A Brief History of Classical Education€¦ · happiness the greatest happiness and is even higher...

ABriefHistoryofClassicalEducationLecture6

ChristopherA.Perrin,M.Div.,PhD

Age

Lev

el Aim School and Teacher Subjects

18 to

20

Mili

tary

Sc

hool

Defense of Athens Ephebic Training (Military Officers, Soldiers)

Military Training 15

to 1

8 -

priv

ilege

d A

dvac

ned

Seco

ndar

y Training in

citizenship, leadership

Civic and Cultural Observatio and Participation (Supervision of Elders)

Participation in civic and cultural life

10 to

14

Seco

ndar

y Arete, skills that made for military excellence

Gymnasium (Paidotribes, gymnasts, supervised by a Gymnasiarch)

Wrestlling, boxing, running, discus, javelin, long jump

7 to

14

Seco

ndar

y

Arete “Music” school (Grammatistes, Citharistes)

Reading, recitation, writing, arithmetic, practicing the lyre and aulos, singing, some dancing

7 to

14

Elem

enta

ry Thee good and

beautiful man: arete. Individual and political excellence

Palaestra (Paidotribes)

Wrestling

GreekCurricula:MakingoftheMan

GreekSchoolSetting

SchoolName Aim Subjects Teacher

Variousacademies

Aretechangesintopersonalpolitical

ambition;theleadershipofother

men

DialecticandRhetoricaspracticalskillstoachievesuccessandinfluence;oratorical

tricks,shortcuts,mnemonicdevices.Othersubjectsalsotaughtingreater

depth:literature,philosophy,mathematics,astronomy;rhetorical

exercises

Pythagoras,Prodigus,Gorgias,Isocrates

Influenceonprimaryandsecondaryeducation

Increasingemphasisonlinguisticskillandreadinessofspeech.Educationtakesa“vocational”and“technical”turn.

Influenceoncivicand

culturallife

Studentsandcitizensbecamemoreinterestedinpersonalsuccessandthe“talkerandstylist”thanfortherightorderingofcivic

affairsProtagoras Politicalsuccess,via

personalambition.Manthemeasureof

allthings.Isocrates Practicalorientation

butforthegoodofthecity,notmerepersonalsuccess.

Wantedmoralpurposeand

practicalsuccess.

Emphasizedstudyofliteraryclassics;astronomy,geometry,dialectic;chief

subjectwasrhetoric:trainingoftheorator

Plato Opposedthesophistsandarguedforphilosophyover

rhetoric.

Philosophy

GreekCurricula:MakingoftheMan

SchoolName Aim Subjects/Means

Socrates Opposedsophistseventthoughheresembledonehimself(hetraveledaboutAthensteachingandtalking

asthesophistsdid).

Carefulanalysisaboutthemeaningofwordstodiscoverourownignorance;thenacarefulpursuitoftruthandknowledgeguidedby

reason(whichshouldovercomeourirrationalimpulse).Suchareasonedpursuitwouldbringdiscipline,orderandlifetoAthens.

Wrotenobooks.

Plato Opposedthesophistsandarguedforphilosophyoverrhetoric.3aims:

toleadthematuremantothevisionoftheGood;tobringthis

visiondowntoearthinaorderedsociety;tomakethemenwhoare

capableofthis.

StartedhisownacademyincompetitionwithIsocrates.ConstructedanidealeducationalsysteminhisbookTheRepublic,whichthoughneverfullyrealizedhashadgreatinfluencetothe

presenttime.Heproposedandeducationofaneliteclass(Guardians,includingphilosopher-kings)whoafter50yearsofeducationandpreparationwouldleadandadministerthecity.

Aristotle Modifiedoppositiontosophists;approvedorrhetoricwhenusedwell.Educationalaims:educate

citizensinthosequalitiesofcharacterthatwillsustain

democraticwayoflife;shouldbethesameforall;goodpersonsas

wellasgoodcitizens.

