Indoctrination

In this week’s spotlight I wish to discuss the nature of indoctrination. Webster defines indoctrination this way: the process of teaching a person or group to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. Now when I say indoctrination, most people will think of matters religious or political, but I want to extend the conversation to all of those issues that we have culturally inherited. Think, for example, about your attitude toward animals. Our culture favors some animals over others. For example, dogs, cats, and horses typically escape a turn at the dinner table as the main course, while pigs, cattle, sheep, ...