Does Anybody Understand This Stuff?: Part 4, Medieval Economics – A Thumbnail Sketch of 4,000 Years of Economics
Read Part One Here Read Part Two Here Read Part Three Here Read Part Five Here Medieval Economics (500-1200 A.D.) Medieval European economics are generally divided into 4 parts: Early Medieval Economics The Influence of Aquinas Late Medieval Economics The Influence of Bodin Early Medieval Economics There are five major expressions of Early Medieval economics: […]
Attention Span: Our National Education Crisis, Part One
Click Here For Part Two I have a number of different topics to cover over the next couple of months. I will post most of these in the form of series. Sometimes, as these series can be multi-parts (as many as ten), I will introduce a new series before a given series is completed. […]
Thanksgiving: A Proclamation
How many of us know the origin of Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving celebrations began as early as 1541 along the eastern seaboard of North America. Most of us relate to the celebration at Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. The Pilgrims, having survived their first winter (during which about half of them died), invited their local Indian friends to […]
Why Hebrew?, Part Three: Hebrew Competes With Greek
Read Part One Here Read Part Two Here Competing Features Now, consider possible ways in which Hebrew will compete with the Greek heritage, and vie for the dominant eye. For some things there cannot be two masters; one, and only one, must be granted superiority. In The Republic, Plato identified three classes of citizens in his […]
Why the Liberal Arts, Why Monticello, and Why the Outdoors?
Contributing author Joelle Mancuso of Simi Valley, CA 9/2/10 Imagine a liberal arts education as you would a physical training program. The program you use, the tools that are engaged and the environment you utilize will determine if you become fit or remain idle. A college that is dedicated to greatness, a curriculum that engages […]
People Who Live at the End of Dirt Roads: Monte and Laura Bledsoe – Quail Hollow Farm, CSA
Six years ago one of my former mentees decided to try growing vegetables on a tiny patch of ground. She thought, “what a nice little hobby I will create for myself.” Her vision was to grow and provide a little food for a few other families. She was not willing to commit to more than […]
Why Hebrew?, Part Two: Hebrew Compliments Greek
Read Part One Here Must an education be limited to completing a checklist of courses in order to receive a certificate of conformance to present as evidence to a prospective employer of having met a minimum standard of proficiency in practical, productive job skills? Is an education limited to passing through a “liberal arts” program […]
Why Hebrew?: Part One
Contributing Author – James Malmstrom, Monticello College Faculty CHOMRONG VILLAGE, Nepal – 2011 – I was sitting in the courtyard of Chomrong Cottage, a charming lodge and the second stop of a 10-day trek into the Annapurna mountain range. The towering snow-capped Himalayan peaks in the distance guarded the gateway to our final destination, a valley at the […]
Montesquieu: Luminary of the Enlightenment
(Please excuse any errors. I am writing on the fly from New York and time is limited). Cicero said, “To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.” To paraphrase, he who only knows his own generation is an unwitting slave to those who have a knowledge of the past and an eye on the […]
The Courage of Washington
George Washington was not a great president. He was an average farmer and a loyal but solitary if dispassionate husband and neighbor. When it came to people and relationships, public speaking, pressing the flesh, and gushing, Mr. Washington had a lot of room for improvement. It’s a good thing Washington’s mission was none of those […]