Where To Start With Classical Education? Tips, Resources, Advice For A Liberal Education

Welcome to coffee break Tuesday! So, you are interested in a classical or liberal education and do not know where to start. I have been there. In this video, I share my knowledge of where I began with Classical Education and provide the resources I use for myself and my family. I hope you enjoy it.
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The Resources Mentioned In The Video In Order:
John Milton - Tractate On Education: • Why You Need A Classic...
Memoria Press: www.memoriapre... ‪@memoriapress‬
Hillsdale College Online: online.hillsda... ‪@hillsdalecollege‬
Great Books Of Western World: amzn.to/4epNMea
Harvard Classics: Try eBay, FB Market Place, or they can be found on Kindle and Audible.
Michael Segrue YT: www.youtube.com/ @dr.michaelsugrue
Ralston Podcast: www.ralston.ac... ‪@RalstonCollegeSavannah‬
Duolingo: www.duolingo.c... ‪@duolingo‬
The Common Place - Autumn Kern: / @thecommonplacehomeschool
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• Plato/Aristotle Starter: amzn.to/45u26xq
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• Washington: A Life - Ron Chernow: amzn.to/44jcaZ8
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[@thomashager1424]

Robert Hutchins, in his introduction to the Great Books, says the only reason he did not include the Bible in the set is because he assumed (in 1952) that the majority of American households already had a Bible in the home. But he argued that reading the Bible is an essential component to understanding the development of Western culture.

[@The_Cause]

That definitely makes sense. It permeates so many of the classical texts and many of the old writers assume your knowledge of the Bible is pretty in depth. Thanks for sharing and stay blessed my friend!

[@bart-v]

Every Westerner should indeed read the Bible, even if they are (like me) not "a believer". The value of that book on Western Culture is immense.

[@Triangel369]

Agreed it’s actually kind of foundational to the idea of individuality.

[@The_Cause]

It is indeed. I didn't realize how much it was referenced or pulled from until I started reading the classic works. It makes understanding them a lot easier if you have a general knowledge of the Bible. Truly appreciate you watching my friend!

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

I’m strongly skeptical of religious belief. I nevertheless read the Bible religiously. It is one of The Books. Ignoring is like trying to pretend gravity doesn’t exist. Zealot, casual coreligionist, agnostic, screaming atheist, it doesn’t matter. If you hate it, fine. Take it seriously enough to hate it thoroughly.

[@Triangel369]

@@matthewcaldwell8100 Dogma.

[@matthewcaldwell8100]

@@Triangel369 The Bible does not compel belief any more than the Iliad does.

[@deuticilammaia39]

"Hi Rob! Your explanation was excellent! I'm using the Memoria Press curriculum too. It's the best classical curriculum I have found available!"

[@thadcox5298]

I recently graduated high school. I could never relate with the views of modern academia that I was force-fed. Before finding your channel I had no idea what a classical education is, and now I'm reading 1-2 hours a day. Taking the time to read through the Western canon with a Christian perspective has been absolutely life-affirming. God bless you, and thanks for the videos.

[@The_Cause]

That’s wonderful to hear. I am happy to have played a small part in your journey! I am on the same one as well. The more I read the more I realize how much I don’t know. Haha Thanks for watching and stay blessed!

[@KGmusicministry]

I have been doing Hillsdale courses and reading the books along with them. Highly recommend. Also, I love The Commonplace! Autumn is just as amazing as you said.

[@roseNthorn]

I also recommend The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had by Susan Wise Bauer.

[@professoraclassica]

I’m a classical teacher at Brazil, and I just met your channel, great content!

[@The_Cause]

I'm so glad you found the channel and I hope enjoy the content. I have a couple of coffee-farming friends down in Brazil. I am sure you are aware, that coffee is pretty big down there! haha Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@caedean]

You forgot to mention yourself. I stumble across your channel a while back and it's been a wonderful find. I hope you continue this well into the future.

[@The_Cause]

Haha I appreciate that! I am glad to hear my content has beneficial and I just plan to keep sharing my journey and trying to learn more. I learn just as much from the comments down here sometimes as I do from the sources I mentioned. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@JohnVianneyPatron]

​@@The_Cause Can you tell us something about yourself and your own educational background?

[@darrylfriesen]

Great list of resources, Rob! What I appreciate so much about your channel is that you don’t sit and bemoan your own public school education, or endlessly bash public school. It’s so much more thoughtful and helpful to, as you say in this video, simply understand that they have different goals. There’s so much negativity and criticism out there, and I find your focus on beauty and self-betterment so much more enjoyable! Appreciate your content so much!!

[@The_Cause]

No problem my friend and ya I figure what is done is done when it comes to the public school. I can’t go back and change it but I can try and make it better now. Glad to hear it is coming off that way. I truly appreciate the kind words and for tuning in. I truly hope you stay blessed my friend!

