Great Books Study/ WTM

[Pam B]

Is the Great Books study (in WTM) an actual program, or is it just that you study great books about great people????

[Colleen in NS]

Is the Great Books study (in WTM) an actual program, or is it just that you study great books about great people????

 

It's not a published "program," rather, it's a plan of study of what have been considered Great Books throughout western history. I think the idea is that the books that are listed in WTM are representative of the "times" in which they were written, plus they convey ideas that should be considered by people. Some Great Books are about great people (autobiographies, biographies), but others are novels, poems, plays, accounts of history, scientific thought, religion, philosophy, etc.. And even the lists in WTM don't represent Great Thoughts of all cultures around the world - it reflects western ideas, so it's a starting place for people raised in western countries.

 

So, the WTM plan shows you how to put a Great Book into historical context and how to write about it before, during, and after reading. And the Well Educated Mind (mentioned in WTM) books tells you exactly how to read/study/take notes on some of the genres mentioned above. How To Read A Book by Adler will give you help in reading science, philosophy, and religion books, too.

 

In short, it's a plan. :) And I like it much better than the boring high school lit. classes that I had, where we had to read an assigned book and sit around and talk about it til the teacher said we were done. This plan is much more flexible and thought-provoking, and can cater to what the child is interested in.

[Lori D.]

In brief, a Great Books study is entering the "Great Conversation" -- studying history and literature together by engaging the mind by reading / analyzing / discussing / writing about the literature and other types of actual writings from history to better understand the people and culture of those times -- and thus, better understand ourselves.

 

Susan Wise Bauer, in both The Well Trained Mind and The Well Educated Mind, explains what she means by a Great Books study; here is an abbreviated explanation on this website: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/the-great-books-history-as-literature/

 

 

And for a peek at how some people on the WTM high school board have put a Great Books study into practice, check out this past thread, which also has lots of links to other great threads on doing The Great Books:

 

What are the benefits of doing a GB study as opposed to traditional route?

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115693&highlight=great+books

 

 

Welcome to "the Great Conversation"! Warmest regards, Lori D.