The New Discourses Podcast with James Lindsay, Episode 103
What the F is Social-Emotional Learning? It’s a serious question. Behind all the flowery language is a history, and that history demands looking at. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and its chief lobbying organization, CASEL (the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning) emerged in the mid-1990s from a place called the Fetzer Institute. What is the Fetzer Institute, though? Created by a twentieth century radio magnate named John Fetzer, the Institute was devoted to Fetzer’s devoted pursuit of New Age Spiritualism and occultism. The inspiration for much of his theosophical belief resided in the curious character of Alice A. Bailey, who wrote two dozen books on occultism and theosophy, including Education in the New Age, between 1922 and her death in 1949. Did these occult ideas influence the development of Social-Emotional Learning? In this episode of the New Discourses Podcast, host James Lindsay digs into this question in unsettling detail, raising more questions than he can answer. Join him, and by the end of this episode, you too will be asking what the f–k is Social-Emotional Learning?!
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8 comments
Could you please have transcripts of the podcasts?
I’ve got to say that well the history of the idea may be interesting, it doesn’t bear much relation to what is actually happening in most places. The SEL that I’ve seen as a substitute teacher has not been rooted in spirituality or even a little concepts but actually in therapy-lite sorts of ideas. That is, it focuses on things like emotional and self-regulation, executive functions, and assertive communication. Not any bit of critical theory but “when you start to get out of control due to intense emotion, here are some tools to use to calm yourself down” and “let’s practice setting goals, breaking them into achievable steps, and assessing whether we’re meeting them.” And yes I’m in small town Kansas, but these are lessons coming from packaged curricula used nationwide. I don’t doubt that some schools imbue SEL lessons with woke politics or postmodern theory, but I don’t think that’s what’s happening in most of the country. Most of these the time these lessons are essentially character lessons and things that kids could be getting from their parents or extracurriculars like sports and Scouts, but too often aren’t. And they’re more a part of the schools desperately trying to restore some semblance of discipline then to brainwash.
This spiritualist narrative is attractive to some intellectuals (probably) because it is based on fundamental truths. Body-Mind-Spirit is real. Reincarnation is real. UFOs are real. Human magic is based on ET teachings, such as those that came in through the Vedas roughly ten thousand years ago.
Hucksters can (and definitely do) play on these basic truths. If traditional academics or other intellectuals challenge these basics, it pushes those who know they are true or believe they are true into the arms of the hucksters. They can easily be convinced that more secular intellectuals are the real hucksters. This has led to a serious divide in the intellectual world. It will not be broken by clinging to secularism (atheism) as that is a belief system that contains important falsehoods, even though it is superficially scientific. The basic truths of Body-Mind-Spirit were also validated by scientific means. The “spiritual” hucksters, however, rely on channeled teachings and directions from spirit guides.
We must realize, though, that hucksters are playing both sides. Of course anti-spiritual intellectuals will get nowhere with pro-spiritual intellectuals by calling them goofballs. Most humans are goofballs! Neither New Agers nor Materialists are going to successfully elevate the human condition. They are both being supported by hucksters who have no interest in elevating the human condition. Of course many individuals in both groups fervently hope that their work will elevate the human condition. But you can’t fix a broken bicycle through prayer or by throwing it out and replacing it. If you really want to fix the bike, you actually have to find out how to fix it.
I have tried to have sensible conversations (online) with both spiritualists and materialists, and both sorts of people are very difficult. They both function mostly as believers, not as rational beings, though they can both be very logical. It is difficult to have rational discussions with believers. They refuse to look at the work of the other side. I can only say that as an electronics hobbyist who knows that Spirit exists, I have looked at the work of both sides. If you really want to help move this planet forward, you need to do that, too. But don’t allow yourself to become a believer!
amazing episode! listened to it over a week
The peaceful Orient? The Japanese were not warlike before the West got there?
I think the Koreans might have something to say about that. And the Chinese.
Th anks for all of your diligent research. The level of claptrap that can be conjured up by over educated and deficit intelligence is truly astounding,
Frankly… this is one podcast, because it focuses on relationships of people and organizations, where I’d love to see a diagram of some kind. It’d make things a bit easier to follow.
None the less, the idea that organizations with these kinds of beliefs are connected to major organizations like the UN is concerning.
When I heard you read the words “this I believe” I remembered the “canoe meeting” video. That’s how the idiots started their begging to get into the canoe. I was surprised that you didn’t mention it, but for those without familiarity with the canoe meeting vid, it would have taken too long to explain. It really creeped me ojt, though. There was something VERY demonic about that whole canoe thing. Shudder…..