[@darrylfriesen]

@@The_Cause You, too, Rob! Also-you’ve inspired me: I’m going to start in on Volume 1 of the Harvard Classics in January, aiming for one volume per month until I finish! Thanks for paving the way with such accessibility and enthusiasm! And…let me know when you start shipping your coffee to Canada! 😉

[@The_Cause]

Man that would be awesome! The Harvard classics is a rewarding journey for sure. I highly suggest it. I am actually looking into shipping to Canada and hope to be shipping to Canada in a couple months.

[@darrylfriesen]

@@The_Cause Sweet! I’ll stay tuned!

[@davidblack7528]

"They also serve those who stand and wait". . . . John Milton. Used this quote when people were cutting in line at the school cafeteria. Great tips Rob, thank you.

[@The_Cause]

haha that is hilarious! I may have to try this next time that happens. Glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much for watching. Stay blessed my friend!

[@TheNutmegStitcher]

Circe has created a wonderful tool for teaching writing with The Lost Tools of Writing. I wish I'd had this as a middle and high schooler before entering college. It changed everything. My kids excelled in college because of it, and my son writes essays as a hobby though his career in in forestry. Thanks to a classical home education, our kids are voracious readers well into their married adulthood.

[@DustinFairchild-r9o]

I just stumbled upon your channel this morning. I was curious where to start with classical education even though I am out of school. Then you drop this bomb. Thank you

[@The_Cause]

Glad we stumbled across each other and I truly appreciate you watching. Good luck on your journey and stay blessed my friend!

[@guyesmith]

I have greatly benefited from Memoria Press and Hillsdale as well.

[@The_Cause]

They are both great in my opinion. I have learned a lot from them. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@maryp4809]

Thank you very much for your video. You inspire me so much.

[@siegfriedderheld7806]

I love your channel, Rob! I read the Aeneid with a book tube buddy. We read, logged on to Zoom, talked, and made a great friendship despite the fact we live across the continent. I’ve tried to read a lot of classics. It’s great to have either a reading buddy or by using the resources you shared. I’m lifting my coffee cup to you. Cheers, Bro!

[@The_Cause]

I truly appreciate the kind words and I would love to eventually put together a reading group as you mentioned as I would learn a lot more that way. For a book like the Aeneid, at least for me, it may be essential do so! lol I truly appreciate you watching and cheers to your coffee mug as well. Stay blessed my friend!

[@siegfriedderheld7806]

@@The_CausePeace and blessings to you my friend!

[@Fernie4243]

We use some of those home education material and some from Christopher Perrin's company ClassicalU. They also have lectures for adults. Memoria also has a section for special needs which we've used. All these companies are great. I don't think any one better than another. Students get as much out of them in direct proportion to their effort. And, like you said last week, surround them with good books. Have a blessed day.

[@The_Cause]

Thanks for the extra resources I have never heard of ClassicalU so I will have to check that out. I love hearing everyone else’s experience so I appreciate you sharing. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!

[@Fernie4243]

@@The_Cause prior to 2020 we had only attended 1 homeschool conference. One good thing about 2020 was all the fantastic speakers got together, from different companies, and had virtual conferences and discussions. Andrew Learn, Andrew Padua(sp?), Christopher Perrin, several of the people from Memoria, a lady who did music and art (I bumped into her in an Aldi!) Oh another great classical way of learning is Thomas Jefferson Education. I highly recommend their books if you haven't read them. I'll shush up now.

[@cantonlittle]

Fantastic video, Rob! I studied Latin, French, and Japanese in university. I've been brushing up on Greek and have been focusing on Russian and Japanese as well. Rob Chernow is a fantastic biographer. My mother and I have been reading the biographies of the U.S. presidents. We have finished John Quincy Adams. A classical education is invaluable. I recommend Loeb Classical Library for reading Latin and Greek. It is dual-language, yet it is a helpful resource.

[@The_Cause]

That is a lot of languages! I struggle with English still. lol I love Ron Chernows writing method and his books are actually pretty easy to listen to as well. As for John Quincy that dude was on a different level when it came to languages and reading. After studying John Jr. I remember thinking he probably was the most well-read president we have ever had. Quincy grew up at a time when if you wanted to make history, all you had to do was walk into it. Thanks so much for watching my friend and stay blessed!

[@LivingSimplyWithLondon]

Amazing, amazing video. I just visited Hillsdale for the second time. I think it’s my top choice for college next year!

[@The_Cause]

Oh what?? Dude I would love to visit Hillsdale. I think Larry is doing a great job with that school. Keep me posted if you do as I would love to hear what you think of it.

[@LivingSimplyWithLondon]

@@The_Cause I had my interview over the weekend and will soon be sending out applications!! I’ll definitely let you know. It was such an amazing tour and I heard only good things from the students

[@The_Cause]

Dude I am pumped for you! Good luck!

