ESST 560- Philosphy of

Education
Lecturer: Ps. Agyenim-Boateng
Group Name: Nyansap) (group 5)
Henrietta Arthur Ofei:
Adzo Seko Atitsogbui:
Nana Sagoe Michael: 217PE010
Buaben Ocran Joseph:
Text: Education by Ellen G. White
Chapter 7- Lives of Great Men
 Introduction
As humans, we have an innate desire to aspire unto
greatness at all times. However, the journey to this
destination comes with diverse obstacles which cause a lot
of people to become frustrated and subsequently give up on
their goal. It is for this reason that individuals who stand the
test of time and are able to reach their goals are celebrated
as great men and women. A great person for that matter is
one whose life becomes a blessing to others, by making a
change in society. In a broader sense, these are people who
stand in the world as representatives of God. Ellen G. White
in this chapter uses biblical characters such as Joseph,
Daniel, Moses, Elisha and Paul to serve as examples of who
great men are and their notable characters worthy of
emulation.

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 Quotation #1
" No one can stand upon a lofty height without
danger." p.g 23
Group comments: This quote is based on the stories
of Daniel and Joseph's journey to the place of power
and influence and the challenges they faced. It
seeks to establish that indeed "No pain, No gain".
When one chooses not to be mediocre in live one
will face challenges ; one will have to take risks and
make sacrifices. Leadership indeed has a price.
Applying it to our lives, we believe that educators
must instill values in their students that will help
them face these challenges and come out on top.
In addition to that
educators shouldn't settle
with being ordinary but
should courageously seek
positions of influence so
as to be living examples to
their
students.

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Quotation #2
" The Greatest want of this world
is the want of men-- men who will
not be bought or sold, men who
in their inmost souls are true and
honest, men who do not fear to
call sin by its right name, men
whose conscience is as true to
duty as the needle to the pole,
men who will stand for the right
though the heavens fall." pg 26

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Group comments:
The author here addresses the lack of
men of integrity citing Daniel and
Joseph as examples of such. According
to her the world lacks men of true
integrity who will not be swayed
morally. Corruption being rampant in
our society is clear evidence that this
is true. Even though the are a few
people who are morally upright and
incorruptible, they are few in number
and therein lies the greatest challenge
of the world today.

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Quotation #3
" Every act of life is a revelation of character..." pg
28
Group comments:
The author uses Elisha as an example of one whose
actions (even those that seemed insignificant)
revealed his true nature. For example, Elisha
refusing to leave Elijah and following him faithfully
displays a loyal character. However we would argue
that this statement though true is not entirely
complete. One's inactions as well reveal who one
really is on the inside. What one fails to do speaks
just as loudly about who one is as what one does.

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 Quotation #4
" None can know what maybe God's purpose in His
discipline; but all may be certain that faithfulness in little
things is the evidence of fitness for greater
responsibilities." pg 27

Group comments:
This one quotation holds two profound truths. Firstly the
author states that one may not be privy to the reason
behind ones training from God. One may experience things
in life that may seem insignificant or even challenging that
unbeknownst to the individual may be preparing one for
future service and responsibilities. The author holds that
even though one may not know the purpose, it is
unequivocally true that in today's tests and learning lies
the training for tomorrow's tasks, so one must seek to do all
things, even those that seem little or of little significance
with diligence and great care, so us to be able to handle
more later in life.
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Being content with the
little one has provides
the incentive needed to
be able to manage what
one has faithfully. One
must not despise little
beginnings but see
them as the seeds or
stepping stones for the
future.
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Quotation #4 cont.
Though this is true, there
have been examples of
exceptions to this school
of thought. In some
cases, some men even
after mismanaging the
little they have been
given have been given
more than they had
before.This however
occurs only in a corrupt
society where the good
of all is not the primary
motive for service.

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Quotation #5
"Strength, time and intellect are but lent
treasures" pg. 26

The author describes these virtues as not belonging to

man and as temporary. They can be taken away by their
rightful owner (God) at anytime. Thus man does not have
the control, rather he is only a steward. With incredible
advancements in technology in the last century this
statement seems less and less true by the day. From
muscle implants to kidney and liver transplants, man has
succeeded in pushing the limits of the impossible day
after day. However even though man has been able to
increase the time of lease of these virtues it still holds
that in the end he loses them all, thus making the
statement unequivocally true.
 Quotation # 6
Wisdom to govern an ignorant and undisciplined
multitude must be gained through self-mastery.
Group comments:
Self mastery can be defined as the power to
control ones actions, impulses or emotions or the
ability to make ones body ones servant. According
to Ellen G. White this is an attribute needed to lead
a difficult group of people. As people in the field of
education we find this to be true as in every
classroom, there will always be an unruly student
looking to prey on the weakness of the teacher. In
such a situation the teachers self mastery will be
essential to be able to ignore the efforts of that
student so that learning can continue. 12
Quotation # 7
Faithfulness in every station, from the most
lowly to the most exalted, trained every power for
highest service p.g. 23
Group comments:
Being faithful in every position one finds oneself,
whether a humble seemingly small position or a
more dignified one, has trained everyone for a
greater role. This is the understanding we gain
from this statement and we are inclined to agree.
Being a mere teacher is just as much a source of
training as a principle in his/her position. As a
result one should do ones best even if ones
position doesnt seem as important as the others
because 13
Quotation # 8
But such a character is not the result of
accident; it is not due to special favors or the
endowment of Providence p.g 26
Group comments:
The author refers to a true and honest
character as not coming by chance neither
being God given. That begs the question : Is one
born with good character or is it developed? We
believe that to say that ones character is a gift
from God is to create an excuse for everyone
who manifests a bad character; in that they
dont have it because God didnt give it to them
and that they cant change. Therefore we
believe that character is developed. To quote
Lao Tzu :
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Watch your thoughts
for they become your
words, for they
become actions,
watch your actions for
they become habits,
watch your habits for
they become your
character,
Watch your character,
it becomes your
destiny 15
 Quotation # 9
Every youth, every child, has work to
do for the honor of God and the
uplifting of humanity p.g. 26
Group comments:
Every young individual has a role to play to
develop and benefit the world around them
and to glorify God. As a result it is our
responsibility to set a good example and spur
the next generation on to greater heights. In
the words of Apostle Paul in 1st Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise you for your youth, but
set the believers in speech, in conduct, in
love, in faith and in purity.
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Quotation # 10
A noble character is the result of self-discipline,
of the subjection of the lower to the higher
nature--the surrender of self for the service of
love to God and man. pg. 26
Group comments: According to the author a
noble character is one that is has self-mastery
manifesting as a self sacrificial love for God and
for others. We agree with this premise knowing
that pride is one of blights of the human race and
a primary reason behind much of the evil of our
world. The ability to put this pride aside must
therefore be seen as the pinnacle of good
character as displayed by Jesus Christ in his
incarnation.
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Thank you for your
attention.
God bless you.

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