January 2024 - Daniel Baker, Secondary Academic Director
Last year, we considered Aristotle’s idea that proper hexis, translated roughly as state, disposition, or being, was the path to virtue, happiness, and the Good. Before we begin our examination of Aristotle’s thoughts, it may be helpful to contrast them with another philosopher who sought the Good - our old friend Socrates. His allegory of the cave is the best example of his approach to the pursuit of virtue. At its core, the allegory of the cave is not about the actions of the man shackled in the cave; it is about his procession from darkness and illusion (ignorance) to light and the real-world (the Good). In broader terms, the philosophy of Socrates could be described as the pursuit of ultimate Truth, which in turn would lead to the Good. His position was that if a person was properly educated in what was to be loved (Truth) or shunned (Ignorance), virtue would be the natural consequence of a man who understood these things.
Contrast this with the ideas of Aristotle. Aristotle’s approach to virtue is pragmatic, leaning toward the actionable and observable in our daily lives. He does not seek to systematically find ultimate Truth through the dialectic as Plato and Socrates may have. Instead, he seeks a path to virtue through being, which he believes will, in turn, lead to happiness. It is worth noting that he sees the pursuit of happiness itself as a fool’s errand - only through the cultivation of virtue can one achieve true happiness.
(EXTRA CREDIT) Observe the image of Plato and Aristotle as depicted in Raphael’s The School of Athens. Based on what we have just discussed, can you tell which is which, and why?
When it comes to the pursuit of virtue, Aristotle’s idea of hexis is the key. He states that we achieve hexis through energeia, or the concept of being-at-work. This being-at-work is an active concept - energeia does not occur without purpose and requires us to do something (physically or mentally) to create it. To illustrate this, he gives us the example of a harpist. One cannot just call themselves a harpist. In Aristotle’s view, playing a harp makes one become a harpist. Using the Greek terms from above, the result of this type of energeia (being at work) is the hexis(state of being) of a harpist.
It is essential to point out that Aristotle states clearly that having the hexis of a harpist is not merely enough; just as there are good harpists there are also bad harpists. If we revise our previous idea, he seems to suggest that the hexis of being a good harpist comes from the energeia of not just playing the harp, but playing it correctly. This idea of energeia → hexis can be applied to any type of state we wish to obtain: we become a just person by performing acts of justice, a kind person by performing acts of kindness, and so on.
What does this mean for us as educators?
As educators, Aristotle saw our role as guiding students in their being-at-work, both in scholarship and character. This is more than just presenting slides and assigning homework. It takes discernment, expertise, and commitment to keep students engaged in the correct hexis and lead them away from any improper hexis they may fall into. APA has recognized this, and it guides all of our instructional decisions. We are honest with them about their academic progress. We correct students when they are wrong. We give feedback and guidance for improving their studies. We honor students who are exhibiting the proper hexis. We create and present content with depth, rigor, and value. Ultimately, this guidance toward the hexis of scholarly and character being-at-work could be said to be the definition of teaching.
Take a moment to think about how you interact with our students and what being-at-work you see them in. Is the resulting state of being what you want? If not, what and where do you make changes to create the proper kind of energeia in your students? Following Aristotle’s approach, what must you do if you want to become an excellent teacher?
Next week, we will discuss Aristotle’s Golden Mean and how it applies to our being-at-work. Until next time, friends!
Extra credit answer: Aristotle is depicted in blue and gold, Plato in red and purple. Notice how Aristotle is making a very grounding gesture, alluding to his pragmatic approach to philosophy. Plato is gesturing from himself upward in a reference to his (and Socrates) continual pursuit of the highest Truth.
October 2023 - Daniel Baker, Secondary Academic Director
Last month, we learned about Epictetus - a man born of humble beginnings who ended life as one of the most influential philosophers in Western civilization. We also learned that during his time as a slave, Epictetus was given the rare opportunity to become educated under the tutelage of Musonius Rufus, a notable early Stoic philosopher. This mentorship helped a young Epictetus lay the foundation for a philosophical mind that would become a model of Stoicism.
Before we discuss Epictetus specifically, there is a question some of you may be asking: what is 'Stoicism'? While there have been entire volumes written about this school of philosophy, the shortest answer is that Stoicism is the philosophy of self-mastery. Originating from Zeno of Citium, this branch of philosophy is based around the idea that true peace in life comes from the acceptance of what we can and cannot control and focusing our efforts on the former. Stoic philosophers also espoused the four virtues - Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Wisdom - and advocated for their pursuit in all matters. Marcus Aurelius says about these virtues:
“If thou findest in human life anything better than justice, truth, temperance, fortitude … I say, thou seest anything better than this, turn to it with all thy soul, and enjoy that which thou hast found to be the best.” - Marcus Aurelius Meditations, Book 3
This school of philosophy based on self-mastery and pursuit of virtue took deep root in the mind of Epictetus, blossoming into a practical approach to life that seems to have universal appeal and application. With this in mind, we now go to the question of what made Epictetus's version of Stoicism so valuable and how it can benefit us today.
Before we proceed, I think it is important we do a quick mental exercise. Either in your mind or on a scrap of paper, make two columns. In one column, list the things you control; in the other, the things you do not control. There are no parameters on what qualifies and I don't want you to think too deeply; this is about what your brain intuitively sees as being in each column. Take 30 seconds to complete this exercise - it will help as we move to Epictetus's teachings.
