On the Foundations of Self-Government
View children as “little angels?” Believe they are naturally good, needing only to be encouraged to grow? This is the false foundation of progressive education—and it has profound implications for self-government. Thinkers like Rousseau, Froebel, and Dewey changed the course of education in the West, introducing terms like “kindergarten” (a “garden of children”) and planting […]
On the Peculiar Importance of Teaching “Useless” Knowledge
Think that a classical education imparts a great deal of knowledge that is neither useful nor practical? Believe that it often consists of subjects that are neither relevant to present concerns nor designed to accomplish tangible results? This view is not entirely mistaken—but as Roger Scruton observed, a lofty “irrelevance” is the indispensable feature of […]