[@FoolishMortal14]

@@The_Causeif you ever get the chance, please attend one of their events! I’ve driven from Asheville, NC to Hillsdale 3 times for them and they are sooooo worth it!

[@FoolishMortal14]

@@LivingSimplyWithLondonAren’t the students there clearly a cut above? Christendom in Front Royal, VA is another great college with a solid core curriculum.

[@Kvell55]

These are excellent resources. I have taken over a dozen Hillsdale courses which are excellent especially on history and government. I think it’s great that you are tackling the Greek and Latin languages. I taught myself Hebrew which has enhanced my study of the Bible and Hebrew Scriptures tremendously. I wish you great success l

[@The_Cause]

I love Hillsdale's Courses. They put so much effort into them and I admire they allow it to be free to us. I think knowing Hebrew would open up a completely different understanding of the Bible. That is really cool to hear you taught yourself which gives me hope. Truly appreciate you watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@BookZealots]

Would you mind sharing what you used to study Hebrew? I've considered this for years and would like to dive deeper into the Bible by knowing the Old Testament original language. Thanks.

[@Kvell55]

I used Duolingo which was helpful in learning basic Hebrew. It’s important to learn the alphabet first. On KZbin Aleph with Beth has some nice beginner videos. Once you can read Hebrew I recommend Artscroll website for Hebrew-English bibles and scriptures. There are other resources out there, but start and you can eventually find what works for you.

[@StephanieMT]

Autumn kern goes through the books she owns. Really good videos

[@The_Cause]

I love Autumn Kern! She is so brilliant and well-spoken.

[@billbryant1288]

Great content! Don't forget more practical books from the past like Vitruvius on architecture. Also, alongside great books there is great art and great music. Someone whose head is stuffed full of Homer, Plato, Moses, Shakespeare, etc. but can't tell Bach from Mozart, or Rembrandt from Vermeer, is like one of those crabs with a big claw and a little claw.

[@thecommonplacehomeschool]

Hey Rob! Thanks so much for including me in this round-up. I recently noticed your channel being mentioned within my Common House as another great resource for self-education! It can feel daunting to take the first steps through the classical wardrobe (Where does one go next?), so this is such a help in the broader conversation. Carry on!

[@The_Cause]

No problem at all! I truly enjoy your channel and content. I wish you all the best along this journey. Stay blessed my friend!

[@austinrucker3853]

Great video! I enjoy Classical Stuff You Should Know Podcast and The Literary Life Podcast/ House of Humane Letters.

[@The_Cause]

Thanks for sharing Austin! I have not heard of any of them so this is good. Stay blessed brother!

[@nualafaolin7129]

Thank you! Wonderful getting new resources, I’d not heard of these before!

[@The_Cause]

No problem at all my friend. I know there are many more but these are the ones I enjoy. Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@Sowingthebody]

Using a different basic Christian homeschooling curriculum for my kids but Memoria press sounds like a perfect fit for my kids!

[@oliviam1807]

We are jumping back into MP next year, and I’m nervous. It’s a lot! I used it years ago before they had videos and the academy. I’m hoping this time will go a lot better! Your wife is a saint!

[@The_Cause]

She went through it with me a couple times and I have filled in a few times as well and it is a lot for sure. She truly enjoys teaching them and nothing is better than passing by the door when it is shut and just listening to them all interacting and learning. So blessed! I wish you the best of luck as you dive back into Memoria and as you mentioned there is so much online help now that you will most likely feel more supported. Thanks for watching and stay blessed!

[@demonfighter6]

Penguin Classics are also a good collection. They're more eclectic and more recent than the Great Books or Harvard Classics and not all of the books are classics, but I haven't come across any clunkers yet. (Noting that I've read only a fraction of them.) Most of the Penguin books are public domain so their list can be used as a reading list rather than a shopping list. Suggestion for reading many of the classic works: Combine reading the classics with more modern books. This will be most needed for Darwin, Adam Smith, and the like, where the classics should be read for insight into how the ideas were developed but modern books should be read for updated thoughts on the topics of evolution or economics. Even for philosophy, a modern book on stoicism, say, should be read right after Marcus Aurelius.

[@fletch_reid]

Really love the Hillsdale free courses. Favorite so far has been Dante. And just a heads up on Duolingo Greek - it's modern Greek not Attic or Koine. They are as different as modern English and Old English. I really don't like their Latin course either (my wife says I'm a language snob, but hey, someone has to be). I'd recommend the Athenaze books for Greek and Lingua Latina for Latin. There are plenty of online resources for them so the autodidact can work through all the exercises. KZbin videos too for proper pronunciation. Really love these videos, Rob. Thanks!

[@The_Cause]

They are so good! And they keep getting better! Larry’s course on Aristotles Ethics was amazing. I have not completed Dante yet as I was saving it for when I get to it in the Harvard Classics but I don’t know if I can wait that long! lol Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!

