We at Virtuous Children continually stress the importance of life long learning. I recently read an article in an education publication that was advocating the importance of a liberal education in both high schools and colleges. The author, Thomas Dillon, President of Thomas Aquinas College, made the statement that if you have a solid liberal education you will be prepared to succeed in any environment. I agree with this statement.
The truth is that we as a nation do not read enough of the great books of the past. Most of us are looking for books fresh off the press yet many of the ideas in these books are just repackaged in a newer form and less educated vocabulary. It is true that older books can be challenging to read but that is one of the reasons why you and students should read them. They cause you to think about the subject matter.
Mr. Dillon gave an example of how Thomas Jefferson’s bookshelves were filled with great thinking authors such as Plato, Locke and Cicero and if they benefited men like Jefferson and his colleagues then they must have something to offer us. I particularly liked Mr. Dillon’s reference to C.S. Lewis’ recommendation to alternate reading between old and new books. It is also noted that there are many different levels of classics books from Aesop to Aristotle. I thought this was a fantastic idea and I plan to implement it immediately and hope you will also give this strategy a try.
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