Classical Education Quotes

All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth. ~ Aristotle.

Classics is a subject that exists in that gap between us and the word of the Greeks and Romans. The questions raised by Classics are the questions raised by our distance from 'their' world, and at the same time by our closeness to it, and its familiarity to us. In our museums, in our literature, languages, culture, and ways of thinking. The aim of Classics is not only to discover or uncover the ancient world (though that is part of it, as the rediscovery of Bassae, or the excavation of the furthest outposts of the Roman empire on the Scottish borders, shows). Its aim is to also define and debate our relationship to that world. ~ Mary Beard

The groups of muscles that have become virtually unnecessary in modern life, though still a vital element of a man's body, are obviously pointless from a practical point of view, and bulging muscles are as unnecessary as a classical education is to the majority of practical men. Muscles have gradually become something akin to classical Greek. To revive the dead language, the discipline of the steel was required; to change the silence of death into the eloquence of life, the aid of steel was essential. ~ Yukio Mishima

The notion that Nature does not proceed by jumps is only one of the budget of plausible lies that we call classical education. Nature always proceeds by jumps. She may spend twenty thousand years making up her mind to jump; but when she makes it up at last, the jump is big enough to take us into a new age. ~ George Bernard Shaw

Chinese culture had boys memorize the Dao for centuries. Many cultures commit their sacred, foundational texts to memory.... When you read a hundred words a hundred times they get woven into your soul.... Understanding is not as important. When we struggle with a text, it changes us. Why put things in memory? ... We memorize to contemplate, not to show off. ~ Andrew Kern

A classical education saves you from being fooled by pretentiousness, which is what most current fiction is too full of. ~ Raymond Chandler

No, no," Mr. Darling always said, "I am responsible for it all. I, George Darling, did it. MEA CULPA, MEA CULPA."
He had had a classical education. ~ J.M. Barrie

Man may not be the colossus some secular spirits would have him be, armed with the strength and wisdom of the gods, but he has partaken of ambrosia. He has squinted trough the veil and seen just enough of divinity to measure himself by it. The Humanist knows both the strengths and the frailties of man. He strives. But he knows the bounds of his striving.......

Visions and ideals need a path, a way, a roadmap people can use as to arrive at those better, more permanent things that the wise are always seeing dimly whenever they strained their eyes. So man turned a mirror on himself, looked soberly, and-one day-began to write accounts of the discoveries made on the grandest odyssey of them all: the journey to the core of the human mind and soul. The grateful among us read them. ~ Tracy Lee Simmons

Now, if the principle of toleration were once admitted into classical education - if it were admitted that the great object is to read and enjoy a language, and the stress of the teaching were placed on the few things absolutely essential to this result, if the tortoise were allowed time to creep, and the bird permitted to fly, and the fish to swim, towards the enchanted and divine sources of Helicon - all might in their own way arrive there, and rejoice in its flowers, its beauty, and its coolness. ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

Classical education was based on the seven liberal arts or sciences: grammar, the formal structures of language; rhetoric, composition and presentation of argument; dialectic, formal logic; arithmetic; geometry; music; astronomy.14 For centuries, the classics dominated the very idea of being educated and attempts at reform were resisted. ~ Ken Robinson

Anyone who has passed though the regular gradations of a classical education, and is not made a fool by it, may consider himself as having had a very narrow escape. ~ William Hazlitt

A classical education enables you to despise the wealth that it prevents you from achieving. ~ Russell Green

I'm not saying anything against the Modern side.
Modern and Classical, they are equal, and each provides for a function in life. You must make your free choice. Not everyone is capable of a Classical education. You must make your choice quite freely. ~ Muriel Spark

It is no wonder that the writers of the nineteenth century look upon society as an artificial creation of the legislator's genius. This idea
the fruit of classical education
has taken possession of all the intellectuals and famous writers of our country. To these intellectuals and writers, the relationship between persons and the legislator appears to be the same as the relationship between the clay and the potter. ~ Frederic Bastiat

I doubt whether classical education ever has been or can be successfully carried out without corporal punishment. ~ George Orwell

Teaching is the last refuge of feeble minds with a classical education. ~ Aldous Huxley

To be free, one must have the critical-thinking skills that inoculate against the alluring rhetoric that pervades contemporary society, rhetoric that is constantly seeking to undermine freedom for the sake of varied narrow interests. It is an old story, and Daniel Scoggin, the CEO of Great Hearts, recognizes this reality when he reminds his constituency that "each generation must earn its freedom anew". ~ Gene Edward Veith Jr.

The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education. ~ Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

One of the goals of classical education is to discern the appropriate manner by which the mistreated and oppressed can challenge their oppressors without destroying their civilization. ~ Gene Edward Veith Jr.

