| The neo-classical curriculum of Trivium, updated Quadrivium, Bivium (inquiry and science), and Great Books accomplishes the following goals: (1) it honors both the rhetorical and philosophical strands of the liberal arts tradition, (2) affirms the importance of empirical science without denigrating more traditional means of knowing (i.e. reason and revelation), (3) tempers the classical respect for tradition with the modern spirit of inquiry, and (4) provides the best intellectual and moral foundation for living well in the post-modern world. Students of such a curriculum would study Latin grammar, deductive logic, and rhetoric just as classical students did five hundred years ago, but they would also study calculus, chemistry, molecular biology, psychology, and economics. They would read ancient and medieval authors such as Aristotle, Plato, Augustine, and Thomas, but they would also read modern authors such as Kant, Locke, Austen, Einstein, and Freud. Finally, these modern classical students would learn by memory, drill, imitation, and practice, as well as by experimentation, demonstration, and discussion. In short, this neo-classical model of education would not repeat the mistakes of the past by shutting out new knowledge, relying too heavily on tradition, or ignoring the complexities of modern thought. Instead, the neo-classical model of liberal arts education would equip students to understand the Western intellectual tradition from its beginnings to the present day. The neo-classical curriculum also recognizes the moral, aesthetic, and civic ideals promoted by classical authors such as Isocrates, Quintilian, Cicero, Augustine, and Cassiodorus. As classical education always has promoted the good, the beautiful, and the true, so too would a neo-classical education. Students would be encouraged to develop high personal moral standards, good aesthetic taste, and a strong sense of civic responsibility. Whether taught in a religious setting or not, the classical textual tradition and the intellectual discipline required to master the liberal arts encourage the development of a student's soul beyond his mere intellectual powers so that he can actively pursue truth, seek wisdom, and strive to live well in an often confusing and contradictory world. |
