Somewhere along the line in the last three or four decades, educators, both Catholic and otherwise ,became fond of the term “classical education” as a substitute for the more classical phrase “liberal education.”
We wonder if the phrase ‘classical education’ has obscured the whole matter of education somewhat? Now that we have a classical school movement on our hands (It’s about time! Where has everybody been for the past thirty years!?!!) … now that there are dozens and even hundreds of secondary schools all flying under the classical flag, strangely I find myself growing a little weary of the subject. As a matter of fact, the whole question about what education is and what it is for is getting a little blurry in my mind. What after all, is the point of school in the first place?
For example, I had a discussion with one prominent fellow, (prominent in the world of “classical schools”- let’s call him Bob) who has become an “educator” just like everyone else that I know, knew, and grew up with… no matter how unlikely the idea was when I knew them before they were educators – the discussion went something like this:
Langley: Bob, the schools that you are helping to found are not really classical because they don’t offer a liberal arts and pre-liberal arts curriculum, they don’t acknowledge and take as their principle of order the curriculum based on St. Boethius’ division of the sciences- and as a matter of fact, Bob, the curriculum you encourage follows the modernist division of curricula that has become the conventional division in nearly every high school college and university, namely a curriculum that proposes the humanities on the one hand and the sciences on the other!
As a matter of fact, Bob, you even propose that the very science, Sacred Theology, to which every other science is ordered as to a queen, is not even a science but is one of the lowly humanities!
Bob: I don’t really see a problem here. The distinctions you are making really don’t add up to anything more than a semantical game. Really, the only point in school is to make a joyful environment for learning and of course there should be compulsory daily Mass. Because, after all, what is more important than the Mass? What is more important than the Eucharist?!
Langley: Yes but, Bob, we are talking about forming the intellect of our students here. We are talking about the rightly ordered curriculum- and the curriculum that has been handed down from antiquity. We are talking about liberal education aren’t we? You know, stuff like the seven Liberal arts, the sciences-mathematical, natural, and metaphysical- and how all these sciences and arts are ordered to Theology. Isn’t that what a classical school is chiefly concerned with?
Bob: That’s all very nice. Your prior reference to Boethius was sort of weird, but aside from that… we all know Math is not science, Natural philosophy is not science, Philosophy is certainly not science and Theology is not science. To call them sciences is to abandon any discussion with the modern world and propose that students should be formed classically….whoops I mean, formed in a manner that is not conducive of a joyful learning environment.
Additionally, a curriculum that is as rigorous as the one you propose would certainly not allow time for mandatory daily Mass…which is really the chief thing about a school… plus uniforms.
Langley: But Bob….what about the definition of science handed down to us from the time of Aristotle? What about Boethius, and Albertus Magnus and Avicenna and Aquinas and…and……
Bob: Langley, pardon the interruption, the thing that parents want is a joyful learning environment for their children. They would also like their children to be successful, and finally, the only thing that matters is that kids become saints.
Langley: But Bob, doesn’t classical education mean…
Bob: Classical means Shakespeare, it means Dante, it means Chaucer and Tolkien and Chesterton…and it means all the other HUMANITIES like History, Philosophy and Theology! And it means the real sciences like Biology, Chemistry and Physics…and it also means learning languages for a couple of years like Latin and Spanish and French and German…but most of all it means BEING JOYFUL and of course the most important thing that it means is MANDATORY DAILY MASS …
Langley: But Bob, it seems like you are saying that classical can mean just about anything?
Bob: Yes! Precisely!
Langley: Yes Bob, but….
Bob: Nice talking with you Langley, but I have five other appointments with some enthusiastic parents in Monowi, Nebraska, Toad Suck, Arkansas, Knockemstiff, Ohio and Whynot, North Carolina who ALL want to open up a classical school! After that I will be heading off to Ding Dong, Texas! … let’s talk again….
Well, that was how I remember the discussion. To be fair, Bob might not remember it that way. My memory has a way of embellishing the discussions I have had somewhat in the manner of a novelist who strives to make his stories intelligible- perhaps even more intelligible that the actions of life as they occur in the ordinary chaos of daily living.
