Great piece. I have recently begun reading Dante’s Divine Comedy, something that was never taught or even mentioned in my undergraduate years.
Beyond distraction, I think that many, especially young people who have been heavily conditioned by internet discourse and social media, struggle immensely with even attempting to engage thoughtfully with difficult texts. It’s much easier to just react, usually while assuming an indignant or self-righteous posture, than to critically engage.
Boy that really resonates with me. I, too, find it difficult to steal my attention away from the device (so much "my precious"!) so that I can spend time with some deep reading.
But steal our own attention back we must. I am looking to help folks with this.
Great piece, Kale. A few quibbles: wisdom is not "available" in an instant or to be found at our fingertips. Also, I think the failure of educators or "keepers" slant -that reminded me of D.H. Lawrence, by the way- is too one sided. I think what you're missing out on are the systematic forces (of innovation, distraction) that are pulling us or luring us in that direction.
Have you read M. Hanby's brilliant Communio piece on the American Revolution? I think it would be interesting to ask, as Chad Wellmon does, why the Great Books programmes were in some sense bound to fail. Since the late 19th c the emphasis on research, science and "truthfulness" (B. Williams) have been more important than moral formation and transmission ( by the way, Arendt has a very interesting chapter on the latter).
Khalid, that is a good quibble imo. Wisdom is not information...in fact it is almost a kind of anti-digital knowing, so right. I guess what I meant is that we are "allowed" to begin the process of gaining wisdom, but we have been conditioned to "prefer" other avenues. In my video on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDRRlVMhH3M) I get into this aspect.
I have not (yet) read the Hanby piece. Sounds like it is up my alley. The german model is proving to be a huge genesis-level mistake from the earlier model of higher ed.
Haven't seen the video yet Kale, but thanks for sharing it.
Given that we're now entering an illiterate or post-literate age (the end of 'bookishness', G. Steiner once called it) what I'm going to say will sound controversial: 'haven't we darkened ourselves with books for far too long' (E.M.F?). Ultimately, it's not just that books have become entertainment or a higher form of distraction, overtaken by knowledge, information, images and now data; but what if books have become a kind of idol (the way in which art or culture did in the 19th c., replacing religion, offering a kind of second degree consolation or comfort)?
How are books-words- actually 'incarnated' into our lives? Wisdom is surely a lived practice, habit, ritual, attentiveness and not just a mental capacity (I think the hypertrophy of the mind and the emphasis on abstractions and conceptual knowledge in the west is partly at fault here). Of course, this dichotomy is too stark, but maybe there's something after all in the 'ancient quarrel': poetry/religion vs philosophy or the knowledge of the world ("foolishness") vs wisdom? [The danger of the dichotomy shouldn't be lost on us: a kind of Protestantism, religion of the heart or fundamentalism..."the letter killeth but..."].
Anyway, I like what Hadot wrote somewhere (I know, I know, the irony!): 'How many books by old men will you read?'
Konrad, it would hurt to start with Dante's Inferno. It is pretty digestible, and most editions have great notes to help you out, at least he English translations.
I made it all the way through high school and college without hearing about "The Great Books" so, while I don't know who is responsible for destroying "the tradition," I think much knowledge/wisdom has been lost and I'm not sure how to get it back. I think a lot of my teachers/professors didn't have any because it wasn't something they were taught, and I'm not confident I can regain it myself by spending the scant free time I have delving into classic texts alone, without any guidance. It's only in the past couple of years that I've come to know of places like St. John's College and Thomas More College. Maybe one day my future children can be properly educated... if all the wisdom hasn't been lost by then.
Oh gosh, I have loads, of course. Do you think it would be helpful to put together a few "types" of lists, broken down by genre or medium?
Great piece. I have recently begun reading Dante’s Divine Comedy, something that was never taught or even mentioned in my undergraduate years.
Beyond distraction, I think that many, especially young people who have been heavily conditioned by internet discourse and social media, struggle immensely with even attempting to engage thoughtfully with difficult texts. It’s much easier to just react, usually while assuming an indignant or self-righteous posture, than to critically engage.
Boy that really resonates with me. I, too, find it difficult to steal my attention away from the device (so much "my precious"!) so that I can spend time with some deep reading.
But steal our own attention back we must. I am looking to help folks with this.
Great piece, Kale. A few quibbles: wisdom is not "available" in an instant or to be found at our fingertips. Also, I think the failure of educators or "keepers" slant -that reminded me of D.H. Lawrence, by the way- is too one sided. I think what you're missing out on are the systematic forces (of innovation, distraction) that are pulling us or luring us in that direction.
Have you read M. Hanby's brilliant Communio piece on the American Revolution? I think it would be interesting to ask, as Chad Wellmon does, why the Great Books programmes were in some sense bound to fail. Since the late 19th c the emphasis on research, science and "truthfulness" (B. Williams) have been more important than moral formation and transmission ( by the way, Arendt has a very interesting chapter on the latter).
Hope all else is well?
Salams,
Khalid.
Khalid, that is a good quibble imo. Wisdom is not information...in fact it is almost a kind of anti-digital knowing, so right. I guess what I meant is that we are "allowed" to begin the process of gaining wisdom, but we have been conditioned to "prefer" other avenues. In my video on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDRRlVMhH3M) I get into this aspect.
I have not (yet) read the Hanby piece. Sounds like it is up my alley. The german model is proving to be a huge genesis-level mistake from the earlier model of higher ed.
Haven't seen the video yet Kale, but thanks for sharing it.
Given that we're now entering an illiterate or post-literate age (the end of 'bookishness', G. Steiner once called it) what I'm going to say will sound controversial: 'haven't we darkened ourselves with books for far too long' (E.M.F?). Ultimately, it's not just that books have become entertainment or a higher form of distraction, overtaken by knowledge, information, images and now data; but what if books have become a kind of idol (the way in which art or culture did in the 19th c., replacing religion, offering a kind of second degree consolation or comfort)?
How are books-words- actually 'incarnated' into our lives? Wisdom is surely a lived practice, habit, ritual, attentiveness and not just a mental capacity (I think the hypertrophy of the mind and the emphasis on abstractions and conceptual knowledge in the west is partly at fault here). Of course, this dichotomy is too stark, but maybe there's something after all in the 'ancient quarrel': poetry/religion vs philosophy or the knowledge of the world ("foolishness") vs wisdom? [The danger of the dichotomy shouldn't be lost on us: a kind of Protestantism, religion of the heart or fundamentalism..."the letter killeth but..."].
Anyway, I like what Hadot wrote somewhere (I know, I know, the irony!): 'How many books by old men will you read?'
Think you might like this:
https://fsgworkinprogress.com/2011/02/14/geoff-dyer-readers-block/
Any recommendations for Old Books?
Konrad, it would hurt to start with Dante's Inferno. It is pretty digestible, and most editions have great notes to help you out, at least he English translations.
Thanks! Much appreciated.
I made it all the way through high school and college without hearing about "The Great Books" so, while I don't know who is responsible for destroying "the tradition," I think much knowledge/wisdom has been lost and I'm not sure how to get it back. I think a lot of my teachers/professors didn't have any because it wasn't something they were taught, and I'm not confident I can regain it myself by spending the scant free time I have delving into classic texts alone, without any guidance. It's only in the past couple of years that I've come to know of places like St. John's College and Thomas More College. Maybe one day my future children can be properly educated... if all the wisdom hasn't been lost by then.
the question of value is huge. We've conflated value with use...thus wisdom loses out...and then we lose out.