[@The_Cause]

Glad you shared that info as well. I am going to have to look in the language resources you mentioned. I was unaware there was that much difference. Thanks so much for clarifying and sharing!

[@Uncle_Jacob]

Thank you so much for this!

[@pamherman6363]

Hillsdale College might have some good online courses, but there’s no getting past the institution’s desire to add its version of faith to public school curriculum. I have many friends who live in Hillsdale County who are very concerned about the situation. The college has expressed a desire to monitor the books in the city’s public library, among other intrusions. The college doesn’t tolerate dissent, and campus diversity is essentially absent.

[@SketchrimStudios]

Thank you for sharing the other people who can help us out on our journey. I agree with you about having both sets, they could be just what one needs. The only other person I would suggest to watch is Benjamin McEvoy. You and he are almost like a duo to me. Thanks for all the tips.

[@The_Cause]

Thanks so much for the tip! I will check him out as I think I have seen some of his videos in the past. I am so glad you have found this helpful! Stay blessed my friend!

[@asdisskagen6487]

For anyone interested in a classical liberal education for their children, Hillsdale College also offers a primary school curriculum and in several states has brick & mortar elementary schools. For more information you can visit their website (I am not affiliated with the school, we just have one of their elementary schools down the road from me).

[@The_Cause]

I was not aware they had schools in other states like that. That is really cool. Truly appreciate you sharing and thanks for watching! Stay blessed!

[@leoaero1948]

Never knew about the existence of classical education thank you for sharing 👍💯

[@The_Cause]

Well I am glad to share it with you. Truly appreciate you watching and stay blessed!

[@BookZealots]

Home education is good for the whole family. 🤗📚📚 And the love of learning doesn't die. Okay, well now that you've bragged on your wife, she needs a booktube channel. 🤗 I'm going to check out all the channels and podcasts you've mentioned. I asked my adult son what he thought of your coffee. He loved it said it was almost gone. Checked, texted me back and said, "wait. just checked. I finished it." This was in a couple of weeks time. He consumed it quickly. One of the best coffees I have ever had. Delicious. The Costa Rica will most likely be my go to.

[@The_Cause]

I have asked her if she would ever come on and she is not opposed but not "enthusiastic" either. lol But maybe one day I can get her to share some thoughts. I am glad he like the coffee and truly appreciate the support! Roasting Coffee is a good way to pull me away from the books and computer editing sometimes. I hope you all have been good and thanks for tuning in. Stay blessed!

[@BookZealots]

@@The_Cause maybe she can sit near the camera, but be off camera, so she's in the position of the viewer, but still participate? Stay (Bible) read up, prayed up and stocked up. We're expecting a black swan this month. But even with the supply chain lockdown (dock strike), things are going to get interesting. Blessings to you and yours my brother in Chris.

[@lisatereshko9615]

Autum Kern is absolutely wonderful! If you ever start doing interviews, you definitely need to interview her!

[@The_Cause]

If I ever do interviews I would love to try and have her on. I really enjoy her channel and her personality sets you at ease. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed!

[@oliviam1807]

She’s my favorite KZbinr! Anxiously waiting for her next season

[@everywherejoy9019]

I’m 57 years old and just starting my classical education. I am also an early childhood educator educating children in my home and found Autumn to be a source of inspiration in helping me to educate the little ones in my home school the most humanely way possible. Her Patreon content has been very helpful too. I’m also enjoying your content too! You inspire me to keep on moving forward in my on self-education. What a blessing you and your wife are bestowing on your children!

[@The_Cause]

I’m glad my videos can help motivate and I appreciate the kind words! Stay blessed my dear friend!

[@11227denis]

Thank you for all these resources.

[@The_Cause]

No problem my friend! I truly appreciate you watching and stay blessed!

[@11227denis]

@@The_Cause of course, this channel is a true gem. Question, how much does the Memoria Press curriculum build on previous years? For example, can a 4th grader from a typical public or charter school start at the 4th grade curriculum without have to review prior year curriculum?

[@ReKeRe]

We do Memoria press as well. They have a special needs curriculum which is slower paced. Cheryl Swope designed it because of her own children’s needs. Their story is inspiring. So all that to say if their curriculum seems daunting, look into Simply Classical and you can always move back into the standard Classical down the road. One thing that drew me to Memoria Press was that they designed all of their curriculum to be used by all ages and stages. Nothing on their coursework says “special needs” or gives a feeling of behind or less than. Even the younger stages work isn’t flashy or childish. It’s very simple and to the point, you can add in anything you feel is necessary (games, documentaries, etc.).

[@mrsjeffries7714]

Went with my daughter yesterday for a treatment. Worked on the puzzle the Victory place offers to work on white we wait. A lady came in while I was there who remembered the same puzzle from earlier in the week having been further along in the done process. Like Penelope 's tapestry, we decided. Can't say it was particularly comforting but gave us a laugh anyway.