Nonetheless, despite the nebulous cloud of ambiguity that surrounds the phrase “classical education,” it has been the long standing policy of lionandox to use the phrase interchangeably with “liberal education” with a preference for ‘liberal education.”
Of course the problem with using the phrase “liberal education” is that there is a very real risk of upsetting those who wince at the word ‘liberal’ because of its unfortunate associations with those who espouse annoying ‘progressive’ ideas in politics, religion, or in other important matters. We are not historians here at lionandox, but we like to think the word ‘liberal’ was employed in the phrase ‘liberal education’ many centuries before proponents of ‘left leaning’ ideologies and anti-hierarchical ideas ‘open mindedness’, extreme ‘tolerance’ and progressivism and whatnot. Perhaps part of the silver lining of the recent elections, however, is that the use of the phrase liberal education is less likely to offend!
What does the modifier ‘classical’ in the phrase classical education mean?
Happily, I teach at a school that has the complete and compact standard two volume edition of the revered Oxford English Dictionary, (although someone appears to gave absconded with the accompanying magnifying glass without which it is impossible to read!).
Nonetheless, since no analysis of any word in the English language can really be called serious without consulting the OED, with the aid of a camera and its enlarging capacity, here is what I find under the word “classical”:
- Classical 1. Of the first rank or authority; constituting a standard or model
- Classical 2. Of the standard Greek and Latin writers; belonging to the literature or art of Greek and Roman antiquity.
- Classical 3. Of persons; Learned in the classics, i.e. in Ancient Greek and Latin literature
- Classical 4. Of or pertaining to Greek and Latin literature and antiquities; relating to the classics
And then the OED descends to what the word means as it relates to Literature, Painting, Music and History and I would imagine science (e.g. classical physics) and economics (think ‘Adam Smith’) and so on.
Now, these various meanings certainly do have a bearing on the aims and goals of a liberal education. Liberal Education does constitute a standard or model, Liberal education does concern itself with a great deal of Greek and latin Literature. Liberal Education does pertain to the ‘classics’ of antiquity.
But those of us with a knack for definition know very well that a thing is not properly defined by its effects or even necessary properties; a thing is not defined by its symptoms. For example a dog is not properly defined as a furry four legged creature that goes “woof”. Man is not properly defined as a featherless biped who incidentally is also risible…and can play tennis…and…
Neither is an authentic education, a liberal education properly defined as an education that concerns itself with Greek and Latin literature or things of antiquity or the classics.
The very name classical education is an indication of what we mean here. While signifying an education by its ‘symptoms’ (properties) it leaves the mind, nonetheless, wondering precisely what it is.
Now let’s turn to that good ole, tried and true, time tested phrase “liberal education”….
Wait…what’s that? Do I hear an objection? Is there something you wanted to say my large friend?
Ox: Sir, if you would excuse me for the interruption, doesn’t the phrase liberal education find itself susceptible to the very same criticisms you were leveling at the phrase ‘classical education’?
How did you get in here my dear Ox?
Ox: I have just been standing in the corner listening. But I thought I would speak up as that appears to be the method of learning that you propose…you know….Socratic style and all that….By the way I thought Bob was very convincing whereas you seemed a little obscure with all that Boethius talk….
First of all, it is true you have interrupted our discourse which was flowing very nicely. Quite possibly we may have even finished our point. Your interruption demonstrates one of the main difficulties with the so called “Socratic method” of learning. Anyone is able and may blurt out an objection at any time and stop any progress. I might add that even though all voices are not equal, and some voices are more authoritative than others, the Socratic method introduces the annoying pretense of complete equality. For example, why should I even bother responding to you. You are a brute beast are you not?
Ox: Sir, I may be just a brute beast, and I thank you for reminding me of my low estate. I know you are not pointing that out in front of everyone out of malice or ill will. I know that you would never engage in any sort of ad hominem response to get out of a difficult question. If you would like, I will simply saunter off and chew on some hay over there in the corner.
Yes, I would prefer that, you large four footed cud- chewing animal. You are, after all, rather nothing more than a mountain of masticating flesh, you melancholy creature….you bilious animal whose only demonstration is the production of manure….yes please do kindly leave while I try to recover my thought …you four footed monument to the triumph of appetite over intellect! You beast you…vegetative souled cloven hoofed…
