Classical Ed: What To Think or How To Think? by Joshua Gibbs

Classical Ed: What To Think or How To Think? by Joshua Gibbs

However, Christian education demands that we teach students what to love and how to love, for love is simply the greatest kind of knowledge. A classical education aims to train the affections and show a man how to “rightly order his loves” (ordo amoris), though a man cannot order his loves until he knows what they are. Rightly ordering our loves demands both body and soul, substance and idea, what and how.

Another brilliant iconoclastic essay by my favorite teacher. It reminds me of a debate taking place in conservatism right now over pluralism vs. monism. Monism can fall victim to a dogmatic belief in one Truth and oppress all non-believers, but pluralism can fall victim to relativism and no real truth. I think there is one Truth but the way to get there is pluralism. In Joshua Gibbs article, I believe there IS the good, true, and beautiful, so we need to tell our student WHAT to think, but they will get there on their own through knowing HOW to think.