The world is a fabric woven of mysteries, and a mystery is a provocation to our humanity that cannot be dissolved by googling a few more bits of information. ~ Stratford Caldecott

One of the perils of a classical education, he often reflected, was a predilection for vocabulary of an obfuscating nature. ~ Melissa Wiley

We are not reading books merely to check off a list or to be able to say we have read them. We are reading to grow as persons, to know more that we may understand more, and ultimately, it is to be hoped, to act according to our greater wisdom. ~ Karen Glass

Nowadays it seems you learn only what is reasonable
and relevant. I went to Rome with a young
friend, educated on the latest lines, and who
had taken historical honours at Cambridge.
The first morning the pats of butter came
up stamped with the Twins. " Good old
Romulus and Remus," said I. " Good old
who? " said she. She had never heard of
the Twins and was much bored when I told
her the story; they had no place in " con¬
stitutional history ", and for her the old wolf
of the Capitol howled in vain: " Great God!
I'd rather be "! ~ Jane Ellen Harrison

- I had a good classical education, and a positive distaste for business of any kind; that was the capital with which I faced the world [ ... ] I reflected, then, on my want of prospects, and I determined to embark in literature.
- Really; that was strange. You seem to be in pretty comfortable circumstances, though. ~ Arthur Machen

Derisively, Ronan said, 'No. The ancient Greeks didn't have a word for Blue.'
Everyone at the table looked at him.
'What the hell, Ronan?' said Adam.
'It's hard to imagine," Gansey mused, 'how this evidently successful classical education never seems to make it into your school papers.'
'They never ask the right questions,' Ronan replied. ~ Maggie Stiefvater

I had had a classical education prior to that. ~ Skitch Henderson

Classical education has deformed everything, and has imposed upon us as geniuses men of correct, facile talent, who follow the beaten track. ~ Emile Zola

I feign knowledge of writing: that I know something about it, that I should have learned something after all these years, that I might know something tomorrow.
I read too much and write too little, or write too much and live too little. I have no classical education, no literary degree. I'm not specialized, Hugoed or geniusized; should I be writing at all?
In this whole vast world, I'm a female peon sitting here at night wondering what it is I want to say. I aim for fluidity. But no, nix that line, that thought, this life. That's the crux of it, isn't it? This life: it's out of reach. I'm not sure what I'm saying anymore. ~ Chila Woychik

A rhetorician is capable of speaking effectively against all comers, whatever the issue, and can consequently be more persuasive in front of crowds about… anything he likes. ~ Plato

It is a matter of great satisfaction to me to hope that my children will be in circumstances to receive a good education. Mine was defective and I feel the inconvenience, if not the misfortune of not receiving a classical education. Knowledge is the food of genius, and my son, let no opportunity escape you to treasure up knowledge. ~ Sam Houston

When you break up with someone, and I'm not talking casual breakups here, it's hard to take the sudden absence of such an important person in your life. It reminded me of when I'd stopped going to school and the weird uneasy feeling I'd gotten afterward, like I was forgetting to do something. My life until that point had pivoted around some form of education, and all of a sudden, it was gone. Homework, classes, running around, and then – bam – nothing but a life of work stretching out before you. No one prepares you for that feeling or even mentions it. You just suddenly have a gap and have to decide how to fill it.

A break up is like that gap, only much, much more painful. One day the person you talked to constantly or did stuff with is just absent. Gone. Poof. And even though I'm not one of those people who has to be in a relationship all the time, I was feeling at a loss. ~ Lish McBride

I don't think child care is ever going to be much of a federal effort. Just like education. Six or 7 percent - that's all I want from the government. Pay that piece of it for poor or developmentally disabled children. ~ Edward Zigler

I was always pretty organized in high school and my mother, she always pushed me to just overachieve, both my parents. (They) let me know education is key and without it nowadays, you probably wouldn't be able to get a good job or have a decent living. ~ Jeremih

Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties; and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in various parts of the country, and among the different orders of the people, it shall be the duty of legislators and magistrates in all future periods of this commonwealth to cherish the interests of literature and the sciences ... ~ John Adams

Self-disciplin e is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you, and makes everything else possible. With self-discipline , the average person can rise as far and as fast as his talents and intelligence can take him. But without self-discipline , a person with every blessing of background, education and opportunity will seldom rise above mediocrity. ~ Brian Tracy

Far from failing in its intended task, our educational system is in fact succeeding magnificently because its aim is to keep the American people thoughtless enough to go on supporting the system. ~ Richard Mitchell

I think you learn more if you're laughing at the same time. ~ Mary Ann Shaffer

Woman is an incarnation of 'Shakti'- the goddess of power. If she is bestowed with education, Gujarat's strength will double. Let the campaign of 'Kanya Kelavni' be spread in every home. Let the lamp of educating daughters be lit up in every heart. Then only the vision of 'Jay Jay Garvi Gujarat' will be realized. ~ Narendra Modi

