Excellent article. I found myself thinking of my time in college as I was reading, wondering "did I get the traditional classical education?" And I would say, no. There were no required classes on philosophy or oratory (Speech class taught by a GA isn't the same). I think my major required one history class (Western Civ through WWII, I think), which I loved. On VDH's larger points, I mostly agree although he left out a pretty self-evident (at least to me) point: that when history, when taught at all, is taught with a bias against America/Western Civilization/Democracy/Capitalism it's easy to see how we end up with so many people who do not understand or care about what made America great, or why it still is, or even why it matters. We get people who actively hate America and what it stands (stood) for.
Excellent article. I found myself thinking of my time in college as I was reading, wondering "did I get the traditional classical education?" And I would say, no. There were no required classes on philosophy or oratory (Speech class taught by a GA isn't the same). I think my major required one history class (Western Civ through WWII, I think), which I loved.
ReplyDeleteOn VDH's larger points, I mostly agree although he left out a pretty self-evident (at least to me) point: that when history, when taught at all, is taught with a bias against America/Western Civilization/Democracy/Capitalism it's easy to see how we end up with so many people who do not understand or care about what made America great, or why it still is, or even why it matters. We get people who actively hate America and what it stands (stood) for.