[@clearance-z9l]

Our Wendy's is promoting a new Frosty flavor to go with their SpongeBob promo. They're calling it pineapple mango but I got one. It's vanilla.

[@petelämmchen]

Hi Rob, I love your videos. I had a look at the online program of the Hillsdale College and I am now hesitant: The courses often seem to be based on a conservative Christian worldview which is fine, since Hillsdale College is a Christian college. But when looking at the titles and the introductory text, I found most of the to come with a preconception of what is to be taught and how it is to be understood. For example the course "Marxism, Socialism, and Communism" states in the text that "Cultural Marxism is destroying American society." This seems to jump ahead quite a bit and essentially already give you the answer to what, in my opinion, you should read and evaluate during the course. Apart from that the term "Cultural Marxism" already suggest a certain view. As I read it, the title and the introductory text suggests: (Cultural) Marxism = bad, and by equation so are Socialisn and Communism. Isn't that something you should evaluate through the lectures and the reading of the material? Perhaps I am mistaken but at least the programs from Hillsdale College seem to be quite conservative. Are you aware of any online programs that are less so? Thanks again for your response and your videos.

[@The_Cause]

Hillsdale is indeed a more conservative-leaning institution, and they are honest about that, which I can respect. I would say the way they title their course is for clickability as I struggle with how much to do that on these YT videos. I can create the best video but, as you know, if the title is not "engaging" enough, it is crickets. I think the information in the courses they provide is much more middle ground than what you would expect. In all the courses I have taken, I have actually been surprised by how center they can be. Most of the schools I have physically attended have been left-leaning and at Tulane, I actually felt muzzled to even speak much out of fear of offending. Which hinders learning for sure. That is why I suggested Dr. Segrue's lectures. His lectures do not have the production value that Hillsdale includes but he never mentions politics or eludes to how you should think or feel. If I find a more non-biased online course curriculum I will most definitely share it. Thanks so much for watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@MaxChan-d3i]

Hi Rob, This is my very first time watching your presentation. I am certainly inspired by the subject, in particular my desire to learn Greek and Latin. I am from Singapore. Interested to learn these languages. You mentioned about resources ( and countries) for learning Greek and Latin. Where? Can you direct me the links? Glad to chance upon your presentation. Thank you😊

[@The_Cause]

Glad to have you here! Are you looking to learn more online or enroll in a school? Enrolling in a school and immersing yourself seems to be the best way to learn the language and pick it up quickly.

[@MaxChan-d3i]

@@The_Cause Hi Rob, first thing first. May 2025 be for you a blessed and peaceful year. May you roll out more inspiring clips in the coming year.👍 Given a chance, i would definitely prefer to enroll in a school. For Biblical Greek, i hope to study in Greece. What about Latin? Where would you suggest? In your opinion, what should i start with, Latin or Greek? Thank you for your advice.

[@annhaynie]

We are using Memoria Press with our children, but we will not be using their Latin or Greek! We are using The University of Dallas Latin program, and it’s been great so far! I know Cheryl Lowe really dislikes the comprehensible input method of language learning, but I’ve seen many kids go through the grammar method and come out not having acquired any Latin. But man, can they sing out some verb endings! Good if you want to know verb endings, and translate a text with a dictionary at hand, but not good if you want to actually acquire the language enough to read it and not simply translate it.

[@The_Cause]

Glad you shared this. I am not well educated in the best course yet but a few of you have brought this up. I will most definitely take you advice and look into this more. Luckily you all are telling me earlier so I can get it right from the beginning. haha Thanks so much for watching and sharing and I truly hope you stay blessed!

[@guyesmith]

Great Books and Harvard Classics are wonderful. My only desire is the English translations could be replaced with modern translations.

[@The_Cause]

The Harvard Classics are older translations indeed. An update would be nice as I believe better translations are out there for many of the works now.

[@mrsjeffries7714]

Did I mention, we think someone stole the sticker off our van tag while it was parked in the hospital lot. Not sure just how they did it but now my daughter has to get a new one. Apparently the process takes two weeks. She recently found a plush toy of a burning dumpster. Had to have it. I don't understand the reference but for her it's somehow comforting.

[@clearance-z9l]

Finally got that crisis solved. Ok, on to the next. History repeats itself. My daughter must have complained (in a moment of weakness) to her dad about me being a financial drain. He's come to her rescue eager to cut me off. Let me know he can take care of her and her children but I am not part of the deal. Happened once before when she got expelled from highschool. I was going to finish the year with homeschool but she complained to Dad and he rescued her from her evil bio-mom. Oddly back then, things worked out for the best. 😅

[@BraveSirRobin79]

Start with the trivium, and transition into the quadrivium.

[@The_Cause]

Very good point! Thanks for sharing and watching. Stay blessed my friend!

