Today I decided to try my first class lab. I picked the one on learning about scholarly search engines. I tried some searches, focusing on Humanism, because that's the focus of this assignment, and I was able to find many different books about the history of humanism. One thing I like about searching databases with a scholarly emphasis is that I feel more confident that the writers I find know what they're talking about. Also, large excerpts of the books often available to everyone, so it's possible to get the general idea of the book even if I don't have access to the whole thing.
However, in order to find extra reading material for my assignment, I ended up using Wikipedia as my main search tool. Scholarly search websites try to bring people up-to-date articles about things, which is good, but I was looking for primary sources. Through the help of Google and Wikipedia, I found out about an early humanist Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, who later became Pope Pius II, and who wrote a treatise on education. It turned out there was a book with that and other Humanist writings about education right in the school library, so I went there today and transferred it from the library shelves to my wonderful backpack.
Considering that Piccolomini/Pius II, lived in the 1400s, it's surprising how much I can identify and agree with him. He talks about the need for rulers to have the best teachers possible, because no one without a good education will know how to make wise decisions. As I read about this I thought about the educational system here in this country, and how, because we expect people to govern themselves, everyone should be educated enough to make wise decisions. I think that the real value of Humanism, both in the past and the present, is not the promotion of humanity itself, but the value it places on human learning.
I definitely agree that the biggest need of anyone is knowledge and then learning how to apply it. Great leaders do the best things when they are well informed on what is going on so that they can make educated decisions. I agree that one of the best parts of humanism is the focus on individual learning.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this comment. I think that the emphasis that humanism placed on education and the improvement of man through achievement and virtue is very important. Education is very important for the advancement of humanity and the kind of achievements that Mirandola talks about that man are capable of in "Orations on the Dignity of Man". Promotion of the human race vainly by itself would probably be considered pride which is usually counterproductive to learning.
ReplyDeleteI agree that a good education can help people govern themselves. This reminds me of John Adams'(?) comment that the Constitution would only work with a moral people.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me think of the old custom in China that I heard about waaay back in my AP government class when those who wished to be in positions of leadership had to take an extremely difficult exam testing their level of education, and only those with the highest scores would receive a position. It kind of puts a different spin on the phrase, "Knowledge is power." The more education leaders have in their area of stewardship, the better able they are to make wise decisions and effective policy.
ReplyDeleteLike we talked about in Digital Civ on Tuesday, knowing the language and systems currently in use gives you the advantage; because you are educated, you become more resourceful in solving problems. Education is truly empowering.