My stated purpose is to essentially use this blog as a journal of my progress, to chronicle my experiences, pitfalls, and triumphs, in hopes that I might benefit from being able to look back upon my journey and perhaps arrive at some realizations. It is intended primarily, therefore, for my own use, but is also intended to be a documentation of my progress, choices, errors and successes in hopes that others who embark upon this journey may benefit in some way.
I am beginning this journey with very little foreknowledge, no mentor or teacher, and only the vaguest idea of where to begin. I have no expertise in the subject matter, and only the foggiest notion of how to proceed. In other words; my cup is 'empty'. This may or may not be a very good place from which to start. We shall see what we shall see.
However the journey proceeds, it will hopefully provide a rich, fertile field from which knowledge, and perhaps even some degree of wisdom may spring forth.. both from the successes, if I am fortunate enough to achieve any... and from the failures.
What this blog is NOT intended to be is an instructional medium. I am a rank amateur and have no basis upon which to stand as an instructor. This will be an attempt on my part to learn whatever I am able to learn via an entirely auto-didactic method of self-education. There will be no tests, no marks, no degrees. I should think that I will come away from this project with something of benefit no matter how it proceeds or fails.
If it should happen that others stumble across this blog and wish to form a study group of sorts, I am very open to that... and if there are those who are farther along than I am (I cannot imagine anyone at all who has any experience whatsoever NOT being farther along, truthfully..) who might offer some helpful hints, instruction, etc., by all means, I am open to it.
The point of this exercise is the journey, as far as I am concerned, and not so much the destination.
It is my intent to make the learning experience as formal as I am capable of doing, since I tend to benefit most from such structure and am far less likely to allow laziness or difficulty put me off.
Naturally, my utter lack of knowledge and experience may be somewhat of an obstacle, but, as they say 'there are no paths without puddles.'
My plan, such as it is, is to read books on the subject, and to utilize whatever online resources that I am able to find, and which strike me as relevant and bonafide. The syllabus has been time-honored until around the 1850s, when Napoleon's amateur troops defeated the professional military forces of Prussia at Jena, and an educational reform more or less put an end to the classical education and study of the seven liberal arts. This 'Prussian Method' of education was subsequently introduced into the United States by the Rockefeller Foundation, under the efforts of Mr. Thomas E. Dewey, at the Rockefeller bankrolled University of Chicago, as well as under the influence of the other industry magnates of the time; Carnegie, Vanderbilt, and so on.. who apparently felt that the principles and philosophies of Georg W.F. Hegel were advantageous in the production of obedient factory workers, company employees and the like. (The loss of the Prussian army was, to my best understanding, blamed (chiefly by a philosopher named Johann Gotlieb Fichte) upon the fact that the classically educated soldiers of the Prussian army were thinking too much for themselves, rather than obeying their 'superiors' and it was felt that a stop should be put to this).
Whatever the case may be, since I was not there, and have no direct knowledge, I cannot assign motives to Herr Fichte, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. Carnegie, Mr. Dewey or any of the rest. There are viewpoints that argue both ends of the spectrum and every point in between with regard to this issue, and I am sure it is much more complex than most would like to admit... but, as I am a direct product of the American public school system, the various indictments, charges and allegations of mind control and such things has created enough curiosity that I feel that it is worth investigating independently. I certainly do not 'feel' as though my mind is enslaved or controlled, in any way, shape or form.. nor do I feel particularly enslaved. I take no particular political stance on the issues, and cannot claim enough background knowledge to be able to negotiate the issues far enough to do so.
I am simply interested, and have decided to take steps to learn. That is pretty much all there is to it. I am neither 'for' nor 'against' anything... save that I am all for 'truth' wherever and whatever it may be... and wish to apprehend that truth by any means available to me.
Wish me luck!
My syllabus, as aforementioned, is the 'Classical Education' system comprised of the 'Seven Liberal Arts'. These seven arts/sciences are broken down into the Trivium and the Quadrivium.
The Trivium is comprised of Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric. And this is where I shall begin.