Whenever you feel me,
just call me
With the silence of your soul,
and with the softness of your love.
I will be with you,
With the magic of my love.
You may not see me,
But you will feel me.
You will hear my song
In the depth of your heart. ~ Debasish Mridha

Focus on peace not on war.
Love, live, share and care. ~ Debasish Mridha

Everyone can find what is wrong with a society but only a few can lead toward the betterment of a community. ~ Debasish Mridha

Love heals the soul and cures the mind. ~ Debasish Mridha

What makes me angry? The education of children. How in God's name can you expect to have a functioning society the way we teach our kids? ~ Kathleen Turner

Something happens to our creativity as we go through the education process; most of us lose touch with it. ~ Anthony Browne

When I think of the word "organic," I think of natural, wholesome, and fundamental.
That's exactly what I want my children's education to be like. ~ Tamara L. Chilver

He had only smiled, condescendingly and therapeutically. "No, Leland, not you. You, and in fact quite a lot of your generation, have in some way been exiled from that particular sanctuary. It's become almost impossible for you to 'go mad' in the classical sense. At one time people conveniently 'went mad' and were never heard from again. Like a character in a romantic novel. But now"--And I think he even went so far as to yawn--"you are too hip to yourself on a psychological level. You are all too intimate with too many of the symptoms of insanity to be caught completely off your guard. Another thing: all of you have a talent for releasing frustration through clever fantasy. And you, you are the worst of the lot on that score. So... you may be neurotic as hell for the rest of your life, and miserable, maybe even do a short hitch at Bellvue and certainly good for another five years as a paying patient--but I'm afraid never completely out." He leaned back in his elegant Lounge-o-Chair. "Sorry to disappoint you but the best I can offer is plain old schizophrenia with delusional tendencies. ~ Ken Kesey

Happiness is there when perceptions and expectations are in joyful harmony. ~ Debasish Mridha

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) was a German philosopher. His writing included critiques of religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science, using a distinctive style and displaying a fondness for aphorism. Nietzsche's influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism and postmodernism. Nietzsche began his career as a philologist before turning to philosophy. At the age of 24 he became Professor of Classical Philology at the University of Basel, but resigned in 1879 due to health problems, which would plague him for most of his life. In 1889 he exhibited symptoms of a serious mental illness, living out his remaining years in the care of his mother and sister until his death in 1900. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

The fruit of liberal education is not learning, but the capacity and desire to learn, not knowledge, but power. ~ Charles William Eliot

Control your thoughts to define your life. ~ Debasish Mridha

What I have learned from my own experience is that the most important ingredients in a child's education are curiosity, interest, imagination, and a sense of the adventure of life. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Money can drive you, but ultimately, you decide where you want to go. ~ Debasish Mridha

Never begrudge the money you spend on your own education. ~ Jim Rohn

We will hire someone with less experience, less education, and less expertise, than someone who has more of those things and has a rotten attitude. Because we can train people. We can teach people how to lead. We can teach people how to provide customer service. But we can't change their DNA. ~ Herb Kelleher

A brain is a space that is infinite that give people the capability to accumulate new information that we never know or revive the information that they forget. However, peoples' character can really indicate how much information they want to accumulate that can really distinguish the intelligence for every individual. ~ Saaif Alam

I would have to say I might do some stuff, but it's the film that's appealing. I was raised on film. My musical experience is all via film, it's not from classical music. ~ Danny Elfman

Knowledge is potential power, but wisdom is the readily available power of the mind. ~ Debasish Mridha

Let us emulate nature, let us bloom like a flower to fill the world with kindness, tolerance, tranquility, beauty and love. ~ Debasish Mridha

Education: learning to find your purpose. Upon finding your purpose: what did I learn? ~ Bauvard

In education it isn't how much you have committed to memory or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't. It's knowing where to go to find out what you need to know and it's knowing how to use the information you get. ~ William Feather

Knowledge is an alter in the temple of wisdom. ~ Matshona Dhliwayo

My mother, who has read all of Balzac and quotes Flaubert at every dinner, is living proof every day of how education is a raging fraud. All you need to do is watch her with the cats. She's vaguely aware of their decorative potential, and yet she insists on talking to them as if they were people, which she would never do with a lamp or an Etruscan statue. It would seem that children believe for a fairly long time that anything that moves has a soul and is endowed with intention. My mother is no longer a child but she apparently has not managed to conceive that Constitution and Parliament possess no more understanding than the vacuum cleaner. ~ Muriel Barbery

The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth. ~ John F. Kennedy

We must always meet our obligation to those who fall behind without our assistance. But let's remember, without a race there can be no champion, no records broken, no excellence - in education or any other walk of life. ~ Ronald Reagan

Learn from flowers-always angle towards the sun ~ Maureen Joyce Connolly

Peace is not an option, it is the only option. ~ Debasish Mridha