Presented at the CiRCE Spring Regional Conference 2023.

In modern societies, it is generally assumed that all evaluative judgments are nothing but expressions of preference, of attitude or feeling. Thus any claims by critics or teachers that some works or art, literature, music, or descriptive prose are superior to other works are regarded as coercive and tyrannical threats to the dignity of students. In this lecture, Ken Myers will argue that truly honoring the dignity of students demands that educators train them to order their loves in accord with the objective values present in Creation and forms of cultural expression.