Childrenareturnedintogoodmenandgoodcitizensbyformingtherighthabitsunderthedirectionoftherationalprinciplewithinus.Goodnessofintellectcomesfromgoodinstruction;goodnessof

charactercomesfromhabitformation—makingapracticeofactingintherightway,andbypursuingmoderation,themeanbetweenextremesofexcessanddefect(e.g.,courageisthemeanbetween

rashnessandfear).Approvestraditionalcurriculumofreading,writing,gymnastics,music,andadddrawing.Notallsubjectsaretobepursuedfortheirusefulness:Buttoalwaysbeseekingaftertheuseful“doesnotbecomefreeandexaltedsouls.”Somesubjects

(likemusic)arepursuedbecausetheyennoble.Intellectualhappinessthegreatesthappinessandisevenhigherthanserviceto

thestate.

Paideia Originallythemeansofpreparingchildrenforadultlife(frompais,

child).Cametomeantheendwhichthisprocesssought:culture,thesumofaesthetic,intellectualand

moralqualitiesthatmakeacompleteman.

ChiefworkofarttotheGreeks:themakingofMan.Greeksthefirsttotrytomoldmanaccordingtoanideal(arête).Education

(paideia)isthemakingofmennottrainingmentomakethings.Technicalorvocationalinstructionisusefulbutisnottheeducation

ofthewholeman.Romanschosetotranslatepaideiawiththeirwordhumanitas.

Age

Leve

l Aim School and Teacher Subjects

18 o

r 19

to 2

1&

25

Uni

vers

ity

Professional career inlaw, medicine,architecture,professor

Greek UniversitiesUniversity of Rome(Professor)

LawMedicineArchitectureMathematicsGrammarRhetoric

16 to

18

or19 C

olle

giat

e Schools of Rhetoric (Rhetor)

GrammarRhetoricDialecticLaw

12 to

16

Seco

ndar

y Latin GrammarSchools(Grammaticus)

Grammar and Literature

6 or

7 to

12

Elem

enta

ry

Good citizen;cultivation of habitsthat create character:piety, Constantia,fortitude, industry,gravitas, modesty,frugality, duty.

Ludi or PrimarySchools(Ludi Magister)

ReadingWritingReckoning

RomanCurricula:MakingofanEmpire

CaptiveGreecetookcaptiveherrudeconquerorsandbroughttheartstoLatium—Horace

W.KaneontheRomanmind…p.61

RomanSchoolSettings

TheNumberoftheLiberalArtsGrammar Logic Rhetoric Geometry Arithmetic Astronomy Music Medicine Architecture

VARRO VARRO VARRO VARRO VARRO Astrology VARRO VARRO VARRO

SENECA SENECA SENECA SENECA SENECA

QUINTILLIAN QUINTILLIAN QUINTILLIAN QUINTILLIAN QUINTILLIAN QUINTILLIAN

AUGUSTINE AUGUSTINE AUGUSTINE AUGUSTINE AUGUSTINE Philosophy AUGUSTINE

CAPELLA CAPELLA CAPELLA CAPELLA CAPELLA CAPELLA CAPELLA

CASSIODORUS CASSIODORUS CASSIODORUS CASSIODORUS CASSIODORUS CASSIODORUS CASSIODORUS

Varro:116– 27BC(Nine“disciplines”)

Seneca:8BC– 65AD(Lackslogicandrhetoric)Quintillian:35– 96AD(Nologic,possiblyincludedwithinrhetoric)Augustine:354– 430AD(Substitutesphilosophyforastronomy)

Martanius Capella:5th or6th Cent.AD(Pagancontextualizationofsevenarts)Cassiodorus:546– 569AD(Sevenartsarea“completeandperfect”number)

TheCatechism LessonbyJules-AlexisMuenier

EarlyChristianandEarlyMiddleAges

• CatechumenalSchoolsinAlexandria,Caesarea,Antioch(Clement,Origen)

• MartianausCapella,TheMarriageofMercuryandPhilology(c.414AD)

• Boethius (475),Cassiodorus (490),OntheLiberalArtsandSciences;fixesthenumberofartsatsevenbyscripturalauthority

Wisdomhathbuildedherhouse;shehathhewnouthersevenpillars--Proverbs9:1

EarlyChristianandEarlyMiddleAges

• Isidore,BishopofSeville(570),EtymologiesorOrigines:encyclopediaofancientlearningformonksandclergy.ForbadeuseofGreekandRomanliterature.