[@KenCunkle]

It's great of Rob to share his resources. But I'm a bit ambivalent about both the Memoriam people and Hillsdale, as they are both have additional, if not ulterior, and quite explicit motives for teaching classics--namely to steep kids in Christianity (Memoriam) and to steep older kids in conservative political beliefs (Hillsdale). But then, I don't know of another source besides Memoriam that offers teaching materials in the real classics for K-12. You would just need to be careful. Note that I'm not saying that classics makes people conservative, or even that conservatism is all wrong or bad. As it happens, I studied classics, loved the topic, would encourage anybody to do it, yet I'm one of those that Donald Trump refers to as a "communist socialist fascist," whatever that means. (Not much, really.) Actually, something I've never figured out is how people can devote a lot of time to studying and thinking about classics and getting acquainted with ancient Western history and those cultures and belief systems, along with later history, and then also accept a rather conservative and literal Christianity. (Note that I'm not saying that it isn't possible, since obviously it is, or that such people are dumb or don't get it, because they're obviously not. I just don't see how the understanding can develop that way.) I think one reason that so many of the Founding Fathers were deists was that they had all been educated in classics . This mostly came to an end with the Second Great Awakening , and the general populist/anti-elitist wave in the early 1800s. (So long, Washington and Jefferson, hello Andrew Jackson) This gave rise to--among other things--the "anti-Masonics." Many of the Founding Fathers were also Masons, along with much of the upper class, especially in cities, and thus this affiliation caused the Masons to become the targets of populists. The anti-Masonics had a whole conspiracy theory about it. From Wikipedia: "As many Masons were prominent businessmen and politicians, the backlash against the Masons was also a form of anti-elitism. The Anti-Masons purported that Masons posed a threat to American republicanism by secretly trying to control the government. Furthermore, there was a strong fear that Masonry was hostile to Christianity." Sorry for the rant. Rob makes me think, which I always love!

[@The_Cause]

Well, good golly Miss Molly... I think you are correct in your assessment ement of both in which political and religious was they lean. I do not think they try and disguise it any other way either. It is hard not to find an institution that does not cater to one side of the political spectrum or the other. When I was going down to Tulane I felt muzzled and as you mentioned the material was "pushed" instead of given. I think the trouble Hillsdale and even myself fall under is how we "title" courses or videos. You can have the best video production and message but if the title is not "engaging" or clickable enough then no one will see it. I found the Hillsdale courses to be much more center-leaning than I anticipated. Especially the ones that were not politically titled. That is why I mentioned Dr. Segrue as well. His lectures are great and although they do not have the production value that Hillsdale offers they provide a message but he does not tell you what to do with the message. I would be anxious to hear your thoughts after completing one of the Hillsdale free online courses. Curious to hear if how you would judge them. I truly appreciate you sharing your thoughts and thanks so much for watching. As always, stay blessed my friend!

[@stretmediq]

Great video

[@sorenpx]

Interesting video with some resources that I was not aware of. Thanks! I really love the Hillsdale courses. I'm going through one right now on the history of classical music and, as we get closer to Christmas, I intend to go through a course they did a couple of years ago on A Christmas Carol. Latin has been of interest to me for a while. I have a textbook on it but have not yet started it. I do intent to do that eventually. I think the fact that studying Latin, which was an unbroken tradition among educated folk until just about a hundred years ago, has fallen out of favor is a real shame. In regard to the Bible, I'm not sure what your spiritual views are, but if I could offer any advice it would be this: As you read it, be open to the possibility that it's not just interesting literature, but actually true. That is, open yourself up to it not just changing your mind, but also your heart and your soul.

[@justinwr092]

I just started my own journey this past year. I'm glad I found your channel. Have you tried Susan Wise Bauer's books/resources? I really liked her The Well-Educated Mind, especially for the tips on note-taking during grammar phase.

[@FreePoint369]

Are the reprints the same as the original and how would you know?

[@The_Cause]

There are very old works that have been scanned online. You could look them up on the "Internet Archives" and compare. Other than that I am not sure. This would be a good topic to discuss so I may do some research on it. There should be a body or group that helps control this and keep it transparent. Great point and thanks for watching! Stay blessed my friend.

[@larson0014]

Peterson Academy might be a good option now

[@The_Cause]

I am very curious about it. I know it just started so there is not much info out there about it just yet. I would love to check it out. If it is anything like Hillsdale or better than that would be awesome. Truly appreciate you watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@klosnj11]

The problem I continue to have with classical education is that it is very difficult to find a secular curriculum. I dont mean one that ignores the Bible and Christianity; as you said, to understand many of these works you have to have some understanding of the Abrahamic religions. But so many are explicitly "Christian Classical" courses. Neither my wife nor I are religious, and so nether are our children. But we talk about theology with them, about philosophy, and mythology, and all their benifits and detriments. I ended up developing my own classical curriculum for our children, but it has been time intensive and I constantly question if I am missing something or pushing to fast in one field or not requiring enough time and effort in another. Anyway...yet another great video. Thank you for the suggestions. I am eager to look up the podcast and Commonplace youtube channel (I am a sucker for my commonplace notebook).