Now, put yourself in the sandals of Epictetus. He was a slave in the ancient era, born into bondage and physically disabled. What would his list look like? There was little that was in his control - even his physical body restricted him. If you asked Epictetus, he'd say that there was only one single thing on the control side of his list - his mind. A person can be put in chains, removing their control of movement. A person's tongue can be cut out, removing their ability to control speech. A person can even be blinded, destroying the ability to control what they see. Ultimately, everything outside of our mind can be controlled by something or someone else. This truth was blatantly apparent to Epictetus; as a slave, he understood intuitively the limits of human self-control.
The epiphany that the only thing we truly control is our mind was the foundation of Epictetus's brand of Stoicism. Focusing on this, he argued, was the true path to a well-lived life; coupled with the pursuit of the four virtues, a person who focused on mastering their mind above all else would live a happy and fulfilled life. Regardless of what the Fates had chosen for a soul, regardless of whether they were the lowliest slave or the wealthiest emperor, true happiness would elude them until they accepted this truth.
How does this apply to us today? We live in a nation that was built explicitly to protect and encourage self-control and governance in all aspects of the life of a citizen. We have more choice than we have ever had in the history of our species when it comes to where we live, what we consume, and what we experience. It might seem a reasonable argument that we all have control over more than ever. But is this really true?
Below that veneer of choice, the one universal truth of Epictetus remains. We may have the choice to fly anywhere we want tomorrow, but we can't control if it snows and shuts down the airport. We may be able to choose a profession, but 
Life is filled with thousands of things outside of our control, both big and small, that will annoy, harm, hurt, bother, or anger us - if we let them. Go back to your control/not-control list. Now that we've discussed this for a bit, how many of the things that seemed under your control are clearly not under your control? While we academically know the answer is nearly all of them, the process of training our minds to accept this intuitively is the real work of Stoicism.
Exercising the self-discipline to tell ourselves, "I should not be angry at this traffic jam - I cannot control it, and being angry causes me no good" is hard. But it is also doable. Like a muscle, self-control gets stronger with practice and exercise. Without practice and exercise, it gets weak, soft, squishy. The smallest things will set us off, often causing a cascade of frustrations that spiral us into a very negative state. Fight the urge to let the little things get to you - you can't control them, but you can control how you think about them. Trying to control the uncontrollable will only lead to disappointment, frustration, and negative emotions. Instead, turn your mind into a fortress. You decide when the gate opens, what comes in, what does not. Repel the invading impulses to control the uncontrollable and focus on what is inside the walls, the one thing you truly control - your mind.
Our elementary students have been learning this Stoic philosophy of control. Click below to see a very short video that all our elementary students watched during lunch this month.
September 2023 - Daniel Baker, Director of Secondary Education
Nearly two millennia ago in the western part of what is now Türkiye, a child was born into slavery. Like most slaves of the era, his given name has been lost to time. Instead, he came to be known by the name Epictetus, a name rooted in the Greek word epíktētos which translates to 'inherited property'. This inauspicious beginning would stand in contrast to his intellectual achievements in life; no one could have known that this humble man would become one of the greatest Stoic thinkers of all time.
The life of a slave is often hard and painful and Epictetus knew this well. While there is debate whether he was intentionally harmed, worked to injury, or born with the disability, it is believed that at some point early in his life, Epictetus suffered a disability that required him to walk using crutches for the remainder of his life. In the ancient world, a slave that could not work often suffered a short and cruel life and it would be reasonable to expect that Epictetus would meet the same fate. Whether by luck or merit, Epictetus escaped this fate and came to be owned by an unusually kind slave owner named Epaphroditos who was himself a former slave and a high ranking civil servant under the Roman emperor Nero.
This had to be a strange juxtaposition for Epictetus - the lowest of slaves was now party to an important member of Imperial Roman society who was himself a former slave. In the end, this connection proved to be his making. His master saw his intellect and passion for philosophy and permitted him to study freely, allowing the young slave to be tutored by Musonius Rufus, a notable early Stoic philosopher.
With the death of Nero and the collapse of the Neronian court, Epictetus found himself freed from the shackles of slavery. Epictetus could have chosen to follow the path of Epaphroditos: a learned former slave that climbed the ranks of Roman society to live in ease and luxury. Instead, Epictetus chose a life of simplicity and austerity. Worldly possessions meant nothing to him - what truly mattered to him was the pursuit of philosophy.
Epictetus had gained a reputation as a wise philosopher and skilled orator and used his newfound freedom to teach in Rome. He soon became one of the most sought after tutors and students flocked to him with the hopes of gaining even a fragment of his wisdom. His time in Rome was cut short and in the year 93, the Roman emperor Domitian exiled all philosophers from the Italian peninsula, including the illustrious Epictetus.
Epictetus ended up in Nicopolis, Greece, and it was here that he established his own school of philosophy that he would teach at until his death. It was also here that his most well-known student, Arrian, transcribed the teachings of Epictetus, preserving them for us to experience today. Epictetus himself did not make written records of his philosophical thoughts and musing; like Socrates, we have learned what these men taught only through the diligence of their students. In contrast to the beginning of his life, Epictetus spent the end of his life peacefully teaching in Nicopolis and died from old age somewhere in his mid eighties, a surprising end for a man that had once been an enfeebled slave.
The thoughts of Epictetus are recorded in two bodies of written work, both compiled by Arrian. The first is The Discourses, a set of eight books of which only four remain. This was Arrian’s most detailed record; he made note that he did his best to record Epictetus word for word as to not lose even the smallest piece of his thinking. The second work is The Enchiridion, a shorter work that distilled the essential philosophical principles espoused by Epictetus into an easily consumable form.
