The Great Tradition

Explore the philosophical roots of the Western tradition. This seminar is perfect for ISI Societies that want to engage with primary sources. It surveys the West’s great thinkers and ideas, starting with Plato and Aristotle and continuing into the twentieth century.

WEEK 1: AN INTRODUCTION TO LIBERAL LEARNING

  • Reading: A Student’s Guide to Liberal Learning (pp. 1–25)
    • Intro: In an age that views education merely as the prerequisite to a good career, the idea of “liberal learning” has fallen to the wayside. Even among those familiar with the liberal arts tradition, many question its value in an increasingly technological society. In this first reading, James V. Schall offers an account of learning centered in the pursuit of truth and the fulfillment of intellectual curiosity. His advice to students seeking to cultivate an active life of the mind will enable you to make the most of these next few months as you explore the Great Tradition.
  • Discussion Questions:
    • Schall says that we are in an “age of doubt” in which we have “talked ourselves out of knowing what we can know” (p. 2). Do you think this is true?
    • What does it look like to live an “intellectual life open to the truth” (p. 8)? Is it possible to live such a life in higher education today? Is it likely?
    • Schall says that we must start by recognizing what is lacking in our own education. What do you think has been lacking in your own education?
    • What does it mean to say that knowledge is an “end in itself”? Is some knowledge more valuable than other knowledge?
    • Is there such a thing as an outdated idea?
    • What are the liberal arts? Is a liberal arts education fundamentally opposed to a technical education aimed at teaching career skills?
  • Further Reading:
    • Check out C.S. Lewis’s essay “On the Reading of Old Books” (excerpt) to learn why you should read one old book for every new book.
    • Want to know what is meant by the “Great Tradition”? Check out Richard Gamble’s introduction to The Great Tradition (pp. xv–xix).

WEEK 2: PLATO

  • Reading: Republic (The Great Tradition, pp. 9–15)
    • Intro: “Plato’s Republic as a whole contemplates the nature of justice and the well-ordered city, but nearly every page also comments on education in the ideal state. . . . The beginning of Book VI differentiates between true knowledge and mere opinion and consequently between true and false philosophers. The well-known ‘Allegory of the Cave’ from Book VII summarizes many of Plato’s presuppositions and introduced into history a powerful metaphor of sight that would shape educational discourse for centuries to come” (p. 4).
  • Discussion Questions:
    • Book VI (pp. 9–11)
      • Socrates and Glaucon discuss the type of man equipped to “guard the laws and institutions of the State” (p. 9). What does the description of the political leader as a “guardian” imply? To what extent are modern political leaders viewed as guardians of the State?
      • What does it mean to “know the very truth of a thing” (p. 9)? Why is this necessary to be a guardian of the State?
      • Socrates states that philosophical minds “always love knowledge, of a sort which shows them the eternal nature not varying from generation and corruption” (p. 10). Is it possible to intentionally cultivate a philosophical mind? If so, how?
      • Compare and contrast the philosophical mind with the conservative mind.
    • Book VII (pp. 12–15)
      • What does the allegory of the cave seek to describe? What is Socrates’s overall point?
      • What does Socrates mean by the “beatific vision” (p. 14)? Is it inevitable that those who aspire toward the beatific vision will not engage in human affairs?
      • Do those who escape the cave and discover the world of reality have a duty to return to the cave to help others do the same?
  • Further Reading:
    • To learn more about Plato’s influence on Western civilization, read “The Cave and the Dust-Storm” in chapter 3 (“Glory and Ruin: The Greek World”) of The Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk (free download here—be sure to read the download instructions at the top of the page).

WEEK 3: ARISTOTLE

  • Reading: Politics, Book VIII (The Great Tradition, pp. 59–66)
    • Intro: “Aristotle scatters comments on education throughout the Politics, but nearly all of Book VIII concerns the proper education of youth and why the city should care. Aristotle’s emphasis on the state’s compelling interest in education may be controversial, but he has a profound grasp of the relationship between education and the political health of the commonwealth. Aside from these practical legislative questions, the Politics values education for its own sake, as an end in itself, and not for its instrumental subservience to physical necessity or utilitarian ends. . . . The Politics identifies themes that unified the Great Tradition of the liberal arts for more than two millennia: the formation of character, the cultivation of the intellect, the development of judgment, and the inspiration of delight in the right things” (pp. 55–56).
  • Discussion Questions:
    • Aristotle declares it “manifest” that education should be public rather than private and should be “one and the same for all” (p. 59). Why do you think he believes this? Do you agree with him?
    • What is the difference between leisure and occupation? What about leisure and amusement?
    • What does it mean to “use leisure well” (p. 60)?
    • Aristotle defines virtue as “rejoicing and loving and hating aright” (p. 63). Do you agree with this definition? What does it imply about the way that virtue should be taught?
    • If virtue consists of “taking delight in good dispositions and noble actions” (p. 63), is it possible to unhappily perform a virtuous act? Or must a man find pleasure in performing a good deed for it to be truly virtuous?
    • Do you agree that music has “a power of forming the character” (p. 64)? Is this equally true for instrumental music?
    • Why do you think Aristotle believes that music becomes “vulgar” when performed for the sake of an audience (p. 65)?
  • Further Reading:
    • To learn more about how Plato and Aristotle fit into the Western philosophical tradition, check out Harvey C. Mansfield’s A Student’s Guide to Political Philosophy.
    • Want to learn more about the role of leisure in society? Read Josef Pieper’s Leisure: The Basis of Culture.

