Website owner: James Miller
Aristotle on education
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” Aristotle
What did Aristotle mean? We can teach a person reading, writing, and arithmetic. We can teach him much about history, geography, and science. We can teach him much about many subjects. That all falls into the category of educating the mind. What did he mean by educating the heart? I assume he was talking about educating him in moral values, in right and wrong conduct. A person can be highly educated in many subjects and still come up very short in integrity and character. Education of the heart is education in the moral dimension, an education producing integrity, virtue, and character.
“Since an intelligence common to us all makes things known to us and formulates them in our minds, honorable actions are ascribed by us to virtue, and dishonorable actions to vice; and only a madman would conclude that these judgments are matters of opinion, and not fixed by nature.”
Cicero
What did Cicero mean here? Let me reword what I think he is saying. We all have within us something (an intelligence - conscience) that tells us what is right and what is wrong, that makes known to us what good, honorable conduct is and what bad, dishonorable conduct is. An inner intelligence informs us on the right and wrong of kinds of behavior. Only a madman would contend that what constitutes right conduct and what constitutes wrong conduct was simply a matter of opinion i.e. that right and wrong are not spiritual and moral absolutes, absolutes fixed by the Creator God himself.
In modern, liberal, godless America there are many who think matters of right and wrong are just matters of opinion and they can redefine right and wrong however they want.
Oct 2014
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life