Oh, the Humanity!

My background and training in classical education has predisposed me to see education a bit differently. In my mind, we must have a destination in mind before we depart. When I ask, "How do I want to educate this child?" my next question must be, "What is the purpose of education?"

A classical pedagogical mindset (to be distinguished from a traditional one, but more on that later) tells me that educating a person is about humanity itself. What does it mean to be human? How are humans different than animals and other creatures? Clearly, from a Christian or religious perspective, we see humanity in terms of divinity and, thus, in a special light.

When I determine that man is to be brought up to be especially human, I must ask, "How do I best produce this humanity in him?" Clearly since humanity is somehow linked to divinity, I must cultivate in the student a love and respect for divinity. If he is ever going to respect himself or his fellow men, he must learn to revere the divine.

And this is where modern education is falling painfully short. The Enlightenment eschewed this type of thinking (called scholasticism) and insisted that this new secular education could take place and even surpass classical thought. This boat is sinking and yet we rearrange deck chairs. As we look around, we see the result of a society brought up to believe the secular humanist ideal that man is the ultimate measure of truth. There is nothing above to check or balance his will or whims. He is an end unto himself. Ironic, isn't it? Man placing man on the highest pedestal somehow actually DEhumanizes him and causes his society to crumble.

C.S. Lewis wrote about this truism in his book The Abolition of Man. It is a very short logical argument against what Lewis calls "men without chests," an admonishment not to forget the humanity of humans. It is an exhortation to call out that thing in mankind which distinguishes him from the rest of creation. I recommend that you read it (take your time, it's very academic) and ask yourself how you can best call out the humanity in your students.

My suggestion for parents and teachers who are not quite sure what to do first is to expose your children to great literature, art, and music (the "humanities"). Librivox has a marvelous library of audio books and poems. Printing and hanging famous paintings around your home or classroom can also instill a respect for humanity and divinity. Something as simple as listening to a classical radio station for a few minutes each day can help expose young minds to the wonder and beauty around us, staving off the dreadful empirical gloom that comes from a modern worldview. Finally, I recommend exposing your little ones to scriptures. Even if your family is not religious, students will need to have an understanding of scripture in order to evaluate great literature as those books often uses Biblical themes or allusions.

The great fight we have in front of us is rescuing humanity from itself: regaining what we have, through our own folly and self-righteouness, lost.