An Exchange

Here's how I responded to comment on CHE, objecting to a professor who made her students show up and turn their assignments in on time:


"As I often tell my students, "only fools need rules." A rules-based approach, as suggested by the author of this piece, removes the need for much thought about causes and effects, autonomy and mastery, and self-direction, giving primacy to rules to follow. It's a plausible approach for meeting social expectations but a lousy way to question and understand their value to the social order."


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Let's free up our thoughts for more important issues and not over-think things that are basic, like showing up prepared and on time. The function of rules is to make certain actions habitual so you don't have to meditate profoundly on the reasons why.