[@The_Cause]

Most do indeed focus on religion. I think it can most definitely be done without the religious aspect but like you mentioned you may have to create your own curriculum. I would like to eventually learn more about the eastern philosophies but I am just beginning on the West so that may be a few years away. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts my friend!

[@jakelm4256]

The seven classical liberal arts are secular. It will take you many years to get through them alone. Historically this was the stepping stone to rational, moral, and natural philosophy, as well as catholic theology.

[@emilymiller1792]

Susan Wise Bauer 's The Well-Trained Mind homeschool curriculum is not "classical Christian". It does not ignore the Bible or Christianity, but it is pretty secular overall or can be easily adapted. It is pretty open-ended regarding what resources she recommends. Many resources are secular and used in many public schools--Plaid Phonics, Zaner-Bloser, Modern Curriculum Press.

[@emilymiller1792]

The Charlotte Mason series also has good suggestions. Her nature studies suggestions are excellent and dovetail nicely with Bauer's book.

[@E3GorillaGlueHHC]

I self educate myself currently with books outside of school, should i Read the decline and Fall of thé roman empire

[@The_Cause]

I think it is a good read. I am only in volume 2 so I still have a ways to go. I think there are some better history books to ease into it. Gibbons is a good read if you have a very good knowledge of Roman history already. I think his series is good once you have a very good grasp and want to fill in the gaps. I think if you are just starting off, too much is expected of the reader to already know and the names will blur together.

[@clearance-z9l]

Two Greek classics: "I need" tops "I lied"

[@The_Cause]

haha yes indeed! I have heard great things about "I need". So I guess the Romans trump the Greeks! Thanks for watching and stay blessed!

[@benrex7775]

You forgot to mention one great channel. It is called Rob Pirie - The Cause. I find classical education interesting. But I think one of the appeals is the mystery of great knowledge that is out there to be discovered. I don't intend to actually read through all the ressources that are out there. But perhaps that will change once I have children.

[@The_Cause]

haha thanks so much buddy! You have the opportunity now to just focus on your own education which is a great place to be in life. I imagine, like you mentioned, that once you have kids you will start thinking more about the best education for them. It is something I never thought I would even be thinking about until one day... you catch yourself thinking about it. haha Hope all has been well over there my friend and stay blessed!

[@RobPirieCedarOtaCoffee]

First tip… pour coffee. No book ever gets opened without the coffee cup close by!

[@The_Cause]

2nd tip sip and enjoy!

[@OrdenJust]

Scire velim, si quid intersit inter educationem classicam et educationem philosophiae.

[@FlatlineLancer]

"the liberal arts tradition"

[@The_Cause]

I should have mentioned you... You kind of sent me on this crazy journey y by sending me those books. lol Hope all has been well brother! We need to chat soon.

[@The_Cause]

Hope you enjoy the video! Let me know if you use any resources that I did not mention in the video. My coffee is linked here if you need some brown bean yum yum. Enjoy and Stay Blessed! cedarotacoffee.com/

[@RobPirieCedarOtaCoffee]

The only other additional resource I use is uhh… COFFEE!

[@The_Cause]

@Crunchycon01 Susan Bauer is a great resource as well. I actually have The Well Trained Mind and wish I would have included it in the video. It is indeed a great place to start and she breaks out the curriculum as well for all the grades. Thanks for sharing and stay blessed my friend!

[@arg1051]

Completely devoid of math and physics. Seriously, can you not be bothered to fit Euclid into an ultraconservative christian curriculum at the minimum?

[@The_Cause]

Maybe my video misrepresented it that way but there is plenty of math and physics included in liberal education. It’s basically the foundation in my opinion. What exactly is an “ultraconservative Christian curriculum”? Do you have an example of one? Thanks for watching and stay blessed my friend!

[@arg1051]

You didn't answer my question. I know you thought it rhetorical, but I'm genuinely curious where the line is. I don't see any mention of Euclid's, "Elements." Is that because it can't be worked into an ultra conservative Christian nationalist agenda or because you don't have any serious mathematicians in your movement? Edit: When I said "completely devoid of math and physics." That wasn't a question, that was an observation of fact.

[@The_Cause]

Where do you get this observation of fact from? I see plenty of science, physics and math in the Great Books. I am confused why you think Euclid would not be included in classical education? You seem to have developed some preconceptions that I am not privy too. I feel I am actually on your side when it comes to what I want included in classical education.