We’ve talked about the man and I’m sure many of you are wondering, “But what exactly was he teaching?” The philosophical teachings of Epictetus are deep and rich, a topic for next month’s newsletter. Until then, I encourage you to ponder on the story of Epictetus and this opening quote from The Enchiridion:
“Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions.”
Tune in next month for a deeper dive into the teaching of Epictetus and learn how you may be able to live a happier life by adopting the simple ideas of a former Roman slave who just happened to become one of the greatest philosophers of all time.
May 2023 - Daniel Baker, Director of Secondary Education
Last month, I gave you an introduction to the Allegory of the Cave and left you with the task of pondering the outcome of a person being freed from their shackles. This month, we’ll talk about what Socrates thought would occur as well as examine how it could be applied to our own day to day lives.
As a refresher, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is a metaphorical construction built by Socrates that is used to explain the stages of clarity of Truth one can experience. In this metaphor, there are people who are shackled at the bottom of a cave, unable to move and only able to see flat shadows puppeted onto the far wall. To these prisoners, the shadows are reality; they have no means or perspective to see anything else. Socrates describes this state as the state of ignorance - the most unknowing state of existence. When we last left the Allegory, the question was posed: if we freed a prisoner from their shackles, what would happen?
Socrates did not just leave us to solve it ourselves; instead, he gave us what he considered to be the likely outcome based on natural human response. According to Socrates, as the freed person turned toward the intense light at the entrance of the cave, their eyes, having been deprived of bright life, would be unable to see properly in the bright light. To gain knowledge of this new world, the person would have to begin by examining things inside the darkness of the cave - starting with the objects which caused the shadows he is so familiar with. How would he perceive these objects? Socrates asks Glaucon,
“If we pointed to each of the things passing by and compelled him to answer what each of them is, don’t you think he would be puzzled and believe that the things he saw earlier were more truly real than the ones he was being shown?”
Socrates had a great understanding of human nature and already knew the answer to this question. He states that the freed person would resist and struggle to accept this new reality; the shadow-world previously lived in would seem far more real than these new objects. In fact, due to the condition of his eyes, he would see them less clearly than the shadows, further lending to the unreality of the objects. Socrates goes to assume that a person may have to be forced to view anything towards the opening of the cave; the discomfort and unreality of what he was seeing would naturally incline the newly freed prisoner to return to what is known.
As we continue through the progression of the allegory, the freed prisoner will slowly gain the ability to observe the objects in the cave with clarity before moving toward the light. At this point, the prisoner is still not yet able to see the outside “real” world clearly. Instead, Socrates suggests that he would need to see it via reflection and acclimate his mind to those flat images before turning to see the fully realized world in pure light, or what we might consider Truth.
When the freed prisoner has fully emerged from the darkness and has gained the ability to see the world clearly, how would he feel? Socrates asks,
“What about when he reminds himself of his first dwelling place, what passed for wisdom there, and his fellow prisoners? Don’t you think he would count himself happy for the change and pity the others?”
His own answer to the question was that not only would he feel happiness for his own situation as well as pity for those still in darkness, but he would also be willing to suffer nearly anything to avoid being reshackled and placed back in the cave of ignorance. Further, if he was forced to do this, his ability to recognize the shadows would be far worse than those around him due to his decreased sensitivity to light; he may even find himself the subject of ridicule and thought a fool by those confined to the darkness, treated as a lesser despite having seen more truth than they will ever understand.
Plato continues to recount the dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon; For the sake of brevity, we will stop at this point but I strongly recommend you read the full text (Book 7 of Plato’s Republic) if you want to see this Allegory fully realized.
Free digital copy - Public domain translation from gutenberg.org
Staff Recommendation - Purchase Plato’s Republic from C.D.C. Reeve
Now that we have a basic understanding of this Allegory, we can ask ourselves, “What is the value of this Allegory in our day to day lives?”
This metaphor teaches us that while we may think we know what is (and what is-not), we may only have an impression of it. Familiarity with this Allegory gives the mind the ability to consider that there is a difference between image and reality. A truly wise person would use this perspective to question their own thoughts - is what I’m perceiving what truly is, or is it merely a shadow, representation, or reflection of it, and to what degree of clarity? Knowing that there is a difference between seeing a shadow and the Truth it represents is critical if we are to pursue clarity of knowing in our own lives; even more so if we expect to lead our students to Truth through our teaching.
The Allegory of the Cave relies heavily on physical metaphor which may lead you to believe it is referring only to the visible, empirical world. Instead, I invite you to look at it as a metaphor that can also encompass the invisible but true, what Socrates called the intelligible. As expected, Socrates has yet another philosophical construction that describes the distinction between the visible and the intelligible: the Analogy of the Divided Line.
What is this analogy? That is a topic for next month! Until then, I invite you to ponder the Allegory of the Cave now that you have a more complete understanding. Can you make it applicable to your daily life or is it interesting but useless philosophic drivel? Can you identify where in your life you may be seeing only images and not clear truth? How can we lead our students to think this way themselves, giving them an understanding of the importance of discernment between an image, which is merely ignorance, and what truly is, the clearest level of knowledge? Does this analogy change how you view any part of the world? Is there a part of your life dominated by imagery, devoid of the knowledge of what-is?
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions and there will be no test; instead, I hope that you take some time over the next month to ponder this Allegory and fully harvest the crop of knowledge that it gives us. Next month, we will begin the Analogy of the Divided Line and delve into the visible and intelligible. Until then, Cogite et Delibare!
April 2023 - Daniel Baker, Director of Secondary Education 
What is Truth? If you ask most people, you will get an answer that includes words like fact, real, or true. This is a simple way of describing Truth, focused more on the definition than the concept. How would a classical thinker answer this question? We know that Truth is one of the noble pursuits of a classical education, but what does it really mean?
