The Aeneid is permeated by images of raging fire, fury, storms, and chaos. The whole epic poem foregrounds this anti-element as the unavoidable cost of Roman authority and mission. Indeed, the Roman mission is essentially to overcome chaos, especially in society. Thus Virgil has the shadow of Aeneas’ father say to him (or rather, to […]
I ended part 1 of this series suggesting there are three forms of education in all but the most temporary societies. I added that without all three, a society can’t survive. In this post, I want to introduce the three to you and give three historical epochs when they can be seen rather vividly. The
Starting a new year makes us particularly conscious of time. Time makes us conscious of limitations. And, contrary to the spirit of the age (at least prior to 2020), this is good, because limitations allow for definitions. When we pretend we don’t live on a calendar that comes to an end and has a beginning,
What Happened To Classical Education, Part 1: Introduction Read More »
“Every writer of history proposes to himself an original method” – G.W.F. Hegel What exactly am I doing when I do history? If I ask the question based on the meaning of the word, I make an interesting discovery: history is from the Greek word for inquiry. History, therefore, as originally imagined, was an inquiry.
World War II was progressing in earnest 80 years ago this week, so I have been tracking it with short readings and a video series on YouTube. Last summer, Germany took over Czechoslovakia without much of a shot fired, and in September, allied with Russia, they took over Poland. Over the last month or so,
When it came to school, my mom believed that if you can get your children to love learning then the rest of their education will work itself out. That’s when I came along. Ten hours of labor, followed by a nasty reputation in the church nursery, and I let my mom know quickly that if
For your enjoyment this 4th of July week.
Five Books on Early U.S. History Every Classical Educator Should Read Read More »
Gabriel was an angry and ambitious young man determined to change the world, but he was having a bad day. Only a half an hour earlier, at 10:00 AM, a friend had been arrested for ineffectively tossing a bomb at a car, the main effect of which was apparently to scratch the nape of a
