A true classical education is a lifelong pursuit of wisdom and understanding with no demonstrable end. The end of the classical education is played out in real time, in parallel to its pursuit in everyday life. When confronting a claim, one might turn to principles put forth by Aristotle or Bacon to find their veracity;Continue reading “The 12 Book Classical Education”
Category Archives: Education
3 Ways St. Augustine’s Confessions Describes the Fallen Modern World
St. Augustine of Hippo was born in Northern Africa in the 4th century AD. A bishop of the Hippo Regius region in Numidia, he is widely considered one of the most influential early Christians, mainly due to his prolific writings. Despite his saintly status, Augustine lived a worldly life before his conversion, and documented hisContinue reading “3 Ways St. Augustine’s Confessions Describes the Fallen Modern World”
Confessions of a Bibliophile
Less than two years ago I became a bibliophile when researching what kind of education would be best for my kids and reading Susan Wise Bauer’s A Well Educated Mind. Reading that one book instilled an infectious desire to read the greatest books of the world, and hence I began to love books despite myContinue reading “Confessions of a Bibliophile”
Insights from the Lord of Montaigne on Education
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. The first thing he tellsContinue reading “Insights from the Lord of Montaigne on Education”
Learning History, The Right Way
The typical history class goes like this: “The Peloponnesian War was fought by the Delian league, led by Athens, against the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta, during the years spanning 341 to 404 BC. The Delian League leveraged the sea might of Athens, while the Spartans assaulted primarily by land. Ultimately the war was wonContinue reading “Learning History, The Right Way”
The Case for Homeschooling (Part 3): Child Safety
“Homeschooling … not only violates children’s right to a ‘meaningful education’ and their right to be protected from potential child abuse, but may keep them from contributing positively to a democratic society.” This statement was published as part of a mid-2020 Harvard Magazine article interviewing Elizabeth Bartholett, a Harvard Law professor and now infamous anti-homeschoolingContinue reading “The Case for Homeschooling (Part 3): Child Safety”
The Importance of Good Conversation
Read Plato, St. Augustine, Jonathan Swift, Emily Bronte, or any other classic work and you’ll notice the authors’ composition, vocabulary, and coherence in thought far surpass those possessed by the vast majority of educated people today. Even students of our best liberal arts universities don’t emerge from their studies with the ability to write, speak,Continue reading “The Importance of Good Conversation”
Why a Classical Education is Needed Now More than Ever
If you were to ask yourself what single aspect of education is lacking in modern society, what would it be? What topic, if better integrated into school curricula, would benefit the world the most? Teaching science and technology better? It seems we have plenty of the technical aspects of education in place today: everyone knowsContinue reading “Why a Classical Education is Needed Now More than Ever”
The Nazi Origins of Germany’s Ban on Homeschooling
Given that we are caught up in terms of the history of homeschooling (see here), there is one notable historical anecdote we have left out: the case of Germany, one of few western European countries with a complete ban on homeschooling. There is an irritating and pervasive habit to treat the passing of a lawContinue reading “The Nazi Origins of Germany’s Ban on Homeschooling”
The Case for Homeschooling (Part 2): The History of Home Education
If the history of education were a painting, homeschooling would be the backdrop upon which each stroke of the brush marks a new development, for better of worse, in how we teach our children. The painting is a very slow one to take shape, having still a countable number of wide strokes despite thousands ofContinue reading “The Case for Homeschooling (Part 2): The History of Home Education”