Monday, September 24, 2007

The Beauty of Classical Education

There are numerous approaches to the education of a child. Modern psychology plays a significant role in the way students are taught in most schools, but it has not always been this way. For centuries - even millennia - before the influence of John Dewey and the rise of the modern school system, school children received some form of a classical education.

Also known as a liberal education (from the Latin "liber" meaning "free"), classical education was the standard for the free citizen. The most basic component of this type of education is the trivium. The trivium is composed of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. Although these terms are linked to language arts, the idea can be applied to any subject. At the grammar stage, one learns the basic facts and figures, such as the alphabet, words, and sentences. At the logic stage, the student studies how the facts learned relate to each other so that, for example, sentences and paragraphs may be analyzed for logical consistency and validity. When the student enters the rhetoric stage, he learns how to use the skills of grammar and logic to understand how reality relates to him, and he is able to express himself effectively.

There is also a major emphasis placed on studying source materials from antiquity to the present. The student receiving a liberal education will understand the rise of western civilization and the role played by Greek and Roman cultures in the formation of life as we know it today. America was not, after all, formed in a vacuum. Math would include the study of the mathematicians who developed the subject and the historical motivation behind their work. Students would become familiar with the work of Archimedes, Newton, Darwin, and others, and be able to analyze their work in light of the scientific method. The ideas of economists like Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes would be an integral part of the curriculum. Instead of reading short exerpts of great literature followed by pages of analysis from textbook writers, students would actually read classic books in toto. The work of these masters will influence the student in their own writing, as well as give solid role models of character and virtue.

Unfortunately, liberal education is all too often replaced with mediocre instruction and even outright indoctrination, from grade schools all the way through the higher institutions. Parents can begin to safeguard their children against these shortcomings, however. Be in tune with what your child is learning so that you know where you can supplement their education at home. Be sure that your young children become solid readers and that they grasp the basic arithmetic taught in the classroom. As they grow older, encourage them to read classics suitable to their reading level. You can find "Great Books" lists on the internet with suggestions for excellent reading for both you and your young scholars. Ask your son or daughter if they are familiar with opposing viewpoints to what they are being taught in school. Perhaps you can research with them to find historical context and perspective for many of the concepts they are taught in their history, science, and other classes. Such an education will train a student's mind to be capable of tackling any subject with proper perspective and objectivity.

This post has shown only a glimpse, at best, of the beauty of classical education. Hopefully it sparks an interest to learn more about this type of education. The following are only a few suggestions for further reading. The links are posted in the menu at the right for quick reference:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/classed.html
http://www.gbt.org/text/sayers.html
http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/ancient/asbook.html
Classical Education: Towards the Revival of American Schooling, Gene Edward Veith, Jr. and Andrew Kern
The Closing of the American Mind, Allan Bloom

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Bethany,

I found your article on a Google Alert and wanted to let you know how impressed I am by your understanding.

When did you go to Concordia? I graduated in 1996 I think.

Did you get to study under Dr. Veith?

Bethany Smith said...

Thank you for your kind praise. I actually created this blog to fulfill a class assignment, but I thought I might as well make it worth my while in case I wanted to keep it up.

I graduated Concordia in 2005. I was fortunate enough to study under Dr. Veith for one semester, and he was my advisor until he took a full-time position with World Magazine, I think.

This is the first I have heard of the CiRCE Institute. It is exactly the sort of resource I need.

I'd also like to mention that Dr. Veith's and your book was the first one I read on classical education and it really opened my eyes. Thanks.

Unknown said...

Hi Bethany,

I also found your blog through a google alert and hope you keep your blog. I've not gotten to the one I intended.

I discovered classical education a couple of years ago on my own. I have read many classics and Greek history with my son for the last 1.5 years. I have succeeded in lighting an interest in him while competing with video games.

I recommend to parents to create regular family reading and make it a habit to read old classic books like those found at mainlesson.com. They are free. Project Gutenberg has many suitable books too.

I would love to create a modern local lyceum (like the old days in America) but these are different days indeed. I am currently embarking on some public reading of classic literature for young people at the public library.

Also, I trust you are familiar with the best discussion I know of on the Trivium and Classical Education in a lecture given by Dorothy Sayers in 1947, "The lost tools of learning." It is online and a must read.

Bethany Smith said...

Albert,

I think you are a wonderful example of the fact that it is never too late to pursue a classical education. Kudos to you for not only exposing your son to classic liturature, but also for highlighting it to others at the public library!

Thank you also for the resources. It is so refreshing for me to focus on classical education, especially when I am so constantly discouraged with modern public education.

Anonymous said...

Well written article.

Anonymous said...

eh.. good style ))

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

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