Who better to inquire about education than a famed 16th century nobleman who inscribed excerpts of wisdom on the wooden beams of his library? Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (often called simply “Montaigne”) authored the heavily influential Essays, an outpouring of his natural philosophies, and had much to say on education. Check out the video below.Continue reading “[Video] Montaigne’s Blueprint for Education”
Category Archives: Education
3 Ways to Systematically Read the Great Books
Approaching the great books of the West (or East for that matter) is a daunting task, especially for those with little experience in the arts and sciences that regularly sample this vast body of works. While there are a variety of lists of great books – all of them instructive to peruse in themselves –Continue reading “3 Ways to Systematically Read the Great Books”
[Video] 5 EASY Books of Philosophy
The great books often appear daunting, especially for novice or younger readers. Many of the books are long, containing hundreds of pages or several volumes. Even experienced readers can be turned off from difficult topics like philosophy or theology. Therefore, it is helpful to highlight some of the “easier” classics that may lead one toContinue reading “[Video] 5 EASY Books of Philosophy”
12 Great Books of Western History
Much of what we know of the past three thousand years relies largely on the great historians of the millennia. Through excellent scholarship, tedious compilation, clear prose, and entertaining color commentary (sometime at the expense of accuracy), these historians and their famous works have shaped the western world’s ideas about its development. Though the bulkContinue reading “12 Great Books of Western History”
6 Classic Book Collections for Your Kids
Getting your kids to read books is important. Getting your kids reading the right books is even more important. Yet, selecting appropriate reading material for children has become increasingly difficult in our modern society. With the introduction of ideologically driven literature in schools and other public institutions, one can be at a loss for whichContinue reading “6 Classic Book Collections for Your Kids”
7 Historical Philosopher-Kings to Inspire You
In Plato’s Republic, Socrates envisions the ideal city-state. After describing life within his supposed utopia, his detractors press him on whether or not his dream could ever come to fruition. Socrates replies: “Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy … cities will neverContinue reading “7 Historical Philosopher-Kings to Inspire You”
The Importance of Fairy Tales for Children
For the past year, I’ve been reading stories from classic children’s anthologies (many printed in the 1940s – 1960s era) to my kids before bed. One such collection of stories is from a series called Childcraft, which I find so aptly named since reading good stories is so critical in “crafting” children to be virtuous,Continue reading “The Importance of Fairy Tales for Children”
4 Reasons to Own Physical Books in the Digital Age
We at ThinkingWest have dedicated this website to exploring the content contained in the Great Books. Our aim has always been to spark interest in the classics and challenge our readers to delve into these works by whatever method suits them best. With the rising popularity of audiobooks, digital E-readers like Kindle, and free onlineContinue reading “4 Reasons to Own Physical Books in the Digital Age”
Gateway to Philosophy: 5 Great Books to Get Reading
Mark Twain once said, “A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.” Glancing through book lists like the Great Books of the Western World or The Harvard Classics, it’s hard to argue with Twain’s sentiment. The great books often appear daunting, especially for novice or younger readers. Many ofContinue reading “Gateway to Philosophy: 5 Great Books to Get Reading”
The Benefits of Reading the Great Books
Why read the great books? Apart from fulfilling some antiquarian dream or feeding an ego pining for intellectual praise, these books serve a useful purpose. That the books are (usually) old is of little consequence except in evidence that these books are important enough to have survived so long. Hence, we do not read theseContinue reading “The Benefits of Reading the Great Books”