“For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?” 1 Corinthians 2:11
narration of book one, chapter one
Based on this verse from Corinthians, the ideas introduced in chapter 1 seem to turn primarily on the axel of the concept of self-education.
What does it mean to be self-educated? It refers to both the process of learning and the end result. A self-educated person is not educated by their teacher, but by themselves and their own desire for knowledge. The teacher fuels this desire for learning; the student actively retrieves the knowledge and educates himself in the process. Rather than being force-fed facts by his teacher, the student’s mind naturally assimilates those ideas which it needs to grow. The process of self-educating allows a student to absorb what he truly needs, rather than what the teacher wants him to know. Because the ideas taken in are essential to him, the student keeps them for a lifetime. In contrast to this, a child who memorizes only a set diet of facts and dates will most likely loose those facts, either slowly over time or immediately after the exam.
A person truly knows only those ideas which he has taken and made his own and part of himself. He may acquire facts, but facts that are disconnected from ideas have no real place in our minds and will be lost over time. The mind—that is, the spirit of the man—meditates on ideas. And so the spirit of the person that knows a person’s thoughts, the true knowledge of the mind; this is sustained and nourished by a rich diet of ideas.
Once again, it is helpful to compare the mind to the body. In order to keep our bodies healthy and strong, we require both a certain quantity and quality of nourishment. A healthy diet is varied and filled with good sources of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. The amount provided must also be adequate. One small meal per day, albeit a rounded one, will not be enough to keep the body strong. In the same way, a diet consisting of only unhealthy foods, or a significant lack in one of the major food groups, will harm the overall health of the body even if the amount is sufficient. For optimal bodily growth, both quantity and quality must be maintained.
In the same way, the mind must be fed a steady diet of ideas that is rich both in quantity and quality. Since ideas are most clearly defined in books, this means that a large quantity of high quality books must be read. Just as with food for the body, we cannot skimp on food for the mind. A small amount of good reading is not enough for the intellect to thrive, nor is a large quantity of “fluffy” books or childish “twaddle” sufficient. A student’s mind must be brought into contact with a wide variety of the best available of literature. Only through a robust quantity of high quality mind-food will the student receive the rich and wholesome diet of ideas that he needs to grow spiritually and intellectually.
A child can also be brought into contact with ideas through nature studies, handicraft, physical activities, sensory exercises, and creative play. However, the ideas encountered through these methods are typically more practical and less raw. They are not as easily digested by the mind, and do not provide the same kind of nourishment. As they are presented in great books, ideas are fresh and easily absorbed. This direct transmission of ideas from the mind of the author to the mind of the child, as provided by great books, is what supplies nourishment and stimulates growth. So while these other activities are absolutely essential to a child’s physical and mental development, they cannot replace the literature which is a child’s main source of mind-food.
key ideas
- Self-education is the only true form of education. It leads to lasting knowledge.
- The mind feeds on ideas. Ideas can be encountered through various methods, but the most easily absorbed form of idea comes from great books.
- The mind needs ample nourishment in order to grow. A steady diet featuring a robust quantity of high quality, idea-rich books is essential for growth.
quotes
“A person is not built up from without but from within, that is, he is living, and all external educational appliances and activities which are intended to mould his character are decorative and not vital.”
“The body lives by air, grows on food, demands rest, flourishes on a diet wisely various. So the mind, (by which I mean the entire spiritual nature, all that which is not body), breathes in air, call for both activity and rest and flourishes on a wisely varied dietary.”
“The mind is sustained upon ideas.”
“When we compare the mind with the body, we perceive that three ‘square’ meals a day are generally necessary to health, and that a casual diet of ideas is poor and meagre… I should like to emphasize quantity, which is as important for the mind as for the body; both require their ‘square meals.’”
“We feed upon the thoughts of other minds; and thought applied to thought generates thought and we become more thoughtful.”
“No one knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of a man which is in him therefore, there is no education but self-education, and as soon as a young child begins his education he does so as a student.”
“Intellectual occupation seems to make for chastity in thought and life.”