These are the intellectual, character and spiritual virtues of the educated person. If you doubt it, think about the last time you were with ignorant, unimaginative, weak, fearful, proud, or selfish companions. How was that experience?
Today’s public schools focus so much on teaching knowledge and skills that they no longer teach virtues. This is unfortunate because virtue leads to knowledge and skills, but knowledge and skills don’t lead to virtue. Consequently, America’s position in the world is being jeopardized–not because our graduates lack knowledge and skills–but because they lack the six virtues of the educated person. Recent history provides many examples of how ignorance, intellectual incompetence, weakness, fear, pride and selfishness have damaged our national life and reputation (political scandals, coups d’etat and military strikes, Enron, the Savings and Loan bailout, the mortgage crisis, the BP oil spill in the gulf, etc.)
Follow these links for explanations of why the six-virtue definition is the first step toward making education (and the world) better. The explanations include: (1) definitions of the virtues, (2) why these six are the virtues of the educated person, and (3) why this philosophy is useful to parents and teachers:
(1) http://www.sixvirtues.com/2009/10/28/how-are-the-six-virtues-defined/
(2) http://www.sixvirtues.com/2009/09/02/why-these-six-specific-virtues/
(3) http://www.sixvirtues.com/2010/04/21/the-usefulness-of-the-six-virtue-philosophy/
The red links at the top take you to the blog archive and a book summary. For the fullest explanation of why we should teach the six virtues, the book can be ordered at the right.
Recent Blogs:
1. My undergraduate students gave me permission to post their unedited responses to four final exam questions. Readers will appreciate these descriptions of recent K-12 experiences. Just click on “College Students’ K-12 Experiences” above and to the right.
2. A new, continuing blogsite theme is “The Emperor Has No Clothes.” I love irony, and the double irony at the end of this famous story points to much of what is ironic in this world — the silliness of pride and the willingness of people to accept it. Read and follow this category by clicking on “The Emperor Has No Clothes” above and to the right.
Finally, discuss what it means to be educated at these links:
1. Offer your definition of “educated.” Click on How do you define “educated?” and post your comments.
2. Join the six virtue roster. If you believe in the six-virtue definition of the educated person, click on Join Six Virtues. Completing the form takes less than a minute.
3. See who else believes in the six virtues. Check the Six Virtue Roster to see who else shares your belief. The roster is a state-by-state listing.
4. “Share a story” for the next book. Have you been in a situation in which the virtues made things better? To present a story for consideration in the next book, click on Share a Story. Provide your name and phone number. I will call to record your story. Before anything goes to press, you have final approval.
