In this series of blog posts, we’ll be exploring the virtues of Classical Education against Secular Education.
In this first part, we’ll look at the philosophies behind the two methods.
The Philosophy of Secular Education
- Secular education views the world through a materialist lens. Students are valued in relationship to their ability to contribute to and produce for society.
- Reality is limited to what is SEEN, and discussion of the life’s purpose is narrowly confined to the concerns of this world and this life.
- Students are given direction in order to help achieve certain intermediate and specific goals which are often more important to the school than the well-being of the student themselves. For example, they are educated in order to do well on standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT so that the school itself can look better by having a higher average ACT score.
The Philosophy of Classical Education
- Classical education is rooted in the inherent dignity of the human person, each of whom is made in the image and likeness of God.
- Reality is explored in FULL by insisting upon the importance of the natural world as well as greater supernatural (unseen and immaterial) realities.
- Students are given direction in order to discover and fulfill their higher, God-given purpose, which allows them to best serve their fellow man and society.