Grammar: (grammar stage) or Knowledge – Learning the body of knowledge of a subject. (Answers the question of Who, What, Where, and When). Grammar is the first building block to integrated, objective knowledge. The body of knowledge, when gathered and arranged under the rules of general grammar can then be subjected to logic for full understanding, which is a separate intellectual procedure.
Grammar is concerned with the thing as-it-is-symbolized,
Logic: (dialectic stage) or Understanding – Learning to reason. (Answers the question of Why). Logic or reasoning is practiced by establishing valid (non-contradictory) relationships among facts, leading to systematic understanding. This tool is used for thinking correctly; without contradiction (includes the identification of logical fallacies. The goal of logic is proof and consists of establishing the truth and validity of a concept or proposition in agreement with objective, factual reality. Note: The body of knowledge learned in the grammar stage is used to practice reasoning in the Logic (dialectic) stage. In the Logic stage we try to understand the facts we learned in the grammar stage.
Logic is concerned with the thing as-it-is-known, and
Rhetoric: (rhetoric stage) or Wisdom – Learning the science of non-violent communication and the art of expression. (Provides the How of a subject). Rhetoric or Wisdom is the application and expression of knowledge and understanding (conclusions reached from the prior stages of grammar and logic) on a subject. Summary: In the grammar stage the facts are learned; in the logic (dialectic) stage we began to understand those facts, and in the rhetoric stage we learn to express what we now understand. There are two ways to look at the Trivium: 1-the learning stages that correspond to a child’s cognitive development, and, 2-the natural process that is followed when a person of any age learns something new. The first way is the definable progression of a child’s development. In the first stage (grammar [memorization of facts], corresponds to the elementary grades) there is a natural affinity for storing up substantial amounts of information on a variety of subjects, from nursery rhymes to math facts, and recalling that information at will. The next stage (logic or dialectic [understanding and analytical thinking], corresponds to the junior high grades), the ability to reason is refined, and facts learned in the grammar stage are used as an exercise in argumentation. The last stage (rhetoric [expression and abstract thinking], corresponds to the high school grades), self-discovery and expression are the focus, and cognitive abilities reach their full maturity.
The second way to look at the Trivium is that anyone learning something new goes through these same three stages. A baby learning language starts with vocabulary (the grammar stage), advancing to stringing the words together in a meaningful way (the dialectic stage), and ends with expressing thought through language usage (the rhetoric stage.) An adult learning something new does the same thing: learns the vocabulary, the rules, the basics of the subject (grammar), strings the facts together to reach understanding (dialectic), then demonstrates or expresses knowledge of the subject (rhetoric.)"
Rhetoric is concerned with the thing as-it-is-communicated.
As I enter the Grammar phase, it occurs to me that most of the grammar in my native language (English) is likely transparent to me. This is also true of the other languages in which I am fluent, since I have internalized them at this point, and did not receive formal instruction that encouraged me to give much thought to formal grammar, syntax, etc.
My plan for addressing this issue is to begin a study of Latin which will run concurrently with the Grammar phase of the Trivium, and continue on. This will have a two-fold benefit, I think, in that I will be able to apply the grammatical knowledge directly to the study of a new language, and will hopefully afford me the ability to eventually read many of the classical authors in the original language. At some point in the future, I also intend to embark upon a study of Greek as well. But first things first.
My study of The Trivium has begun with a book entitled, surprisingly, "The Trivium - The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar and Rhetoric Understanding the Nature and Function of Language" by Sister Miriam Joseph, C.S.C., Ph.D.
My Latin study program is comprised of an audio course entitled "Get Started in Latin" (Beginners module) which is part of the 'Teach Yourself' series by G.D.A. Sharpley, as well as "Teach Yourself Latin - a complete course" and its companion book, "Complete Latin" both by Gavin Betts, and also from the 'Teach Yourself' collection. As an adjunct to this, I have Allen and Greenough's "New Latin Grammar" by Anne Mahoney.
I am considering adding a 'Reading List' widget to this page, if it becomes necessary or appropriate, but for now, I will set that aside.
There is nothing more to it, so I shall get started.
I am off, like a herd of turtles!
