Poetic Knowledge Book Club: Chapter 2, part 1 The Philosophical Foundations
For information and previous posts, see the page for this Poetic Knowledge Book Club
This week we are covering pages 11-27 and next week we will finish chapter two with pages 27-58.
Chapter 2, part 1: The Philosophical Foundations of Poetic Knowledge
Poetic Knowledge was first displayed, described, and commended by Homer, Socrates, and Aristotle.
Poetic Knowledge
- sees poetic, transcendent significance of reality; its opposite, in this case, is materialism.
- embraces contemplation, meditation, and leisure rather than effort, work, labor, and proofs; hence, the poetic mode requires leisure.
- awakens and refines sympathetic understanding of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty by going inside a thing to know it, not only to duplicate it, but to become it.
- is a prerational mode of knowledge; it precedes but does not supercede scientific knowledge. If scientific knowledge is not preceded by poetic knowledge, the scientific mode will dehumanize and deconstruct culture and individuals.
- gains understanding through vicarious means and through intuition.
- could also be called musical knowledge; that is, knowledge that seeks harmony, proportion, perception, emotion.
- desires the whole and existential rather than the particular and disintegrated.
- begins with wonder.
Poetic Knowledge should be the starting point for education.
Elements of a poetic education are
- fictional stories (myths, legends, fairy tales)
- history stories
- poetry, music, and art
- gymnastics
- reading & writing
- drawing
- a desire to know springing from wonder and delight
Your Thoughts
I am hoping for lots of discussion on the concept of wonder. :)
Discussion Question
How does the element of gymnastics find a place in your education?
You really have a talent to put together a wonderful synopsis! The element of gymnastics is important to us. In its narrower meaning, we place importance to our physical development, not just the intellectual. What is good about children reading since they are four, or the literacy efforts of elementary schools if children are in a state of apathy, if they are overfed and under exercised? If children don’t run, play, expand, and are outdoors feeding and living that natural wonder, any other intellectual, rational, or scientific knowledge will be empty, vain, sick.
Excellent, Silvia, because what I want to be told is that sending the children outside fulfills the requirement of “gymnastic.” But I have a nagging suspicion something more disciplined is intended, something involving bringing the body under control and under orders.
(1) I focused on music because it is something I am still trying to understand. However, I believe I wrote about wonder a few years ago when I first blogged through the book. I’ll see if I can find it and repost sometime this week.
(2) I wonder if the progression of gymnastic would parallel the progression of music. As beginners, they do it poetically and intuitively. When they are older, they receive the technical training–perhaps around 8 or 10 just as in music? I am thinking this because I notice that is sort of how our swimming school works. The little ones are mainly learning to (a) not drown and (b) enjoy the water. The bigger ones are learning the complicated butterfly stroke.
(3) My issue is actually with later gymnastic training. I wish I understood what was really being aimed for there. I am not sure it is completely the same as what we do with our children (culturally speaking).
Our gymnatics are of the run outside and play variety. I also think something more is meant here but I think we are doing alright, anyway. Swedish drill, anyone?
Stoutness exercises, perhaps? :)
Stoutness exercises! Perfect! Pass the hunny.
I’m only on page 25 of the book! I’d better get reading!
I own the ebook on Swedish drill, but I’ve never been able to bring myself to use it. It is so…militaristic…that I just can’t do it. Perhaps this is a weakness in myself. Personally, I’d rather afford ballet for girls and some sort of combat training (like Tae Kwon Do or Karate) for boys, but I’m not sure that is going to happen. Maybe I am just trying to get out of doing it myself.
Mystie… I thought it was too easy a response, ha ha ha. But Brandy with your number 2) you may have rescued us, but then you added number 3), and I am ready to settle this and say it is what you mention of a more targeted way of working as the swimming example you gave.
I have my own guilty feelings I’m dealing with because I just can’t see us paying 50 dollars for a piano class… But your posts inspired me to keep up our hymn singing, and, if it counts, yesterday Chopin was playing and the girls dressed up in their dress up clothes and danced. (I still need to plan and see what it is our next step… and since I don’t plan to move to your state, Brandy, it seems that I should look into exchanging Spanish lessons for music lessons). I think I have a couple of years still. Do you all think eight or nine is too late for your child to become the next American Idol? Just joking… what is the age you think appropriate for formal music instruction.
Silvia, I think it is ADORABLE that your daughters dressed up to dance to Chopin! His is very danceable music (is danceable a word??). I will say that I recently began exchanging piano lessons for sewing/needlepoint lessons with a friend. I’m not sure I’m that great at teaching piano, being that I’ve never done it before, but the other mother and I both agree that both of us know something the other doesn’t, and so we’ll trade until the children outgrow us. It is working okay, I think.
I am trying to encourage my children to learn Spanish poetically, by the way! My next-door neighbor was born and raised in Mexico, and she is so sweet to teach little phrases to my children.
Okay. I added another link, a rerun of a post from 2008. None of my posts from my first reading will perfectly fit the schedule because I didn’t break my posts up by chapter. However, comma, you said you wanted to discuss wonder a little, and this is one of my posts on wonder. The other one doesn’t quote chapter 2 at all, so I’ll save it for the future.
I said this as an end note on my post, but I’ll say it again here: I really can’t believe how much easier it is to read this after reading Pieper. I really think that those of you who read Pieper first have an advantage. Reading this the first time through was a real struggle for me–a glorious one, but a hard one nonetheless.
Brandy, I love your idea of marials arts for boys and ballet for girls.
I’ve bought the kids a combination volleyball/badminton set that we’ll set up as soon as the spring rains are over and we can play without turning the lawn into a mud puddle. I wonder if badminton is something I could use … focus on form and so forth, graceful movement. Hm.
I’m really late joining the discussion this week, but I had a hard time focusing. (Major life adjustments happening at home here in Poland, plus a 3am phone call from son in the US on his way to the emergency room–not terribly serious, but distracting.)
I managed to read everyone’s posts and comment on the few, and while I enjoyed the discussions, it doesn’t seem that there was much discussion about wonder. I’m really interested in this, as it is defined as an aspect of fear, and I think it relates to the Biblical expression that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” As far as actual music and gymnastics–one son, who did karate for years. 3 daughters–two have done swimming, but the youngest hasn’t had anything formal yet. I am not musical, but my husband is, and fortunately, all the kids take after him, and pursue music without much input from me.