Socrates, and by extension Plato, had a lot to say about Truth in Book 5 of Plato’s Republic. In Book 5, Socrates is discussing the concept of knowledge and ignorance with Glaucon. Socrates, in his typical manner of questioning, leads Glaucon to agree that what- is is and what-is-not is not. They assign the term “knowledge” to what-is and the term “ignorance” to what-is-not. The discussion then turns to the topic of belief. After spirited discussion, they agree that belief is what lies between the two as it is neither what-is or what-is-not. After resolving these definitions of knowledge, belief, and ignorance, they conclude with the idea that knowledge is clarity, ignorance is opacity, and belief lies in the hazy middle.
If we stop here, we may take the simple shortcut of saying that Truth is what-is and the highest form of clarity. While we may be satisfied with this answer as we pulled it from such a well-known classical thinker, I believe there is more to the answer.
Socrates and Plato did not stop their exploration of the idea of Truth in Book 5. In Book 7, Plato introduces the Allegory of the Cave, an allegory representing man’s stages of knowing and arguably the most well-known allegory in Western philosophy. Before we talk about Plato’s Cave, it is important to address the question of why we use allegories and parables to teach and learn. In Book 5, the dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon can be hard to follow, especially if you are unfamiliar with the concepts. In a way, they are speaking semantically - using very specific words and ensuring agreed meaning and structure before moving on. On the flip side, allegories trade the structural precision of this type of dialogue for a more metaphorical approach; one based on imagery. They are often meant not to find the Truth, but to guide the learner to it.
Back to Plato’s Cave. At this point in the dialogue, Socrates and Glaucon have already done the heavy mental lifting and found agreement in the terms they are using. Socrates is not satisfied with just this - he then uses the Allegory of the Cave to paint a visual picture of how one may conceptualize what they’ve just established. If you are not familiar with the full allegory, I encourage you to read Book 7 of Republic for a more complete understanding; for now, I’ll provide a very simplified version of this article.
The allegory begins with the titular cave. The cave descends into the earth but not indefinitely - at the end of the cave is a large, flat wall with people sitting before it. They have been shackled here from childhood, not permitted to move or look in any other direction than at the wall. They do not sit in darkness, however. At the mouth of the cave sits a bonfire, bright enough to illuminate the wall at the bottom of the cave. Between the bonfire and the shackled people there is a wall, tall enough to conceal a person but not tall enough to block the light of the fire. Behind this wall, people hold objects or puppets that depict humans, animals, and objects of all sorts. Sometimes these puppeteers interact with each other - speaking, physically interacting, and so on. As they do this, the objects and puppets create shadows on the wall that sits before the imprisoned people.
After spending their entire lives living in this condition, the prisoners at the bottom of the cave take the shadows to be the real world. They can identify the different shapes - this one is a man, this one is a fish, this one is an urn. They know that sometimes two men may speak to each other. They know that the man often runs from the lion. Socrates says, “All in all, then, what the prisoners would take for true reality is nothing other than the shadows of those artifacts.”
He then asks a question.
What would happen if we released these people from their bonds?
The answer to this question is where I would argue we find Truth; not just the definition of it but how it may be illustrated. Next month, we will conclude the allegory and I encourage you to read the Allegory of the Cave before that time and make an effort to understand the answer yourself. The links below will direct you to free and purchase options to read the Allegory of the Cave from Plato's Republic, Book 7. Then we will consider how it may be applied to our daily thinking - until then, you are on your own in the cave!
Free digital copy - Public domain translation from gutenberg.org
Staff Recommendation - Purchase Plato’s Republic from C.D.C. Reeve
March - Daniel Baker - Director of Secondary Education
The rise of Independent Learning, the impact on children, and the hope of Classical Education
The rise and proliferation of the internet in the late 1990s fundamentally changed how humans interact with each other. Rapid increases in access to electronic communication has led to increased prevalence of students learning in remote, online, or other non-traditional ways. While educational leaders and politicians herald this as a new era of education, there are many who believe that this transition comes at substantial cost to student development as a whole.
The value of student seat time - time spent in a physical classroom among other students, learning from an expert teacher - has been hotly debated since the early 2000s. The history of online education in America began in 1994 when California students were the first in the country to have the option of remote, online learning in K-12. Since then, the desire for online K-12 education has spread nationwide with 35 states now operating comprehensive online K-12 schools.
In addition to new educational models, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent government response resulted in a suspension or removal of truancy penalties in many locales, including Utah. Unfortunately, these responses send the message that seat time doesn’t matter. In addition to these legal changes, many social justice advocates have asserted that seat time requirements are discriminatory and negatively impact poor and minority students at higher rates. As classical thinkers, we believe it is necessary to evaluate the evidence.
As a side effect of COVID-19 school closures, our nation (and many others) inadvertently engaged in a broad social experiment encompassing millions of students. While we are still at the preliminary stages of research into the impacts of these school closures, we are beginning to see that this lack of seat time for students, despite a myriad of online options, has resulted in significant and impactful academic loss for millions of students. Sadly, the negative impacts are seemingly most pronounced in the groups that social justice advocates were trying to protect. Recent research1 indicates that low-income elementary students saw the achievement gap widen by approximately 20% in math and 15% in reading as compared to pre-school closure achievement.
