My aim is to speak about something that is dear to me. Dear at one time meant expensive, with out peer, and one of a kind. There is no subject more dear to me than education, the educating of our children. Many years ago, the founder of the laws of Sparta, Lycurgus, said that the most important subject with which the state (and therefore statesman) must contend is the educating of the children of that state. Plutarch, in his Life of Lycurgus, said that he agreed with Lycurgus. I do not agree with how Lycurgus put into practice this principle, but I do agree with the principle. Being a constitutional democracy makes every citizen in some way a statesman; therefore every citizen is in some way responsible for thinking about education and putting into act measures so our children are educated.
What is not the aim of these thoughts is to speak about personality, mine or any one's. It can be interesting to find out who wrote Shakespeare's works. It can be interesting to speculate about such things, but that is all it is, interesting. The works themselves stand alone; this is because they are substantive without the author. Whether it be William Shakespeare, the the Earl of Oxford, Francis Bacon, et al., is not truly important. This is because the author's works, thoughts, and ideas live without him. This is because these thoughts found in the writings of Shakespeare are to be found inchoate, nascent, or mature elsewhere in his predecessors' works, e.g., the definition of reason found in Hamlet is to be found in Aristotle and Plato, and therein found with a reason for it being the definition. Therefore, the ideas did not and do not belong to Shakespeare. They were gifts. They were gifts to him from his predecessors. They were gifts to them from theirs. These ideas belong to all and should be looked into by all to the degree that one's capacity allows. So read Shakespeare, Aristotle, Plato, Confucius, Lao Tzu, et al., but read them for the ideas. Do not fall into the fallacious thought that these ideas are the man. Just ask, are they true?
To speak about the ideas is what the aim is. There are many parts of education about which one could speak: parents, students, teachers, classrooms, books, subjects, pay, buildings, administration, unions, libraries, computers, etc. All of these subjects are relevant to an overall understanding of the current state, good and bad, of our children's education. I wish all to be subject to discussion here. This being true, I wish it to be in due order. There is an order in learning and in discussions. These are not always the same order, but there is an order. I think the first thing to find out is whether there is an "education". This is for two reasons: one, a discussion about an infinite number of educations, as such, is impossible; and two, I know from first hand experience and from having read many things that there are many if not most that believe that there is no one definition of education.
Without now making any statements about these here, I simply wish to ask, is this true. Is education what anyone wishes to think it is? Therefore, is it true that there is no one definition, and therefore, no definition of education? For an example of the thought of there being no definition of education go to www.teachersmind.com/education.htm. There is an opening essay called The Meaning of Education. I only bring this as an example of which I speak. It is a good example of the idea that the definitions of education are personal, environmental, etc., and the definition is not a universal.
I hope anyone who wishes will come to this discussion.
What is not the aim of these thoughts is to speak about personality, mine or any one's. It can be interesting to find out who wrote Shakespeare's works. It can be interesting to speculate about such things, but that is all it is, interesting. The works themselves stand alone; this is because they are substantive without the author. Whether it be William Shakespeare, the the Earl of Oxford, Francis Bacon, et al., is not truly important. This is because the author's works, thoughts, and ideas live without him. This is because these thoughts found in the writings of Shakespeare are to be found inchoate, nascent, or mature elsewhere in his predecessors' works, e.g., the definition of reason found in Hamlet is to be found in Aristotle and Plato, and therein found with a reason for it being the definition. Therefore, the ideas did not and do not belong to Shakespeare. They were gifts. They were gifts to him from his predecessors. They were gifts to them from theirs. These ideas belong to all and should be looked into by all to the degree that one's capacity allows. So read Shakespeare, Aristotle, Plato, Confucius, Lao Tzu, et al., but read them for the ideas. Do not fall into the fallacious thought that these ideas are the man. Just ask, are they true?
To speak about the ideas is what the aim is. There are many parts of education about which one could speak: parents, students, teachers, classrooms, books, subjects, pay, buildings, administration, unions, libraries, computers, etc. All of these subjects are relevant to an overall understanding of the current state, good and bad, of our children's education. I wish all to be subject to discussion here. This being true, I wish it to be in due order. There is an order in learning and in discussions. These are not always the same order, but there is an order. I think the first thing to find out is whether there is an "education". This is for two reasons: one, a discussion about an infinite number of educations, as such, is impossible; and two, I know from first hand experience and from having read many things that there are many if not most that believe that there is no one definition of education.
Without now making any statements about these here, I simply wish to ask, is this true. Is education what anyone wishes to think it is? Therefore, is it true that there is no one definition, and therefore, no definition of education? For an example of the thought of there being no definition of education go to www.teachersmind.com/education.htm. There is an opening essay called The Meaning of Education. I only bring this as an example of which I speak. It is a good example of the idea that the definitions of education are personal, environmental, etc., and the definition is not a universal.
I hope anyone who wishes will come to this discussion.
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