• Alcuin (781),educationalreformerinCharlamagne’scourt(treatisesontheTriviumandastronomy)

• Maurus (819):OntheInstructionofClergy,DeUniverso

EarlyChristianandEarlyMiddleAges

• Onevolumemanuscriptscomposedofbriefextracts,bitsofmiscellaneousinformation,listsofnames

• Somebooksinquestionandanswerform• Teacherhadacopy,pupilsdidnot(nottexts)• Purpose:totransmitmodicumofsecularknowledgeneededfortheserviceofthechurchandapreparationforthestudyoftheologicalwritings

ExtentofLiberalArtsStudyintheEarlyMiddleAges

ToweroftheSevenLiberalArts1508

Theyouthhavingmasteredhisletters,isescortedbyWisdomtothetempleofknowledge.

Congruitas (grammar)atthedoor;Donatus,Priscian(1stand2ndfloor);LogicwithAristotle,RhetoricandPoetry withTully,Arithmetic withBoethius(3rdfloor);Music withPythagoras,Geometry withEuclid,Astronomy withPtolemy.ThenPhilosophy(physics,moralswithSeneca).LastlyTheology(ormetaphysics)withPeterLombard.

TriviumArts Grammar Apreparatorypathleadingtogreatergoals,abilitiesstemmingfromthemasteryoflanguage.Logic

Rhetoric

Quadrivium Arts Arithmetic Apreparatorypathleadingtogreatergoals,abilitiesstemmingfromthemasteryofnumberandmeasurement.

GeometryMusic

Astronomy

“Philosophy” NaturalPhilosophy Wisdom,InterpretationofScriptureMoralPhilosophy

Theology

Sciences LawMedicine

FineArts

FinalFormoftheCurriculumattheTimeoftheRenaissance

OverviewofMiddleAgestothePresent

• MiddleAges:EmergenceoftheUniversity• PGMAPT• Renaissance:LatinandGreekLit.,Rhetoric• Reformation/CounterReformation:Extension• Enlightenment:ScientificEmpiricism,Rationalism• VictorianEngland,Romanticism• ColonialAmerican,PreandPost-CivilWar• Modern,Postmodern:PoliticizedEndsandAims• PresentRecovery

OutlineofEducationalApproaches

MedievalModelofEducationJamesDaniels

James Daniels

AComparison:TheModernandMedieval

GrammarSchool

MODERN MEDIEVAL

JamesDaniels

PresentRecoveryofClassicalCurricula

• PaideiaMovementofMortimerAdler• ClassicalPrepSchool/LowIntegration• HighIntegration,Sayersian Stages• Homeshool Communities(CC,SG,etal)• CottageSchool• UniversityModelSchools(NAUMS,etal)• CharlotteMasonHybrid• ParadigmDisciplines/TriviumIntegration• ClassicalCharterSchools

ForFurtherStudy

• ManyBooksontheHistoryofEducation• CourseonProgressiveEducationwithDr.JasonEdwards

• CourseontheLiberalArtsTraditionwithKevinClarkandRaviJain

Books:AncientandMedievalEducation

Ancient GreekandRomanEducation

Ancient RomanEducation

EarlyChristianEducation

MedievalEducation

Books:ModernEducation

RiseofProgressiveEducation

TheLast 100YearsinAmerica

SurveyofAmericanEducation