C.S. Lewis' 'On the Reading of Old Books' is the topic of discussion in this episode of Educating Humans. James reads most of the excerpt unabridged, and then the conversation ensues, touching on various topics based upon Lewis' main point that old books provide a lens and viewpoint that is foreign to our own and therefore valuable because it does not suffer from the same blindness of our age. We also question why people shun old books - is it too much humility, too much pride, or something else?Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Can the Australian National Curriculum be redeemed? The question itself implies that there might be something wrong with the curriculum provided by ACARA, and indeed listening to the pundits and commentators, apparently there may be. For proponents of classical education, however, the real question is whether the national curriculum can accommodate a classical approach to education. And the answer is that it can.This episode is a version of a presentation Difff gave to the Church and State Summit in Brisbane in March 2024.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff & James read and discuss Josef Pieper's short essay Learning How to See Again. As the essay begins: "Man's ability to see is in decline."  Why is this?  Pieper, writing in the 1950s, suggested that one of the reasons was that - even back then - there was too much to see. The proposed remedy is a great insight into how the arts can be thought about within the classical education tradition.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

And we're back for 2024! Difff and James chat about what has been happening in classical education in Australia, including updates from new schools starting up, a visit from Andrew Kern and Katerina Hamilton, and Difff's upcoming presentation at the Church and State Summit. James then previews what's to come in 2024, including overly ambitious guest interviews and a close read of Josef Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff is joined by Heidi White, a classical education consultant with the CIRCE Institute to discuss, well, a whole lot of good stuff. Beginning with some foundational questions about the classical education renewal, Heidi talks about the formation of classical teachers, Aristotle's Five Common Topics, and understanding virtues, before moving on to thinking about Shakespeare's humanism and why he's a quintessential example of the kind of literary figure that shapes classical education. This episode has everything - it's not only theological and philosophical, but it's also intensely practical, with Heidi explaining how to structure lesson plans around the Five Common Topics.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

In our short series on conversation topics for things we're reconsidering: subjects - yes, we're even reconsidering subjects. Something as foundational to the structure of schools is often overlooked, but what are the pitfalls that can sneak into a school when they think in terms of distinct siloed 'subjects'? Difff and James think through how disconnecting subjects can impact not only how and what a student learns about the subject, but also what they learn about themselves. Difff also spends some rather tedious time explaining the requirements within the Australia  National Curriculum and how - and why - subject thinking comes to dominate, before offering some potential solutions that could help to align better to the telos of education as understood within the classical paradigm.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

In another short conversation starter, James and Difff chat about the place of homework, specifically in relation to the classical classroom. As usual, the conversation comes back to considering first principles of purpose. Often homework is given 'just because' rather than being tied to a meaningful and thoughtfully considered purpose. But what should the purpose of homework be? And does it hold a mandatory place in classical education?Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

What is assessment?  What is its purpose, and how do we know if we're achieving it? This episode is a shorter discussion starter, aimed at provoking some questions in listeners' minds about the purpose of assessment; ways that it can be helpful or harmful; and how it should be reconsidered in light of the aims of a classical education.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Wisdom is one of the most common stated intentions of a classical education, but what exactly is it?  Using the work of St John Henry Newman and John Ozolins, Difff and James discuss Newman's definition of it and how he saw it fitting into education. This includes the importance of a foundation of knowledge that can then be connected together to form a synthesised picture of the whole of the world, rather than experiencing the world as dissonant disconnected parts. We also discuss how this might happen in a classroom, and the importance of cultivating an atmosphere of the desire for wisdom within the staff and across the school.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

In the final episode of the mini series about good books that we recommend for those interested in Classical Education, Difff talks about Jacques Maritain's Education at the Crossroads and the importance of teleology and therefore anthropology when it comes to true education. James discusses Peter Kreeft's Socratic Logic and introduces some basic terms in logic including a few fallacies such as the strawman and post hoc fallacies.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff & James spend some time answering questions from the audience. These questions are all about how to start the classical education journey, both at home with young children and as a teacher in a non-classical school. They also discuss how to spread the word about classical education, and Difff & James take the opportunity to reinforce how important it is for classical educators to themselves be classical students, and to love the truth, beauty, and goodness available in a classical education.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