Proponents of remote models tout the benefits of flexibility (in terms of time and place), wider access, and more options and customization for students. What these proponents ignore, or even more often, don’t recognize, are the benefits of the classical model in the form of a group of students learning and discussing rigorous academic topics with the guidance of an expert teacher, utilizing classical education methods. While an online or remote classroom experience may be “easier” to access for a student, the expediency of such a model must not be allowed to overshadow the large set of benefits of a classical education which are not possible in the online setting.
Students today are suffering from unprecedented rates of mental challenges, including anxiety, depression, loneliness, suicidality and hopelessness. It is the position of American Preparatory Academy that a well-formed classical education is a highly effective method of addressing these serious and growing concerns. A classical school provides a nurturing, exciting and engaging experience where students are mentored by caring adults and have meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers on a daily basis. In our classical school, students study history, science, Latin, literature, music, arts, and mathematics and gain confidence in their skills and knowledge. Our classroom discussions invite all students to participate and relationships of trust and respect are established. Most importantly, our students learn to seek the truth, wisdom, and beauty that will forever change their worldview for the better.
School models that serve to further isolate students onto computers or other devices, neglecting the value of face-to-face interactions, disconnect students from teachers and peers and have lasting negative effects. American Preparatory Academy’s classical approach to education provides opportunities for students to use technology tools in research, in data analysis, and in composition; however, our focus remains on classical education teaching methods and the establishment of strong, positive human relationships as we nurture our students and prepare them for a life of flourishing.
1 Kuhfeld, Megan, James Soland, and Karyn Lewis. "Test score patterns across three COVID-19-impacted school years." EdWorkingPaper: 22-521 (2022): 37-62.
January 2023 - Daniel Baker - Director of Secondary Education
Part 2: The Roots of Classical Education
Classical education traces its roots back to the origins of Western civilization: the ancient Greeks and their venues of learning. Schools as we know them did not exist in the ancient world - instead, the Greek world was based around the concept of paedeia. (Side note: Sparta and their agoge - their rigorous education and training program - are an exception to this generalization.) The purpose of paedeia in Greek culture was simple: prepare students for the practical operations and governance of their society, or in more basic terms, forming ideal citizens. Students of the paedeia were expected to learn or train in a wide variety of subjects and disciplines in an effort to make truly well-rounded citizens. In this paedeia model, the Trivium was utilized, as well as the arts of the Quadrivium and medicine. In addition to pure academic learning, the paedeia also included physical training - an ideal citizen would be virtuous and intelligent as well as physically fit and capable. It was through this system of learning that the ancient Greeks were able to create capable citizens and build an enduring culture that still has an incredible influence on our lives. This building of a culture is the true power of the paedeia. Through this concept, the Greeks understood that they would have competent citizens and a resilient, common culture that would endure any single tyrant or misguided ruler.
The paedeia, as well as agoge and humanitas, were based on human interaction - these concepts could not be learned through simply reading or understanding the ideas in isolation. Instead, one had to live and practice with others. The paedeia required a citizen to be present and show up to participate in the community of learning. Let's compare this to contemporary seat time arguments. It is easy to see that removal of any seat time requirements (or anything else that disincentivizes students from attending class in person) is the direct antithesis of classical education.
The results of this system were remarkable - the tradition of paedeia gave the Greek world the gift of an empowered (both physically and mentally) citizenry and culture that endured for centuries. The Romans saw the results of the paedeia in action and wisely adopted and adapted these concepts for their own needs, calling them humanitas. From there, these ideals perpetuated by the Greek paedeia and the Roman humanitas spread through Europe and beyond. The impact of this concept is hard to overstate - at the most fundamental level, the idea of a classical education sits at the bedrock of most of the Western world. American Preparatory Academy recognizes the value of the ideals espoused in the concept of paedeia and seeks to create a classical education modeled after this pursuit of a virtuous, prepared citizenry and a strong common culture.
While this may be fascinating from a historical perspective, how does that help us today? Stay tuned for part 3 of this series to learn how Classical Education remains relevant in the modern world.
November 2022 - Daniel Baker - Secondary Academic Director
Since its inception in 2003, American Preparatory Academy has been committed to our mission of providing the opportunity of classical education for every student. We seek to provide students the opportunity to learn from a master teacher in a structured classroom setting, engaging in learning through the Trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric. This time-tested model of learning and thinking is the bedrock of Western civilization, and our students will benefit from a classical education. They will be prepared to truly engage and flourish in their personal lives and as participants in our nation. In preparation for providing these opportunities to our students, we often ask ourselves "what?" (in terms of what content to teach), but we rarely consider the question of "where?"
While APA has always remained a classical education school, we exist in a world of contemporary education trends and the accompanying pressure to conform to them. Two current trends in education are "personalized learning," which is most often expressed in online, computer-based programs that students engage in independent of a class, and the denigration of "seat time," which is being construed as unnecessary, ineffective and a waste of a student's time.
In a classical school, the goal of student achievement and flourishing requires a school format and schedule that allows students to spend as much time as possible with their expert teachers and peers, learning together. In traditional terms, we believe that protecting students' "seat time," or the time they spend in the physical classroom, is critical to creating this classical education environment. Online learning formats typically allow for some types of "discussion," but they lack the person-to-person interactions that occur in a classical education classroom. It is ironic that online learning is often called "personalized" learning when in our view, it is often the most "de-personalized" type of education available. This is easily seen when you observe an APA classroom and see great Socratic questioning in action; students are engaged in compelling debate and rhetoric (persuasion with facts). Additionally, you may notice that this highly effective means of teaching and learning relies on body language, tone, and passion which is nearly impossible to achieve in an online setting. As we continue to provide the opportunity of classical education for every student, American Preparatory Academy is committed to preserving seat time as a critical part of formal classical education.
