The Well-Educated Mind Reads...A LOT

I've been reading a lot lately, which is normal for me, but it also means less writing as my limited free time has to be divided between the two in some manner. Currently, reading has been overwhelming the writing.

I started in January with The Well-Educated Mind a follow-up to the popular book on classical education titled The Well Trained Mind. The Well Trained Mind is considered the primary source on classically educating your children at home. Susan Wise Bauer offers parents and adults "...the classical education [they] never had" in the Well-Educated Mind.

The first 80 pages or so offer her arguments on why you need to be classically educated. One of my favorites concerns the way we discuss things as adults. First off, Logic tells us that an argument is an offering of ones reasoning on an issue based on reasonable conclusions that follow agreed upon facts. But, one look at a series of comments following most blogs or articles on the internet will tell you that we don't argue well. We fight; we name-call, we spout fallacies of all sorts, we insult people we don't even know and we write things we would rarely say to someone's face. Bauer argues that we behave this way as adults because of the way we were educated as children.

Essentially, her argument is this: Children who are expected at early ages to read (or listen to) material and immediately spout opinions without any foreknowledge or facts to base those opinions on are taught that their opinion matters more than facts and historical knowledge and so become adults who spout opinions without much foreknowledge or facts on which to base those opinions.

Instead, she argues, we should be teaching ourselves and the next generation to first memorize basic facts and gain a foundation in historical knowledge (perhaps we'll be less likely to repeat the mistakes of those who came before us if we take the time to learn the results of our forerunners actions).

Secondly, we should analyze the data presented to us in the context of what we already know. Does the history make sense, are the scientific claims well founded, The idea is to connect these pegs of knowledge that have been memorized to the current information being received and make determinations about its accuracy and validity.

Only when we have done all this can we begin to share our own opinions.

Of course, here I am telling you what I think... laughing in the face of my poorly educated state of mind. Ha!

The next 300 or so pages of Bauer's book is essentially filled with a reading list and summaries of each suggested book. The readings are even listed in the order she recommends you read them and include explanations of why each one is on the list and the basis for its spot in the line up.

In the fiction line up, first is Don Quixote. I bought it. I'm reading it. It's slow - the book is looooooong and it's just plain silly.

But, I'm determined to finish it. So, back to reading for me.