Sunday, May 25, 2014

A Second Look At First Things


The author cites a dialogue between Solon and Croesus told in Herodotus’ Histories. It is moral fulfillment, not material or financial, that brings lasting happiness. Today there’s a lack of moral education and it leaves the kids lacking. This book puts storytelling at the forefront of education, which in my experience, makes perfect sense. Take for example a child who learns about US presidents. I knew all about Abraham Lincoln by the time I was seven years old, and I learned it from children’s books that were read to me. By age nine I could name the presidents who were assassinated, and by age 14 I knew that Nixon got in trouble and had to resign. It all came from books that were written for kids.

   Next comes the issue of Obama, who was offered an honorary doctorate from the University of Notre Dame, though nobody’s sure why. Obama is pro-choice, while Notre Dame is a famously Catholic school, and this president is more apt to go on Jay Leno than be at Notre Dame. The author then cites the Bork and Scalia arguments of “natural law,” often derided by more liberal pundits. He claims that there are not enough conservative scholars to win debates with the liberals, although that will probably change. Dr. Ben Carson is guaranteed to draw crowds at speaking engagements, and his disagreement with Obamacare brought the Republicans pounding on his door.

   I’d like to cap off my review of this wonderful book on Conservative merits by quoting Thomas Sowell. The great economist once said, if anybody tells you their college faculty is diverse, there’s a great way to prove it. Let them tell you how many Republicans there are in the Sociology department!

No comments:

Post a Comment