Next month, we will revisit the origins of classical education and begin examining the "where" of this way of learning. Stay tuned!
September 2022 - Daniel Baker - Secondary Academic Director
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Our exploration of the trivium and quadrivium culminates with the art of music. Of all the arts in the trivium and quadrivium, it is most often misunderstood in terms of how it connects to the rest of the quadrivium. To better understand this, we need to go back about a millennium and a half to medieval Europe. The Western Roman Empire had just collapsed and what many call the “dark ages'', had begun. While many think of this period of time as one of regression, many scholars and philosophers were still trying to make sense of the world around them. It was during this time period (early sixth century) that Boethius published the work De institutione musica which explained cosmology through the theory of the harmony of the spheres. This theory (alternatively known as the music of the spheres or musica universalis) had origins with the Pythagoreans of ancient Greece; Boethius wrote his text in part to help contemporary scholars understand the classical concept of music as the Greeks had originally described it.
What is the musica universalis and what does it have to do with the quadrivium? The harmony of the spheres is, in many ways, an extrapolation of the previous arts in the quadrivium. We’ve learned about arithmetic and how that can be applied to objects, both stationary (geometry) and in motion (astronomy, or physics). The ancient Pythagoreans were, among their many arts and interests, some of the first philosophers to study what we would consider the science of acoustics. They knew that sound was merely one type of human perception of movement and vibration. In their minds, it followed that if movements make sounds, and bigger movements make bigger sounds, then the movement of celestial bodies must make very loud sounds as well. This didn’t just apply to the cosmos - they believed that everything has a music-ness to it, even people. Boethius describes the three types of music as musica mundana, or the music of the heavens and cosmos, musica human, the music of human body and spirit, and musica instrumenta, or music created purposefully by humans. Of these, it was believed that musica mundana could only be understood through intellectual study and not direct observation; it was considered to be inaudible to human ears.
How does this connect to the quadrivium? If we look at geometry and astronomy (physics), we see that they are really just different applications of the same basic mathematical concepts. These arts are human constructs built to perceive and understand the world around us. By applying the basic concepts of math, we are able to give order to the world around us in a way that is measurable, quantifiable, and repeatable. We know that if we follow consistent mathematical rules, a shape with the same dimensions will always have the same area. We know that if a body is in motion and we have measured the properties of the body, we can reliably predict the future motion of that body. Music, in many ways, is this same set of concepts perceived through a different sensory system. If we know the properties of a string that is plucked, we can predict the sound it will make. Likewise, if we hear a sound, we can measure and use that information to better understand the source of it.
But isn’t music meant to be expressive? No, or at least not in the contemporary sense. Music, as the Pythagoreans would have understood it, was a tool for understanding, not expression - that idea came from the Romantics much later. For classical thinkers, music is a way of finding and perceiving the truth and beauty in the world around us. It relies on the premise that if we have a consistent system of truths (quantitative reasoning), we can understand music, and if we can understand music, we can understand the cosmos. In the end, Boethius understood that humans are always searching for order and truth and he saw music as the art closely connected with the cosmos and the divine. Through the study of geometry, physics, and music, we as modern classical educators are teaching students the ancient arts of finding the beauty in the world, whether it be cosmological, theological, or otherwise. This search for Truth, Goodness, and Beauty is the ultimate goal of all classical thinkers and music is the final piece of the trivium and quadrivium toolbox of philosophy that we use to educate our students.
Thank you to the readers that stuck with me on this one; I hope that this series of articles on the trivium and quadrivium has been helpful, or at least interesting. Next month we will be delving in the quintrivium - stay tuned for more classic education ramblings!
August 2022 - Daniel Baker - Secondary Academic Director
Last month we began to learn about the quadrivium and how math at APA ties into the classic concepts of arithmetic and geometry. This month, we will address one of the remaining arts of the Quadrivium - astronomy.
To better understand this, I think it helps if we take a step back and look at the trivium and quadrivium as a whole. The trivium, consisting of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, can be described as the art of letters - the skills learned in these arts are based on the knowledge, understanding, and usage of language. Similarly, the quadrivium, consisting of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music, can be seen as the art of numbers. Arithmetic is the art of numbers in their purest form: abstract computation that is necessary for the other numerical arts. Geometry is numbers applied to fixed spaces - using numbers to describe the world around us. How does Astronomy continue this progression of the numeric arts?
Long ago, people spent a lot of time looking at the stars. As they began to measure the heavens, they began to see patterns in the arithmetic and geometry they were using to take measurements. Plato described astronomy in his seventh book of The Republic and the art is implicitly referenced in the early writings of Pythagoras. As they delved deeper into this art, they began to see the math behind these patterns and started to create rules and systems to describe this math. What is the difference between geometry on the earth and in the heavens? Movement over time. Astronomy, in its simplest terms, is the extension of the principles of arithmetic and geometry to movement and motion.
In terms of current language usage, the term astronomy is a misnomer. Studying the sky above them was simply the easiest and most accessible set of data to analyze; it happens every night and can not be manipulated by man (at least at that point in history). If we imagine alternative paths of development, we can see that these principles and concepts of motion would have been perceived in some other area of human endeavor - the fact that we just happened to learn it from the stars was a coincidence. In the end, what they called astronomy would be closer to what we would now consider the study of physics: the art of understanding numerically how the world not only exists, but changes around us.
