Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

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The Point Of Learning

The Point Of Learning

What is the point of learning anyway?

  • Of all the knowledge in the world, where should you start?
  • What is foundational?
  • What is necessary?
  • What motivates you to keep going?
  • What will change your life, or get you a job?

C.S. Lewis spoke about his at length…

But can you imagine having the foresight and understanding to examine questions like this as a child?

Good-grief.

In a couple of ways, I was still scared of my shadow at 18.

I made good grades through high school, struggled in my first two years of college, and got nearly straight A’s in my last two years.

I even did well in graduate school (until it came time to kiss the rings of the right people).

Mostly, I think that education – done right – teaches one how to think rigorisly – an enditement of modern education and American culture, no doubt.

Understand: Of the many eventual directions possible, education requires a foundation of substance.

As Musk saw it, “I just look at it as ‘What grades do I need to get where I want to go?’ There were compulsory subjects like Afrikaans, and I just didn’t see the point of learning that. It seemed ridiculous. I’d get a passing grade and that was fine. Things like physics and computers—I got the highest grade you can get in those. There needs to be a reason for a grade. I’d rather play video games, write software, and read books than try and get an A if there’s no point in getting an A. I can remember failing subjects in like fourth and fifth grade. Then, my mother’s boyfriend told me I’d be held back if I didn’t pass. I didn’t actually know you had to pass the subjects to move to the next grade. I got the best grades in class after that.”

-Ashley Vance, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future (Amazon)

It reminds me of this:

Study mathematics to understand physics.

Study physics to understand chemistry.

Study chemistry to understand biology.

Study biology to understand psychology.

Study psychology to understand economics.

Study economics and philosophy to be free :https://t.co/blrUuKREhO

— Navalism (@NavalismHQ) January 19, 2023

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Filed Under: PotpourriTagged With: #Education, #Learning

Ordo Amoris Explained

Ordo Amoris Explained

This is a continuation of the post on the task of the modern educator.

And I get it, it’s controversial.

But because of posts like this and this – I truly do not know how you can separate proper ethics from proper education.

For if you do divide them, you are making value judgments with no foundation to stand on.

Value judgments follow from values, not from nothing.

Does that make sense?

St Augustine defines virtue as ordo amoris, the ordinate condition of the affections in which every object is accorded that kind of degree of love which is appropriate to it. Aristotle says that the aim of education is to make the pupil like and dislike what he ought. When the age for reflective thought comes, the pupil who has been thus trained in ‘ordinate affections’ or ‘just sentiments’ will easily find the first principles in Ethics; but to the corrupt man they will never be visible at all and he can make no progress in that science. Plato before him had said the same. The little human animal will not at first have the right responses. It must be trained to feel pleasure, liking, disgust, and hatred at those things which really are pleasant, likeable, disgusting and hateful.

-C.S. Lewis, The Abolition Of Man (Amazon)

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Filed Under: PotpourriTagged With: #Education, #Values

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