[@arg1051]

@@The_Cause Ok, looking at the list of works in the great books series, I will withdraw my claim. There is some good physics and mathematics included with that series. Euclid is indeed included in that series, and Archimedes, Aristotle, Kepler, Galileo, Newton and Faraday. My concern with that is that so much is left out. Arguably, in the era of Faraday, one of the greatest mathematicians in history was working, Carl Friedrich Gauss, and just before Faraday's time was Euler, again, one of the greatest mathematicians in history. I think another thing that is missing is the historical context of why the publishing of mathematics and physics ceased until about the 13th or 14th centuries, as well as how the great works of ancient Greek mathematicians survived to be revived later in Europe. That is, the east, specifically the Muslim world, preserved those great works and expanded on them. That's how we get the word; Algebra (which comes from Arabic term for mending a broken bone), our current decimal-positional numerical system, and the concept of zero comes from Aryabhatta in India followed by the great mathematician Brahmagupta and his geometric methods, also in India. The focus on "Western" culture is arbitrary and short-sighted, and is often used to push the narrative that white, European, Christian, Aryan, etc. culture (take your pick), is superior. If you object to that, read "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich," by William Shirer or "Einstein's Tutor" by Lee Phillips (which is a great book about the great mathematician Emmy Noether). Removing historical context is a pattern that organizations like Memoria Press take part in, to help push their narrative. I'm not alone in that criticism, as other classicists have voiced that opinion as well. With that said, I'm not a classicist, I'm a mathematical physicist. My concern is that kids come into university without an understanding of calculus and it's heartbreaking when someone wants to start in physics or math but they lack the requisite knowledge. I've seen it with a few homeschoolers and "un-schoolers" who were taught from programs like Memoria Press, and they found out they require 1 to 2 years of remedial education on top of the standard 4 years; extra time that they do not have the money for. That's also my concern with learning math and physics from Isaac Newton himself, as the "fluxions" and "fluents" that Newton uses do not exist in the modern era, we use primarily Leibniz notation and his terminology (yes, Leibniz won the calculus war), but even Leibniz and his original works (which aren't published today) are so far behind where students need to be that it's difficult to convey in a short time. Ultimately, the American Physical Society maintains that to study physics without a delay, 1 year of calculus education is a requirement at the high school level, anything less often results in educational delays.

[@The_Cause]

Now this is a comment! I love comments like this because I am no where near the level of your education but I want to get there. Thank you for the info. My wife actually chose a "Singapore" math to replace for homeschooling instead of using the Memoria press option for math. Do you currently teach anywhere? If you had a recommendation for homeschooling use what would you recommend for math?

[@jakelm4256]

Sorry, Memoria Press is just one of the many organizations in the modern phony classical education movement. They exist to sell workbooks. They’re just a modern education dressed up as a classical education. Not a single educator at MP or at Hillsdale has a classical education. Martin Cothran who heads MP has been confronted about this in an online debate. I’ve also sent emails to nearly all the others asking for the historical sources they used for their curriculum and none of them have been able to provide a single one. People absolutely love to talk about classical education, but no one seems to actually want to do the dirty work and study it. Ironically the modern classical movement is pure sophistry. Promising virtue for the price of their workbooks or online videos.

[@billbryant1288]

You're overstating your case. I taught at a classical school for several years. Some I taught with were impostors, some were the real deal. Some were caught up in "classical" as something like a trendy love of things vintage, almost like decorating one's house with Underwood typewriters and old film cameras. Others spent their summers in Italy learning Latin, and knew their Homer like the back of their hands. I've seen my share, up close and personal, of sophistry, pretense, and hypocrisy. I've also seen my share, up close and personal, of the opposite.

[@jakelm4256]

@@billbryant1288 Latin grammar is only one part of a classical curriculum. These organizations think all it takes to be a school of classical education is having some educators who know and can teach Latin or Greek and have courses where they read some of the great books.

[@billbryant1288]

@@jakelm4256 I am well aware that classical education consists of much more than Latin grammar and familiarity with some great books. Those were just illustrations. And I think you know it. I could have used this space to describe my colleagues' varying success with things like Socratic dialogue, Trivium and Quadrivium, the inculcation of wisdom and virtue, the cultivation of the affections, the exploration of the Great Ideas, and many other facets of our great tradition, but this is a poor venue for long form discussion. Seems you have a bee in your bonnet about something here. Care to elaborate a little instead of just vilifying?

[@jakelm4256]

@@billbryant1288 I made it pretty clear what my gripes are. The modern classical education movement is phony. It keeps suckering in parents who are desperate to get their children out of horrid public schools to pay money for much of the same by using rhetoric to convince them they’re getting the education of wise men and church doctors of the past. It’s disappointing that no one even asks for proof. A classical education is a real, historical curriculum that was fairly firm through most of history. These modern schools in the movement offer almost nothing resembling it.

[@annhaynie]

We are using parts of Memoria Press (language arts and literature) with my kids, but not much else. What, in your opinion, would be a better option for homeschool classical education than MP?