"Let Your Kids Break Stuff": The Importance of Experience

In Book 1 of Aristotle’s “Metaphysics,” Aristotle discusses the desire to acquire knowledge in human beings by stating “All men by nature desire to know” (1552). His evidence for this famous declaration is found in our use of the five senses. According to Aristotle, the “delight” that humans take in using their senses to experience the world around them proves that we have a natural predilection for learning.

This same theory can be found in this video clip of Stephen Colbert’s interview of Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist. Tyson is a proponent of increasing science education in schools, and he is also an enthusiastic supporter of government funding for NASA. In this clip of the interview, Tyson encourages parents to allow their kids to conduct their own experiments with their senses to explore their environment.

Why is this encouragement to use senses at an early age so important? According to Aristotle, “By nature animals are born with the faculty of sensation, and from sensation memory is produced in some of them, though not in others. And therefore, the former are more intelligent and apt at learning than those which cannot remember…” (1552). By allowing children to learn their environment through their senses, or through their  “experiments” as Tyson puts it, we give them experiences they wouldn’t otherwise have. Through these experiences, children are more likely to be intelligent and thoughtful as adults.

The advantage to having these more intelligent and thoughtful adults, according to both Aristotle and Tyson, is that they are more likely to succeed in life. As Aristotle puts it, “We even see men of experience succeeding more than those who have theory without experience” (1552). However, both Aristotle and Tyson agree that theory is important in addition to experience. Aristotle points out that although we regard those with experience without theory as masters of their respective crafts, we acknowledge that they do not know the “why” of it; therefore, we do not regard them as having wisdom. In a way, Tyson agrees. Although it’s not really addressed in this particular clip, Tyson does frequently mention that science education (theory) is important in a child’s education in order for them to be successful.