Blog

Harvard Education on Ebay? Yep

Have you ever marveled at the beauty of the language in the Declaration of Independence? The Gettysburg Address?

Philosophizing and writing were common indulgences in 18th and 19th century America. Granted, literacy rates were low but ideas were in the air and newspapers were read aloud in cafés and discussed at family dinners.

The literature that informed those conversations included scrolls of ancient Egypt, transcriptions of rules of law from The Ottoman Empire and the works of Plato and Socrates, et al. Conversations  with the Chief of the Iroquois Nation made their way into the mix.

Early on, a Harvard Education was a liberal education. It was education for it’s own sake, not preparation for employment.

In 1909, Charles Elliot, then President of Harvard, noted that a liberal education could be obtained by spending 15 minutes a day reading from a collection of books that could fit on a five-foot shelf. In line with his objective to educate all that were so inclined, he selected worthy works, built a collection and sold it to the public.

Today, this collection can be bought for around $300 on eBay. Not bad for an education that is, in my view, better than the education offered at most American Universities today. This education plunks one right down into a context designed to help us think, to inspire us to write, to make us laugh and to make us cry. One cannot work their way through this collection without ‘picking up IQ points,’ and reconsidering everything modern in relation to our very human nature.

So, my recommendation? Do a search on eBay for Harvard Classics, also known as Dr. Eliot’s Five Foot Shelf.  You’ll find selected books, partial collections and perhaps a complete collection of the first 51 volumes. I have to say, if you do, I’m happy for you. I don’t own the collection. When I learned of it, I already had some of the selections in my own library.  I do however, peek at the list of works included and keep it in mind as I browse local library book sales.

Academic Holism (aka follow your nose)

Indeed, all things are connected. That being the case, it behooves us to become academic generalists. The good news is that it’s great fun; we get to follow our nose. Structured school settings necessarily narrow our focus. Unfortunately they do so arbitrarily without regard to what we find fascinating.

As readers know, I’ve been studying geography.  Imagine my surprise when, as I hop to my space studies, I find that territories in space are being circumscribed as we speak! My geographic mind-set has prepared me to simply expand my understanding and voìla, this rather sophisticated conversation about defining a space wilderness makes sense.  http://bit.ly/2Xv9bv0

Two Substacks

You are currently visiting my Stay Sane web site.

Substack is a writers’ platform. Think twitter but articles.

My Home Cooked Psychanalysis Substack is discussed in some detail here at my Stay Sane website.

I have a second Substack named Stay Sane.  My original intent on my Stay Sane Substack was to define for folks some of the international institutions, agencies and groups shaping geopolitical events today. That said, older posts on my Stay Sane Substack are educational.

As my geopolitical Stay Sane Substack evolved I have made it a point to discuss some events and developments from non-western points of view.

If you wish to visit my Stay Sane Substack visit https://dianekern.substack.com/