In closing, we can now see that the quadrivium isn’t just math - it is the application of that math to both stationary and moving objects. With these three things, we have modern physics: given the necessary measurements, we can use these tools to make precise predictions about the future based on a current state. The value of these numerical arts cannot be understated - without these concepts, modern life would not exist in its present form. It could even be argued that our species’ proficiency in the arts of the trivium and quadrivium are what separate us from less sentient animals - our mastery of complex language and mathematical tools has elevated us above these other creatures.
What about music? How did it get lumped into the quadrivium with study of math and physics? That is a topic for next month.
July 2022 - Daniel Baker - Secondary Academic Director
Math seems to be one of those things that people either love or hate. Over my years at APA, I've heard countless people (both students and parents) question the value of math beyond basic arithmetic. Many of us were taught math in a way that emphasized the practicality of math, typically using real-world examples. This method of teaching math ingrained in many of us the idea that math had to be useful to be of value. Is this assessment of the value of math correct? I would guess that many math teachers and mathematicians would disagree, arguing that math's value as a language of reasoning outweighs its practical value. Which one of these views is correct? To answer that, I want to turn to some of the core values of classical education.
All of us are (or should be) familiar with the concept of the Trivium, but not as many are familiar with the Quadrivium, the four subject areas traditionally taught after the Trivium. The Quadrivium consists of four subject areas: arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. Notice that arithmetic and geometry are not combined but purposefully split up. What is the difference? Traditionally, arithmetic was the art of computation, and geometry was the art of reasoning. Geometry is not about measuring and calculating shapes and spaces; geometry is the art of using reason (through the writing of proofs) to establish a logical chain of connections and prove that a concept is valid. The part of geometry dealing with practical measurements comes afterward as examples of how geometry can find truths through its logical underpinnings..jpg?width=500&name=July%20Article%20Duality%20of%20Math%20-%20Hortus_Deliciarum%2c_Philosophy_and_the_seven_liberal_arts_(cropped).jpg)
If we step back to Saxon and APA math, we see that it is really a combination of both arithmetic and geometry (or reasoning), not simply one or the other. To close the loop, think back to the question of whether practicality or conceptuality is more important - in the end, the answer is that math as we know it is a combination of what the ancients considered two distinct arts, each with unique intrinsic value. Both sides are right in their own way, simultaneously.
Some may ask, "How did music and astronomy get lumped in with arithmetic and geometry in the Quadrivium?". That's a great question, and one I will answer in the coming months.
June 2022 - Daniel Baker - Director Over Secondary Education
Summer for those of us that work in education is a bittersweet season. It always seems like it goes by far too quickly, and if you are anything like me, you never seem to get all the things done that you planned on doing. While it's nice to get things done, don't forget that it is just as important to take the downtime to let your brain fully recover from the year. Stephen Covey refers to this concept as sharpening the saw.
What is sharpening the saw? Covey explains it thusly:
Suppose you were to come upon someone in the woods working feverishly to saw down a tree.
"What are you doing?" you ask.
"Can't you see?" comes the impatient reply. "I'm sawing down this tree."
"You look exhausted!" you exclaim. "How long have you been at it?"
"Over five hours," he returns, "and I'm beat! This is hard work."
"Well, why don't you take a break for a few minutes and sharpen that saw?" you inquire. "I'm sure it would go a lot faster."
"I don't have time to sharpen the saw," the man says emphatically. "I'm too busy sawing!"
As much as it is vital to put in a strong effort, the work isn't always cutting the tree. It's just as important to prepare yourself for the work itself so that you are prepared for the next tree.
Don't come back this fall as the person who spent all summer trying to cut down the tree - take the time to sharpen your saw. You'll be grateful you did.
May 2022 - Daniel Baker - Classical Education, the Four Virtues, and "Soft Skills"
We've all had a job where there was that one coworker or boss who just doesn't "get it" - their lack of personal (or "soft") skills gets in the way of everything they do. They may be proficient in their area of technical knowledge, but their lack of soft skills makes it difficult for them to accomplish anything. At their worst, these types of people can inadvertently undermine their own success and that of others in the organization, and sometimes even the organization itself.
Within the past few decades, we have seen a big push for schools to focus on hard skills and technical competencies. We see this manifested in highly specialized schools (STEM in particular) that have grown in popularity over the past few years, especially in secondary education. Unfortunately, the focus on creating smart, technically capable students often leaves students without the critical soft skills needed for workplace success.
What are the soft skills required for workplace success? Researchers1 have identified five specific skills correlated with increased employment levels, job performance, wages, and entrepreneurial success:
- Social Skills
- Communication skills
- Higher-order thinking (problem-solving)
- Self-control
- Positive self-concept
While explicitly naming and noticing soft skills in the workplace is relatively new, these concepts are all rooted in classical Western philosophical ideas that have existed for centuries. We often hear them referred to as the Four Virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Self-control is just another word for temperance, while problem-solving is predicated on possessing wisdom or prudence. Social skills and treating others appropriately support the principle of justice, and fortitude or courage allows the formation of a positive self-concept. In a strange way, we are coming full circle as a society where virtues from long ago are finding new relevance in the modern world. Classical education itself is based on this idea - that there is immense value to be found in the principles espoused by the original Western philosophers and thinkers and that those ideas are still applicable today.
At American Prep, we teach these skills primarily through our Ambassador program and its robust curriculum and events. We begin with social skills, starting in elementary. Students learn how to meet and greet others, have an appropriate and productive conversation, and even how to eat with other people. In secondary school, students participate in student government, attend social, service, and learning events, and even learn social dance. Perhaps most importantly, all students participate in this program, not just a few, or those who choose to. All of these activities come together to create a comprehensive soft skills learning program that is unique to the American Prep school model.