In the penultimate episode of the Good Books series, Difff and James focus in on two classic pieces of literature. Starting with Shakespeare's Hamlet, they discuss the importance of Shakespeare in the classroom before diving into some of the major soliloquies in the play. From there they move to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein focusing specifically on the hubris of man's desire to 'ascend to godhood' as well as the book's incredible layers of intertextuality.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff speaks with Dr Laura Eidt from the University of Dallas about the new Latin program she is writing for teaching Latin to young children through stories. The conversation covers the reasons for teaching Latin as well as methods for effective instruction. They also discuss the importance and power of narration as a pedagogical approach for classical teachers.Dr Laura Eidt has taught in the German, Spanish, Comparative Literature, and Humanities programs at the University of Dallas since 2006, and is Director of the Humanities Program and Faculty Advisor for the K-12 Classical Curriculum Team.You can find out more about the Latin through Stories program here:https://k12classical.udallas.edu/k-5-latin-curriculum/preliminary-access/Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

As James and Difff start to wrap up their series on some great books, they discuss two works of cultural criticism that have significantly impacted them. James discusses G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy, and in particular the chapter 'The Ethics of Elfland' and its relation to the purpose of classical education. Difff then introduces the topic of acedia in R.J. Snell's book, Acedia and Its Discontents: Metaphysical Boredom in an Empire of Desire. Acedia, the despairing refusal to be one's self and the disgust at human limitation and being, is the modern condition, and combatting it is one of the highest callings of a classical liberal education. Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff and James speak with Father Stephen David, who is the founder of St John of Kronstadt Academy, a new Orthodox Classical school starting in Brisbane in January 2024. They discuss how Fr Stephen became interested in classical education, and why he decided to start a school, despite having no background or training in education.St John of Kronstadt Academy has been granted accreditation and plans to start in January 2024. You can find more information at https://www.stjohnacademy.com.au/Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Why should we study history? How important is it in a classical education?  As part of our Good Books series, we talk about two great historians of the 20th Century, Christopher Dawson & Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Difff bring Dawson's The Dividing of Christendom and The Crisis of Western Education and explains how Dawson masterfully explains how we have arrived at our current point in western civilisation. James then discusses Solzhenitsyn's The Gulag Archipelago and the importance of understanding the personal stories of people who suffered under communism.There is also some general chat about the power of history, what's wrong with the way it's often taught in Australian schools, and even some moderately controversial connections between historical awareness and government responses to the pandemic.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

In Anthony Esolen's book Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child, Esolen takes a 'Screwtape-style' approach to explaining the ways the modern society has inadvertently (or perhaps intentionally) been geared towards reducing childhood and blunting imagination. Difff and James discuss this brilliant book by considering how to revitalise our vision of childhood by questioning some of the taken-for-granted assumptions that seem to proliferate in schools and society.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

Difff and James discuss two books specifically about classical education. Difff describes The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education by Ravi Jain and Kevin Clark as a 'one-stop-shop' for anyone interested in the classical education renewal who doesn't know where to begin. It is a great combination of classical and theoretical, and has a foreword by Peter Kreeft thrown in for good measure. James then discusses the importance of awe and wonder in the classroom in Steve Turley's Awakening Wonder: A Classical Guide to Truth, Goodness & Beauty.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

In a bit of a meatier philosophical conversation, Dr Paul Tyson's book Returning to Reality gets a an entire episode dedicated to it. What is Christian Platonism, and what relevance does it have for classical education? Difff and James discuss the importance of a coherent metaphysics in the classroom, and how three medieval metaphysical innovations have impacted modernity. A brief explanation of the univocity of being, voluntarism and nominalism is provided to explain how and why these things have shaped progressive education, and why classical education should reject them.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0

What role do virtues play in education? Can virtues be taught?In this episode of our Great Books miniseries, we get to the meaty stuff - ancient Greek philosophy. James starts with the guy to whom all other philosophical treatises throughout history are footnotes, Plato. He discusses the Republic, with special attention to The Allegory of the Cave. Difff then thinks about virtues and the 'end' of what it means to be human - being happy, or the state of eudaimonia. They conclude with the all important nature of Reality, and that wisdom consists of responding rightly to it.Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonCreative Commons CC BY 4.0