Learn to Love to Learn

For those who might read this and have not yet started reading for this week, let me encourage you, Books 7 and 10 of The Republic are much easier reads than the other books we have examined! So, take heart. I found much I could blog about in these two books, however, I decided to stick with a more elementary topic- balance in education.

Socrates viewed education much differently than the typical American views education. Often our view of education is attending a school (be it at the elementary, middle, high, or collegiate level), working to, at minimum, pass the classes and meet the minimum requirements so that we can get a degree and get a job. Socrates viewed education as something that must encompass all of life, from youth to adulthood. Socrates did state that "all the great and numerous labors belong to the young." That is, it is wisest and easiest to begin to learn to love to learn at a young age, when your body and mind are more apt to handle the strenuous work. However, education continues into adulthood.

Another point Socrates makes is the balance between physical education and mental, or intellectual, education. Both are important. Here is where we often disagree. In American educational institutions often we characterize people as "nerds" and "jocks." Those are the ones who exercise intellectually and then physically. Socrates says the two should be joined.

The interesting point arises here- as far as physical education and exercise go- you can force yourself to exercise and, even if you don't enjoy it, your body will still benefit. But if you try this same approach with learning, it will fail. "Forced labors performed by the body don't make the body any worse, but no forced study abides in a soul." If you do not love learning, academic pursuits will do you little good, for you will retain little, or nothing. This is not to say that if you do not love a book assigned for class you should simply skip reading it, but instead train yourself to love to learn...









I commented on Tiffany's post.