FREEWILL LEARNING | THE TRUE EDUCATION
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To read well, that is, to read true books in a true spirit, is a noble exercise. -- Henry D. Thoreau Entertainment for man, but not for his beast. Enter ye that have leisure and a quiet mind, who earnestly seek the right road. -- Henry D. Thoreau Talent alone can not make a writer. There must be a man behind the book; a personality which, by birth and quality, is pledged to the doctrines there set forth, and which exists to see and state things so, and not otherwise; holding things because they are things. It makes a great difference to the force of any sentence, whether there be a man behind it, or no. In the learned journal, in the influential newspaper, I discern no form; only some irresponsible shadow; oftener some monied corporation, or some dangler, who hopes, in the mask and robes of his paragraph, to pass for somebody. But, through every clause and part of speech of a right book, I meet the eyes of the most determined of men: his force and terror inundate every word: the commas and dashes are alive; so that the writing is athletic and nimble,--can go far and live long. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson There is no luck in literary reputation. They who make up the final verdict upon every book are not the partial and noisy readers of the hour when it appears; but a court as of angels, a public not to be bribed, not to be entreated, and not to be overawed, decides upon every man's title to fame. Only those books come down which deserve to last. Gilt edges, vellum, and morocco, and presentation-copies to all the libraries, will not preserve a book in circulation beyond its intrinsic date. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson However, I would say that at present responsibility must be defined as selectivity. We are living in an affluent society, and this is an affluence not only of material goods but of various sorts of stimuli as well. We are bombarded by the mass media. We are bombarded by sexual stimuli. And, last but not least, the information explosion represents a further, new affluence. Heaps of books and journals pile up on our desks. Unless we wish to drown in total (not only sexual) promiscuity, we have to choose between what is important and what is not, what is meaningful and what is not. We have to become selective and discriminating. --Viktor E. Frankl
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| The Curriculum |
In order to become a well-rounded human being, capable of 1) independent thinking, 2) free exploration of one’s life path, and 3) humane feelings, a general education must be acquired as the foundation for any specialized subject. This general education consists of ten main areas. Part 1 Human suffering Examples: Spain's conquest of South and Middle America, Nanjing massacre, Hiroshima, Gulag, China’s Cultural Revolution, the Holocaust, the Rwanda genocide, other man-made disasters, historical crimes, and catastrophes. Here you also explore the topic of death, including what people feel and think when facing death, and practical wisdom for the end of life. Death is a taboo in modern society. Our denial deprives us of a deep sense of the preciousness of life, as well as the development of empathy. Sooner or later we all have to face death, either our own or of someone we care about. Such an honest and brave encounter is an indispensable part of our knowledge and wisdom. Part 2 Current problems Examples: Pollution, population explosion, unsustainable development, species extinction, corruption, war, terrorism, nuclear weapons, the conscienceless mass media, bureaucracy, poverty, large scale of depression and mental illnesses, corporate scandals, violence and crime, youth violence and crime, cruelty, cults, perversion, AIDS, cancer, drugs, dangers of technology: genetic modification, cloning, etc. After your research, you may want to pick a problem and try to solve it. Even if you don’t, at least you will live your life without being blind to the problems going on. Part 3 Beauty and insight Examples: Poetry, music, art and craft. Here you take a break from the gloomy reality of the past and the present, and balance your learning on human nature and behavior. You expose yourself to some of our best heritage to recognize the height of human achievement in beauty and spirit. You read great poems, listen to great music, view great paintings, and appreciate any other art form of your interest. You cannot exhaust the vast treasure. It will be your lifelong enjoyment. A little enlightenment will suffice here. The seed of light will not die in you. At the right moment, it will help your life blossom. Part 4 Visions and dreams and their critiques Examples: Utopia, Capitalism, Communism, all other major schools of thoughts which have shaped this world we live in. You should also study and be aware of the danger of idealism, such as Hitler and the Holocaust, Pol Pot and the slaughter of the intellectuals of Cambodia. In this part, you will also study religions and cults, and draw your own conclusions. Part 5 The human mind, the human spirit, and the fundamentals of humanity 1) The human mind: intellectual standards and the independent way of thinking; man's cognition of the workings of the world. Examples: Kant, Locke, Descartes. All major philosophies in rationalism should be studied, to some extent. This will acquaint you with basic principles you can use when performing independent rational thinking. Few people are capable of such thinking in their lives when facing difficulties and challenges, and when bombarded with propaganda and popular ideologies. This is an essential skill for your existence as an independent individual. 2) The human spirit from major philosophers’ points of view Examples: Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Montaigne, Martin Buber. 3) The fundamentals of humanity: the humanistic standards, basic human rights and freedoms Part 6 Progress Examples: Democracy, women's rights, aboriginal and black people’s struggles. You should also read the stories of representative people in the pursuit of truth and justice, who made progress in these areas possible. In addition to history, see if you can find at least a few such people among your contemporaries. Part 7 Ways of life These include fundamental thinking in this regard, famous experiments, and practical wisdoms. You should also learn about the modern psychologies on strength, flow, authentic happiness, career interest and choice. Part 8 Scientific truths Examples: Evolution, astronomy, modern physics. Part 9 Education and human development Exploration in this critical area is contradictory and full of failures. However, a few books are recommended, such as A. S. Neill’s Summerhill - A Radical Approach to Child Rearing, Rousseau’s Emile, and Carl Rogers’ works. You should also learn the basic techniques for the improvement of mind, for your own development. Part 10 Hope and optimism Example: Helen Keller and her book The World I Live In. After your study of a rather dismal picture of human past and present, you need to know where to draw courage to carry on with your own pursuits, either in learning or in action. Part 11 (elective) Readings around interests This elective can serve as a rewarding lifelong hobby, opening your mind to other people’s lives. This consists of great literature, biographies, and lighter reading, including children’s books. These readings will keep you young at heart and rich in experience, with greater understanding and compassion. This curriculum is the foundation of your learning. Specialization in any subject matter is secondary. You cannot be a good specialist without being a human being first—knowing how to live your own life with strength, freedom, truth, beauty, and hope.
(For a brief reading list based on this curriculum, write to curriculum at (use @) freewilllearning.net.) |