American Preparatory Academy's mission has always been two-fold: to create adept scholars and create upstanding citizens and leaders that can positively guide our nation forward in the coming years. While technical ability is important, the world will always value people who can motivate others, people who can communicate, people who can positively resolve conflict, and people who can build a team. We hope that by allowing students to learn these soft skills at American Prep, we can give them all the necessary tools to succeed in whatever field they choose.
1If you are interested in the research into this topic, Child Trends research into soft skills is a good introduction that also includes many references if you want to go on a deeper dive.
April 2022 - Daniel Baker - Director Over Secondary Education
As a school director, parents would occasionally ask me some variation of the question, “Why does APA study such dark/heavy/dreary literature?” This question has always stuck with me and over time I’ve come to realize that this is the articulation of a confusion about why we study literature in the first place. While I would hope that all parents, staff, and students would agree that there is value in studying literature, it is critical that we all also understand just why we do it, and why we pick the texts we do.
One of the hallmarks of classical literature is some level of conflict. The Odyssey sees the eponymous hero cast far
away from his home, initially helpless against the forces of nature and the gods. He moves forward but is then pushed backward. With great effort, he overcomes these obstacles, challenges, and situations, and the epic ends with his triumph in Ithaca. This idea of darkness being overcome by the human spirit is not unique to the ancient classics. Of Mice and Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies - these and many others openly examine dark themes that mirror those of the ancient classics. These tales do not all end in happiness. Often, the final result is to be seen as a warning of the consequences of choices and the reminder that choices are often not clear, easy, or as expected.
So why do we study texts like these if they often end in tragedy and spend much of their time focusing on the struggles, obstacles, and dark places of the world? The simplest answer is that we cannot see great light without great darkness to contrast it. “Dark” or “heavy” literature is only that if we fail as a reader to see the light that shines through. Adversity is seemingly universal to the human condition and by giving students a chance to read about others’ struggles and triumphs, we give them a chance to see that part of existence without having to live through it themselves. This in turn will prepare them for the realities of a world that may have darkness while giving them their own power to be the light that helps overcome that darkness. While the classics are not always easy to read, they often carry lessons that are beautifully demonstrated in a way you can’t find anywhere else.
March 2022 - Daniel Baker - Director Over Secondary Education
One of the most common questions I got from parents as a director was, "Why are all students required to take Latin?" It was usually followed by asking why they couldn't take Spanish, Chinese, or other languages they felt were more useful. My answer at the time was that learning Latin is part of classical education, and that's why we do it. This answer worked for me for more than a decade; now that I'm a little wiser, I've realized that while this answer isn't exactly wrong, it doesn't really answer their question.
In my never-ending pursuit of making my life more complicated, I decided last summer that I needed a deeper understanding of the Latin portion of our secondary program. Math, science, history, English - these are subjects most of us have experience and familiarity with, but Latin was entirely alien to me. I reached out to our amazing Latin department, and they happily gave me access to the Latin 1010 course we have available for our HS students. My experience in this course has been equally humbling and enlightening, and it has given me a much greater appreciation of the gift we give our students when we teach them Latin. It has also convinced me that every one of us would benefit from learning Latin, even at a very basic level.
Latin is a language, but it is also so much more than that. Latin is the mother language of the Western world and has been considered the language of learned and educated peoples ever since antiquity. It is somehow both innately simple while beautifully complex, with nearly infinite levels of depth one can delve into. In a way, Latin is a symbol - of classical thought, wisdom, timelessness, and beauty.
Latin changes the way you view language. As you learn Latin, systems and patterns that you always implicitly understood (but never could explain) in English begin to overlap with the framework of Latin. The language requires you to use your brain in a way that English does not; word order is no longer the primary driver of meaning, and every word has more meaning and importance. Translation is almost puzzle- or math-like in its nature, and you learn to apply rules of grammar and syntax purposefully instead of just going with what 'sounds right' as we often do in English. You become a more deliberate reader and writer, not just in Latin but also in English.
While English is classified as a Germanic language, it is heavily influenced by Latin; estimates place the portion of English that is based on Latin somewhere in the 40-60% range. As you learn Latin, you begin to see word patterns, fragments of words, and phrases that suddenly make more sense. Latin becomes much more visible in our modern world as you notice how it influences our language. In addition to enhancing your English skills, Latin also makes learning any of its derivative Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, French, etc.) much more simple; you will already be familiar with nearly all of the concepts these languages are based upon and much of the vocabulary will be similar.
Most importantly (in my humble opinion) is the ability to read and experience Classical texts in their original form. The beauty of Latin is that it can express thoughts, ideas, and emotions in elegantly austere forms; the simplest phrase can encapsulate incredibly complex ideas. One of my greatest joys over the last year was the first time I was able to read a passage in Latin from beginning to end - it felt as though I was deciphering some beautiful secret, something that only a select few humans would ever understand. It's a gateway to the old world through the language of the people that lived there.
When I first set out to better understand Latin, I was unaware of how beneficial and fulfilling it would be - I know now that it is arguably one of the most important skills and experiences we give our students. Everyone should have the opportunity to experience this in their lives, and I'm grateful that our students (including my children) will get to learn Latin from our amazing teachers. If any of this has spoken to you, I encourage you to begin your own Latin journey. It's not as hard as you might think, and your brain (and heart) will thank you later.
If you're looking for a place to start, I recommend a great book, Latin to GCSE 1. This book is a collaboration of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and its purpose is to prepare people for Europe's standardized language test, the GCSE. There are a lot of companion resources out there for this book, and it's pretty easy to read.