WEEK 4: CICERO

  • Reading: De Oratore and De Officiis (The Great Tradition, pp. 70–79, 83–85)
    • Intro: “The dialogue De Oratore (On the Orator) dates from 55 B.C. and is central to Cicero’s mature thinking on education. . . . Through the mouth of Crassus, his former rhetoric teacher, Cicero offers a penetrating discourse on the proper relationship between philosophy and oratory, or between the contemplative life of academic leisure and the active life of public service. Cicero tries to maintain a workable real-world synthesis between the two that would produce the rare combination of learned orator and eloquent philosopher. . . . Written in 44 B.C. in the grim days after Caesar’s assassination, De Officiis (On Duties) directly concern[s] education as the cultivation of wisdom and virtue” (p. 68).
  • Discussion Questions:
    • De Oratore (pp. 70–79)
      • What is the proper function of the orator? Are there Ciceronian orators today?
      • Is there a difference between an orator and a politician? Should there be?
      • Why does Cicero believe that the orator should be trained in all the liberal arts?
      • What is the proper relationship between wisdom and eloquence?
      • Describe Cicero’s critique of Socrates and his followers (see sections XVI, XIX, and XXXI).
    • De Officiis (pp. 83–85)
      • Cicero states that “the distinctive faculty of man is his eager desire to investigate the truth” (p. 84). Do you agree with him?
      • What does Cicero suggest is the connection between reason and virtue?
      • Is there such a thing as a “speculative” virtue (p. 85)? Must all virtues be active?
      • Which is better at cultivating virtue: philosophical education or practical experience? If they are equally important, which should come first?
  • Further Reading:
    • For a description of Cicero’s ideal orator, read the excerpt from The Orator (The Great Tradition, pp. 79–81).
    • For more about virtue and wisdom, read the excerpt from De Partitione Oratoria (The Great Tradition, pp. 82–83).

WEEK 5: ACTIVITY—SYMPOSIUM

  • Intro: We hope that reading Cicero inspired you to brush up on your rhetorical skills—because it’s now your turn to play the orator. This week, take turns giving extemporaneous speeches on the purpose of education. The level of formality is up to you, as well as the style and format of speeches. Food is optional; merriment is mandatory. (This is a great opportunity to put your Society stipend to good use!)
  • Variation: Feel like your group’s philosophical makeup would make speeches on the same topic too repetitive? Have each member write an education-related topic on a slip of paper and make orators draw a topic from the pile.
  • Further Reading:
    • Wondering why this idea sounds familiar? Check out this article about Plato’s Symposium to learn more about the tradition (and why merriment is required).
    • If you are particularly ambitious, you can also read Plato’s Symposium online here.

WEEK 6: PLUTARCH

  • Reading: “On Bringing Up a Boy” (The Great Tradition, pp. 134–42)
    • Intro: “Many recent scholars have come to doubt that Plutarch wrote the essay ‘On Bringing Up a Boy,’ but it was popularly attributed to him for centuries and inspired imitations by early Christian authors and directly influenced later Renaissance treatises. Plutarch (or Pseudo-Plutarch) gives first place in the curriculum to the study of philosophy, narrowly conceived as instruction in right conduct. He praises the classical virtues over the transient vanities of status, wealth, beauty, and bodily strength and health. Echoing Cicero and Quintilian, Plutarch affirms both the ‘life of public utility as men of affairs, and the calm and tranquil life as students of philosophy.’ Echoing Seneca, he seeks the mixed life of activity, contemplation, and pleasure in due proportion as checks upon one another” (pp. 133–34).
  • Discussion Questions:
    • According to Plutarch, “culture is the only thing in us that is immortal and divine” (p. 135). What does Plutarch mean by “culture”?
    • What is the difference between understanding and reason? What is the relationship between the two (p. 136).
    • Plutarch states that the “rule of art and taste” is “the middle course in all things” (p. 137). What do you think he means by this? Do you agree with him?
    • What is the relationship between the study of philosophy and the cultivation of virtue?
    • What does Plutarch believe is the purpose of education?
    • What advice do you think Plutarch would offer to the modern college student?
  • Further Reading:
    • For advice on how best to approach learning, read Plutarch’s “On the Student at Lectures” (The Great Tradition, pp. 142–53).

