Myth: The trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) corresponds to stages in child development. The origin of this fantastic claim, a nearly ubiquitous presupposition of classical education literature and the central organizing tenet of many a school’s curriculum, can be traced back to Dorothy Sayers’ essay, “The Lost Tools of Learning.” So foundational (dare I say …
Dorothy Sayers Was Wrong: The Trivium and Child Development Read More »
Many of us tend to regard mathematics as mechanistic and mundane, ignoring the fact that the ultimate conclusions of mathematics lead us to ideas in physics which are as wonderfully bewildering as the deepest questions of philosophy and theology.
I’ve slowly made a discovery over time. Modern and post-modern artists can often make a great show of why they create art and the substance of it—ideally things that promote sales and highlight the uniqueness of the work. However, when you get to popular creativity, a little more of the true heart and motivation emerges. …
The idea of the interconnectedness of various disciplines, and the Quadrivium itself, hinges on the necessity and reality of there being an intentional order in the cosmos. If there is no order, then laws of nature, discoverability, and knowledge become chance, capricious, and subjective. If there is no intentionality, then happenstance, luck, and coincidence replaces …
I’ve encountered that moment in my conferencing preparations where I have to toss overboard most of my provisions so the fish can make use of them as they will. What better use for a blog, I thought to myself, before realizing how thoroughly I was insulting you. Sorry about that. But, incorrigible as I am, …
