John Senior figured out the root of the problem when he stated that unless you grew up reading the thousand good books, and spent hours of unstructured time playing outdoors, the great books would be of absolutely no use to you, because you would read them wrongly and to your own detriment.
Several people have asked me whether it is a lost cause. Whether, upon finding out our deficiency, we should dedicate ourselves to spending hundreds of hours of unstructured time outdoors playing, and reading the thousand good books that every child should have read. My honest answer is, I don’t think we have any other choice.
Good piece. Is this channel by a catholic writer? The Substack description is vague, but Christian tradition seems to wend its way into each essay. Should probably be more transparent about that.
Beautiful piece. As an outsider, I wonder how you with such a good understanding of the logos have not turned pagan. Although if you are a catholic then that's almost like paganism (I use the word in a positive sense).
Over on the Ascent, we often discuss and reference "pagan" spirituality as well, like Homer and Plato, and its impact on the Christian imagination. Lots on Christ as Logos, etc.
Usually here it refers to the "paganism" that tilled the world prior to the coming of Christ. So, the Greeks and the Romans, e.g., "classical paganism" as it is sometimes called. But really underneath this is a comparison between what is observable by nature and reason and what is revealed by faith - in the Christian tradition, both have the same author, God.
1. Has always been the lie conservative Christians tell themselves to justify all the other nonsense they spout about the function of education and the value of the so-called Western Canon. These allegedly great books by ‘Western’ thinkers have never been removed from university curricula. Any student can read and study Aristotle, Freud, Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe and rest in any number of courses dedicated to the study of ancient ideas and their development through history.
2. Learning to differentiate between truth and lies is only partially the function of a solid education. And the way you have defined relativism is . . . , ay there’s the rub. You haven’t. The truth is rarely singular and has nothing to do with geographical markers like easy or west no matter how many reactionary academics assert such claims.
A better approach would claim that the truth is specific, concrete, and right at a particular time in a particular place. There’s nothing universal inherent in truth claims. There is only that which is determined by context and perspective. Don’t take my word for this. Read Kant instead. Why? Because that’s the argument he makes. Alongside irrefutable insights about the limits of human knowledge about the world outside our heads.
In essence, Kant argues that our perceptions of the world are fundamentally distinct from the world as it actually exists. Which point suggests that we all understand the truth of the world differently.
3. Great books are great because they demand that we question the world, interrogate social myth-making, look again and again and again, and with each look revise our interpretation. The purpose of any education worth calling an education is to cultivate and nurture a critical or questioning attitude toward what society labels ‘the truth.’ Without this ability, the truth won’t set you free. It will chain you inside a prison made of someone else’s lies.
4. Reading literature as if God exists is perhaps the narrowest way to approach the work. Open your minds; the rest, respectfully, will follow.
Should we just stop reading at Machiavelli, or plaster dangerous warnings books antithetical to the the logos? How should we address the several hundred years of bad great books?
Broadly I am referring to Pagans as those believing in multiple Gods but understanding the underlying unity behind it. Also in the sense of people who consider humans as a small but meaningful part of nature, not as the dominant lords of it.
Thank you for sharing our article!
John Senior figured out the root of the problem when he stated that unless you grew up reading the thousand good books, and spent hours of unstructured time playing outdoors, the great books would be of absolutely no use to you, because you would read them wrongly and to your own detriment.
John Senior's list is golden.
Several people have asked me whether it is a lost cause. Whether, upon finding out our deficiency, we should dedicate ourselves to spending hundreds of hours of unstructured time outdoors playing, and reading the thousand good books that every child should have read. My honest answer is, I don’t think we have any other choice.
Good piece. Is this channel by a catholic writer? The Substack description is vague, but Christian tradition seems to wend its way into each essay. Should probably be more transparent about that.
This piece is by our sister publication, The Ascent, written by the great Dcn. Harrison Garlick!
Yep! And the author section at the end of each Ascent article mentions the author is a deacon.
Us Christians are sneaky that way. Yes, we're in the room with you right now. 😉
Bookmarked. Well done guys!
Beautiful piece. As an outsider, I wonder how you with such a good understanding of the logos have not turned pagan. Although if you are a catholic then that's almost like paganism (I use the word in a positive sense).
Over on the Ascent, we often discuss and reference "pagan" spirituality as well, like Homer and Plato, and its impact on the Christian imagination. Lots on Christ as Logos, etc.
What do you necessarily mean by pagan? I’m just asking because it’s kind of broad.
Usually here it refers to the "paganism" that tilled the world prior to the coming of Christ. So, the Greeks and the Romans, e.g., "classical paganism" as it is sometimes called. But really underneath this is a comparison between what is observable by nature and reason and what is revealed by faith - in the Christian tradition, both have the same author, God.
Thank you very much for this enlightenment! We must learn how we can confirm our minds to the reality!!! I love this!
The phrase first comes St. Augustine and then is used by St. Thomas Aquinas. It is a wonderful definition of truth.
Where is that library located? Thank you for your response.
Trinity College Dublin!
Very good article
Thank you!
This is very well written. I rings and sings with Truth.
Thank you!
1. Has always been the lie conservative Christians tell themselves to justify all the other nonsense they spout about the function of education and the value of the so-called Western Canon. These allegedly great books by ‘Western’ thinkers have never been removed from university curricula. Any student can read and study Aristotle, Freud, Shakespeare, Milton, Goethe and rest in any number of courses dedicated to the study of ancient ideas and their development through history.
2. Learning to differentiate between truth and lies is only partially the function of a solid education. And the way you have defined relativism is . . . , ay there’s the rub. You haven’t. The truth is rarely singular and has nothing to do with geographical markers like easy or west no matter how many reactionary academics assert such claims.
A better approach would claim that the truth is specific, concrete, and right at a particular time in a particular place. There’s nothing universal inherent in truth claims. There is only that which is determined by context and perspective. Don’t take my word for this. Read Kant instead. Why? Because that’s the argument he makes. Alongside irrefutable insights about the limits of human knowledge about the world outside our heads.
In essence, Kant argues that our perceptions of the world are fundamentally distinct from the world as it actually exists. Which point suggests that we all understand the truth of the world differently.
3. Great books are great because they demand that we question the world, interrogate social myth-making, look again and again and again, and with each look revise our interpretation. The purpose of any education worth calling an education is to cultivate and nurture a critical or questioning attitude toward what society labels ‘the truth.’ Without this ability, the truth won’t set you free. It will chain you inside a prison made of someone else’s lies.
4. Reading literature as if God exists is perhaps the narrowest way to approach the work. Open your minds; the rest, respectfully, will follow.
You so fully and completely missed the essay's point that part of me wonders if your post is satirical.
Should we just stop reading at Machiavelli, or plaster dangerous warnings books antithetical to the the logos? How should we address the several hundred years of bad great books?
Broadly I am referring to Pagans as those believing in multiple Gods but understanding the underlying unity behind it. Also in the sense of people who consider humans as a small but meaningful part of nature, not as the dominant lords of it.
I believe “The Intellectual Life” was originally published by Sertillanges in 1921
Entonces, no hay ningún problema con esto 🙏