WEEK 7: JOHN CHRYSOSTOM

  • Reading: “The Right Way for Parents to Bring Up Their Children” (The Great Tradition, pp. 192–205)
    • Intro: John Chrysostom’s “primary concern is with the molding, forming, and training of the soul. He seeks to inculcate a philosophical habit of mind along with self-restraint and wisdom. In this process, imitation is inevitable. Something or someone will be the child’s pattern. He must, therefore, be taught to emulate the good and reject the bad. . . . Chrysostom’s continuity with the classical tradition is obvious. M. L. W. Laistner writes, ‘his main point, in which he is merely repeating with a Christian slant what the greatest of the pagan educators, from Plato and Isocrates to Quintilian, had stated emphatically long before, is that the moral purpose of education is more important than anything else” (pp. 191–92).
  • Discussion Questions:
    • What is the purpose of Chrysostom’s comparison of the soul to a city? What role do parents and educators play in the city?
    • Is virtue habituated or taught? Is there a difference?
    • What is the role of storytelling in education? Does it shift as children age?
    • What are the three parts of the soul according to Chrysostom (p. 201)? What is the relationship between the different parts of the soul? How does each part relate to the cultivation of virtue?
    • What do you think Chrysostom would have to say about modern approaches to education? Public schools? Private schools? Homeschooling?
  • Further Reading:
    • Read chapter 13 of book 19 in Augustine’s City of God to learn more about the nature of the soul and the importance of order.
    • Check out this excerpt from Anthony Esolen’s book Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child to discover the importance of unstructured play for children.

WEEK 8: THOMAS AQUINAS

  • Reading: On the Teacher (The Great Tradition, pp. 288–98)
    • Intro: “With the reappearance of works by Aristotle that the West had not seen for hundreds of years, the central theological and philosophical question of the thirteenth century became, in effect, ‘What has Aristotle to do with Christ?’ Thomas labored to reconcile much of Aristotle with the teaching of the church. . . . On the Teacher, the eleventh question from Thomas’s Disputed Questions on Truth (1256–59), engages with Augustine’s dialogue by the same title and with Pope Gregory’s homilies on Ezekiel. The word translated here as ‘science’ does not mean the modern empiricism of the natural sciences but rather knowledge broadly conceived. Article Four, on the active and contemplative life, ought to be compared with Seneca’s De Otio” (pp. 288–98).
  • Discussion Questions:
    • What is the difference between knowledge and opinion (p. 292)? Should teachers share their opinions with students, or are they solely responsible for imparting knowledge?
    • What is the difference between the “knowledge of principles” and the “knowledge of signs”? How do these two types of knowledge relate to each other? How do they relate to the “knowledge of conclusions” (p. 293)?
    • Does all learning rely on previously acquired knowledge (pp. 293–94)?
    • Why does Aquinas believe that no one can be called his own teacher? Do you agree with him?
    • Are there types of knowledge better acquired through discovery than through learning from a teacher (p. 296)?
    • Compare and contrast the contemplative life with the active life (pp. 297–98). To what extent can teaching be considered part of the contemplative life? The active life?
  • Further Reading:
    • Confused by Aquinas’s format in “On the Teacher”? Check out this introductory essay on Aquinas’s work to learn more about his use of the scholastic disputation (quaestio) structure.
    • For Aquinas’s advice on cultivating a life of learning, read his “Letter to Brother John” (The Great Tradition, p. 287).

WEEK 9: MARTIN LUTHER

  • Reading: To the Councilmen of All Cities in Germany (The Great Tradition, pp. 372–81)
    • Intro: “Luther’s three most important statements on education are included in addresses to the nobility, city councilmen, and parents: An Appeal to the Christian Nobility (1520); To the Councilmen of All Cities in Germany That They Establish and Maintain Christian Schools (1524); and A Sermon on Keeping Children in School (1530). Only part of the 1524 address to the councilmen of Germany is included here. In it, Luther reminds the community of its urgent duty to educate its children, a responsibility shared by parents and the government. Luther also offers a spirited defense of the study of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, ties education to leadership, and finally recommends the provision of well-stocked libraries” (pp. 373–81).
  • Discussion Questions:
    • Why does Luther believe that public education should be available to all citizens?
    • How does Luther’s vision of education compare to modern education models?
    • Does the current public school system produce “able, learned, wise, honorable, and well-educated citizens” (p. 373)? If not, what should change?
    • What is the proper relationship between public education and civic education?
    • Why does Luther suggest that students should study history? How does the study of history relate to the cultivation of virtue?
    • What makes a book good? What makes a book great?
    • Should we preserve “bad” books for future generations? Why or why not?
  • Further Reading:

WEEK 10: MOVIE NIGHT

  • Viewing: O Brother, Where Art Thou?, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
    • Intro: O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 film that combines themes from the Odyssey with the mythology and culture of the American Deep South during the Great Depression. While only loosely based on Homer’s epic poem, this work shows the Odyssey’s enduring influence on society even millennia after its creation. In the Coen brothers’ critically acclaimed film, George Clooney plays Ulysses Everett McGill, the arrogant and witty leader of an escaped chain gang who faces trials and enemies that mirror those of Odysseus in the Odyssey.
  • Discussion Questions:
    • What evidence can you see of the Odyssey’s influence in this film? Can you see influences from any other works or thinkers?
    • How do the Great Books influence modern culture?
    • What role does mythology play in shaping a culture?
    • Are faith and reason complementary or in conflict?
    • Why do some literary works have a lasting impact on the arts and culture while others do not?
    • Can other forms of media be considered “Great” in the same way Great Books are?
  • Further Reading: