[onezerozeroone]

> why shouldn't we teach people their position in life is largely predetermined?

Because it isn't and history is full of examples showing it isn't.

Circumstances (social, economic, etc) might sway things in certain directions, but in the same way we can't predict the weather a year out with 100% certainty, it's impossible to predict the course of a human being's life a year from now, let alone 10 or 20.

And that isn't even taking into account changing environments. Ask someone in the 1950's if Obama would become president and most would probably have said "no way"

It's also detrimental and discouraging to people even attempting to achieve their potential. It's like the photo of the horse tied to a chair by a rope. The horse only believes it can't move because it's been trained to think that is its reality.

Philosophies are really only important and useful in as much as they produce a certain result. History is also full of examples of those philosophies being used by the ruling class to suppress their "inferiors" in order to maintain their positions of privilege. Then you get things like the French Revolution.