Well, I've promised several people that I would start this project this weekend. How difficult could it be to start reading 54 books that my wife and I picked up at a local estate sale for $ 42.50? The problem is, I wanted to say something profound before I began! I want to sound educated and enlightened ... but, sorry, it's just not happening for me lately ... perhaps that is why I'm interested in this quest.
In Book 1 of our 1957 edition, "The Great Conversation: The Substance of a Liberal Education", the author makes a statement about a subject that I happened to mention to my wife today -- childhood and the feeling that "I've never grown up." The author states: "I must reiterate that you can set no store by your education in childhood and youth, no matter how good it was. Childhood and youth are no time to get an education. They are the time to get ready to get an education. The most that we can hope for from these uninteresting and chaotic periods of life is that during them we shall be set on the right path, the path of realizing our human possibilities through intellectual effort and aesthetic appreciation. The great issues, now issues of life and death for civilization call for mature minds." If that was true in 1952, how true now in 2010.
It's time to grow up and continue my education.
The quote above should not insult any young reader -- it just means that we can continue to read the same Shakespeare or Plato that we did in 9th grade, Sophomore in college, or in our apartment with a toddler at our feet. These books and ideas will mean something more and hopefully show us something new each time we read them. I've realized lately that education never ends. Nothing irritates me more than someone educated beyond their intelligence (proven by their attitude that they have an undergraduate degree or a PhD and therefore know all the answers about just about everything.)
Learning seems to have the opposite affect on me ... the more I learn the more I realize there is to know ... and what a moron I am! This does not mean that I can't still believe in an absolute Truth, but I'm much more careful where to draw the lines. Perhaps when this journey is done, I'll know if any of my statements here are true.
So, welcome to this journal of my self-education. "The Great Conversation" is about to start and I hope that you will join in with me and challenge me. I also hope that The Conversation doesn't end and we don't become so arrogant that we say that we're done.
I've written more than I expected tonight. We'll cover some interesting ground in the years ahead. Here are some links to some resources if you do not have your own collection of The Great Books -- most of them are free online:
http://www.io.com/~beckerdo/books/gb195210.html
Here is my goal for the coming month:
1. PLATO: Apology, Crito
Vol. 7, pp. 200-219 (20 pages)
2. ARISTOPHANES: Clouds, Lysistrata
Vol. 5, pp. 488-506, 583-599 (19 + 17 = 36 pages)
3. PLATO: Republic [Book I-II]Vol. 5, pp. 488-506, 583-599 (19 + 17 = 36 pages)
Vol. 7, pp. 295-324 (20 pages)
Talk with you soon!
-Mark
Hey sounds like you've got quite the project ahead of ya bro! Recently I have read some fascinating books that really opened my eyes to social self-improvement and have dramatically changed me over the last few months (and I've made some great friends!). Looking forward to your future posts!
ReplyDelete~ Drew
Nice to hear from you. FYI, I downloaded Aldiko for my Droid: Now have the complete works of Plato on my phone! (Couldn't find Aristophanes. I guess I'll have to fill my nose with the musty old book)
ReplyDeleteDid you find Aristophanes on Gutenberger? I did! :P
ReplyDelete