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Let's be honest. What percentage of the general population do you think are aware of those, beyond maybe hearing the names once or twice? 1%? .5%? I'd guess muc

Let's be honest. What percentage of the general population do you think are aware of those, beyond maybe hearing the names once or twice? 1%? .5%? I'd guess much much less.

legerdemain 5y ago
Your point earlier was either to say that you are literally uneducated in the humanities and proud of it, or that you do consider yourself well-educated, despite not having even heard of Marcus Aurelius. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume the latter. As someone who is well-educated in the humanities, do you believe that most people receive a thorough and effective education? Why did you find it worthwhile to say that Cicero/Ovid/Plutarch are obscure for them? Alternatively, it is surprising that someone like yourself, with some baseline of a humanities education, has dedicated time to learning about an author of light whimsy ahead of an author of a readable, relevant, extremely thoroughly time-tested, and influential work of moral philosophy. Marcus Aurelius is perhaps the embodiment of the title of philosopher king, and a lot of people would benefit from reading him.
- irrational 5y ago
  Honestly, all I know about the humanities is what I had to learn in high school. I've spent my life studying the sciences which I think is much more useful than the humanities. The humanities are just people's ideas that cannot be tested like the claims of science can be. I wouldn't say I'm proud to not be as educated in the humanities as some people. I simply don't care. But I am proud to be well-educated in the sciences.
  - legerdemain 5y ago
    Perfect. Then, since we agree that humanities are less useful than the sciences, and since they are "just people's ideas," we should absolutely minimize the amount of humanities-related reading children are forced into at school. Let's pick a small set of books that illustrate a healthy relationship with life's realities and leave recreational reading to those that want to use their spare time on it.

Let's be honest. What percentage of the general population do you think are aware of those, beyond maybe hearing the names once or twice? 1%? .5%? I'd guess much much less.

legerdemain 5y ago

Your point earlier was either to say that you are literally uneducated in the humanities and proud of it, or that you do consider yourself well-educated, despite not having even heard of Marcus Aurelius. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume the latter. As someone who is well-educated in the humanities, do you believe that most people receive a thorough and effective education? Why did you find it worthwhile to say that Cicero/Ovid/Plutarch are obscure for them? Alternatively, it is surprising that someone like yourself, with some baseline of a humanities education, has dedicated time to learning about an author of light whimsy ahead of an author of a readable, relevant, extremely thoroughly time-tested, and influential work of moral philosophy. Marcus Aurelius is perhaps the embodiment of the title of philosopher king, and a lot of people would benefit from reading him.

irrational 5y ago
Honestly, all I know about the humanities is what I had to learn in high school. I've spent my life studying the sciences which I think is much more useful than the humanities. The humanities are just people's ideas that cannot be tested like the claims of science can be. I wouldn't say I'm proud to not be as educated in the humanities as some people. I simply don't care. But I am proud to be well-educated in the sciences.
- legerdemain 5y ago
  Perfect. Then, since we agree that humanities are less useful than the sciences, and since they are "just people's ideas," we should absolutely minimize the amount of humanities-related reading children are forced into at school. Let's pick a small set of books that illustrate a healthy relationship with life's realities and leave recreational reading to those that want to use their spare time on it.