would be no conflict.”

“Well, that seems to be your job, right?” Corco winked, before he hit the priest’s shoulder. “Before, you were sent to lead talks between me and the priesthood, so please do the same in the future. Help me spread my thoughts among your colleagues. At least the younger ones should be receptive to some of my ideas, just like you are. With enough pressure, we can get the old ones to compromise, so that we can find more common ground, and prevent the worst. I hope we can work together, to find a future where the Pacha faith is an important part of my emerging kingdom, rather than another opposing force.”

With a heavy expression, the priest nodded as he stood up from the bench.

“I will try my best. Some of the younger priests are more receptive to these modern ideas, so it is not a hopeless endeavor. However, there are limits to what I can do. In the end, the high priests and grand readers still hold most of the power.”

“So what happens if we can’t find a solution? They can’t openly denounce me, right? They haven’t even denounced Pacha and Amautu when they tried to oust Arguna’s Pachayawna in the Triumvirate Meeting.”

“King Corco, all I can say is that you should prepare for the worst,” Wachatay said with a saddened expression

After that, their inspection didn’t last much longer, since neither man was in the mood for idle conversation. As Corco returned to the castle, his mind wavered again for a second. Was he really ready to oppose the priests who represented what he had believed in all his life? Would he not deny part of himself if he did so? Maybe, he thought, it would be best to go along with the plans, and then accept whatever punishment the priests had in store for him personally.

That way, maybe he could do what he thought was best for his people, but only he would suffer for the decision, and no one else. Either way, compromise was no option. When it came to his people, it never had been. As he was traveling through the city, he could see the castle’s roof all the way. Although he couldn’t see it, somewhere up there was the castle’s new lightning rod. The way things were going, they may soon need its help, to evade the wrath of the heavens.