Formulation of the Claim
Arkoun holds that the expansion of secondary and university education remained an increase in numbers more than in quality.
Explanation
Arkoun does not content himself with the mere rise in the number of those enrolled in education, because this increase does not automatically mean improved knowledge or that knowledge has become firmly rooted in society. For him, what matters is not the scale of educational expansion, but whether this expansion has led to actual learning that raises the level of awareness and knowledge.
This claim assumes that education may remain limited in effect if its expansion stays statistical, without becoming a qualitative formation or a genuine shift in modes of understanding. Arkoun therefore distinguishes between the spread of schooling and the realization of scientific knowledge as a social and intellectual effect.
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This atom falls within Arkoun’s critique of apparent forms of modernization that seem progressive in the indicators, yet are not enough on their own to prove a deep cultural transformation. It aligns with his closely related theses that emphasize the difference between formal modernization and genuine cognitive formation, and between modern institutions and their actual effect on public consciousness.
Limits of the Claim
This claim does not mean denying the existence of educational expansion or downplaying its importance; rather, it is limited to pointing out that this expansion did not, in Arkoun’s view, reach the level of qualitative transformation needed. Nor does it offer a comprehensive judgment on all education in all contexts; instead, it describes a general tendency within the argument presented by the book.
Brief Evidence Passage
Arkoun holds that the expansion of secondary and university education was an expansion in numbers more than in quality. The mere rise in the number of those enrolled does not automatically mean improved knowledge or that knowledge has become firmly rooted in society. Therefore, the impact of education is not measured by its scale alone, but by whether it has led to actual learning that raises the level of awareness and knowledge.
Related Links
- Arkoun