Return of the Manual Arts
We have spent considerable space in these posts discussing education, particularly the liberal arts. This post is dedicated to the lesser known side of our curriculum—the manual arts. Manual arts are not something that the average American thinks about in the 21st century. But a hundred years ago, the vast majority of Americans were engaged […]
Reforming Education Out of Existence
A March 9, 2013 Wall Street Journal article entitled “Doing a Texas Two-Step Around Educational Reform” once again brings to the forefront the fundamental discussion of “what is education and why?” The article begins by summarizing the recent decision of over 800 Texas School Boards to lower high school graduation requirements. Mr. Charles Cook, a […]
The Dawning Of A New Era
We have been saying for years that the day would come when the concepts and results of a liberal education would again be valued in politics, business, and society in general, that citizenship would enjoy a renewed position of importance in our nation, and that statesmen would rise up in our capitols to provide courageous […]
The Liberal Arts During Bondage; Part Three: The Fourth Turning: The Opportunity Of The Century
Click Here to Read Part One Click Here to Read Part Two To wrap up this series, let’s rely on history to show us a way out of Bondage. As was mentioned in part two, we not only rely on the 250-year society oriented Tytler Cycle to show us the way, but the more personal […]
The Second Great Commandment
“Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said unto him, “thou shalt love the lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and […]
The Liberal Arts During Bondage: Part Two; How Do the Liberal Arts Help Us During Bondage?
Click Here to Read Part One Bringing You Up To Speed If you will recall from part one, for the past twenty years, we have taught that America was somewhere on the “pre-bondage” side of the cycle, between Selfishness and Dependence. As we enter 2013, we have clearly entered the Bondage phase. Just consider […]
If It Saves Just One Life
I was shocked, dismayed, and like you I personally grieved for the families who lost children at the Newtown, Connecticut shooting just two month ago. What a severe act of violence. Who can make sense of 27 senseless deaths? It will indeed be a black mark on American history. And as much as I try […]
The Study of the Liberal Arts: A Search For Self
The full spectrum of human nature cannot be taught–it must be discovered. But it is virtually impossible to discover in the modern world of computer games, social media, and texting. Seldom do we see anything but the worst of human nature in the world of politics or in the mansions of materialism or the ivory […]
The Fat Lady Begins To Sing
And so it begins… The most recent national election declared the passion of the American people for the Nanny State. Of the almost 127 million voters, a majority preferred a governing system that favors high taxes, a saturated welfare system, forced health care, and an abundance of government dependent workers. Apparently we have learned nothing […]
The Liberal Arts During Bondage: Part One
[This series of posts are a continuation of the blog posted on January 1, 2013 at Shanonbrooks.com entitled Job Training Versus Character Education] What does bondage look like? One attribute of human nature is that we tend to acclimate over time to whatever condition we are experiencing. We get used to the hot or cold […]