Educating Humans

In the second episode of our Great Books mini-series, Difff & James tackle some heavy heavenly and diabolical epic poetry. James looks at Dante's Divine Comedy, discussing contrapasso in the punishment of sin in Inferno, and we ask the question why Protestants should read Catholic works. Difff then dives into the Satanic Impulse in Paradise Lost, questioning to what extent a similar impulse is found within humanity itself.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
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This is the first episode about some good books worth reading for anyone interested in classical liberal education. Covering genres such as philosophy, history, educational theory and fiction, these books are not only about classical education, but also constitute a good platform for a liberal education.

James discusses The Great Conversation by Mortimer Adler, which is an introduction to reading the canon of Western Civilisation. Difff then discusses his first choice, Practical Theology by Peter Kreeft, 358 short summaries of important questions from St Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae.

Other books that will be discussed in this series include: Frankenstein, Hamlet, The Philosophy of Tolkein, and the two that will be discussed in the next instalment, The Divine Comedy and Paradise Lost.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

James and Difff return for the second season of Educating Humans to discuss the big buzz-word of the moment: ChatGPT.  What are the implications of artificial intelligence for education?  Is it really the 'end of the high school English classroom' and 'the end of the college essay?' Or perhaps rather than spelling the end of education, it should instead have us returning to that fundamental question - what is the end of education, anyway?

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

Continuing from Episode 12, Difff and James tackle two more misconceptions about classical education. The first is that classical education has a narrow and specific definition.  Is it all Socratic Discussions?  Is it all The Trivium?  What are the non-negotiable elements that must be included for an education to be considered Classical, or Liberal?  The second is the claim that classical education is inherently pagan because it stems from Ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Alternatively, it is sometimes claimed that classical education is always Christian because of its foundations in Medieval Christendom. The fact that both of these claims can be levelled at it, however, points to the answer to them both.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff & James tackle some of the big myths around classical education. These can be confusing for people as they first looking into classical education, and they sometimes appear pretty controversial. 

The myths discussed in this episode are:
"Classical education doesn't help me get a job"
"Classical Education is elitist" and
"Classical Education is racist".

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

In the final episode in the mini-series unpacking C.S. Lewis' book The Abolition of Man, we learn about the dangers of approaching the world only through the scientific lens.  When everything is reduced to nature, nature overcomes everything, including humanity, resulting in the abolition of man. This approach to education - a philosophy that unwittingly forms the foundation of many a contemporary classroom - leads to an 'uneducation' - a seeing through everything, which is the same as not seeing at all.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

In the second last episode focusing on The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis explains how stepping outside of the Tao results in the abolition of man. With a particular focus on technology and the illusion of power that it gives us, Difff & James unpack the first half of the culminating chapter of this important book.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
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In the second half of the second chapter of The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis asks whether those value reformers who want to reject The Tao can use instinct as a first principal - a primary foundation upon which to construct any semblance of value. This, however, ultimately results in an infinite regress of first instinct that fails to satisfy the prerequisites.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

In this bonus episode, Difff interviews Kon Bouzikos, the President of The Australian Classical Education Society. Kon speaks about his passion for Classical Education, and the mission of the ACES.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

"The practical result of education in the spirit of The Green Book must be the destruction of the society which accepts it." These are the opening words of the second chapter of C.S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man, and it is a big claim that the remainder of the book sets out to defend. 

In this episode which deals with the first half of chapter two, called 'The Tao', Difff and James unpack the question of from where we might derive foundational values. The suggestion that rationality may provide an answer brings up a classical dilemma - whether humanity can derive an 'ought' from an 'is'.

Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane.

Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0