Just Waiting for the Daylight in Arkansas

Digest No. 06 - February 2024

On Commonplacing

For the equitable things are common to all good human beings in their being directed toward another, and all matters of action fall among things particular and ultimate: the prudent person must recognize them, and both comprehension and judgment concern actions performed, which are ultimate things.

Aristotle, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, edited and translated by Robert C. Bartlett and Susan D. Collins (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2011. pp. 129-130 [1143a. 31-35].

Great Ideas: Justice, Virtue & Vice, Man, Education, Judgement

A few weeks back, I heard someone say that “equity” is a Biblical word. This struck me as true, though not as this well-intentioned person meant. They were defending current cultural practices aimed at “equity” and exemplified in bad memes this this one:

The meme has been thoroughly debunked to the point that the parody variations on it are numerous. I knew the term was also present in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, so I paid particularly close attention to those sections on my recent re-read of the excellent translation by Bartlett and Collins. I don’t want to mess up Aristotle’s wisdom with too much of my own interpretation, but I will just note two things essential for equity according to Aristotle: prudence coupled with comprehension and judgement, and virtuous action. Without these, calling something equitable does not make it so.

On Reading & Researching

I’ve had to crank up the classroom reading this month. I finished Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and his Politics. I followed that up with an essay by Benjamin Rush, John Locke’s Some Thoughts Concerning Education, and Francis Bacon’s Novum Organum. I’ve also begun Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Emile.

I’m still conducting studies on grade reporting and hiring practices at classical schools. I’ve added a study on Latin teachers and the state of the Great Books, both focused on classical schools. Hopefully, these will turn into useful publications or presentations which will aid schools in trying to think through some of these things.

I’m also pleased to announce that I have been awarded a Hilltop Short-Term Research Fellowship by the good folks over at Georgetown University. This means I will spend a month on the Georgetown campus, furthering my research of Harry Sylvester. It’s a competitive award and I’m honored to have been chosen.

On Writing

I’ve sent off the two forewords for Harry Sylvester’s novels, Dearly Beloved and Moon Gaffney, which are being republished by Angelico Press. I also started working with a former student for possible cover art. I’m excited about these. Once the books are available for purchase, I will be sure to link them on this Substack.

I’ve finished a review of Landon Loftin and Max Leyf’s What Barfield Thought. It is an excellent primer for anyone wanting to know more about this Inkling.

I’ve also submitted an essay on Shakespeare and integrating the Humanities to one journal, and another essay on Hans-Georg Gadamer’s potential for pedagogical use in the classical classroom to another.

On Publishing

I started February off with a book review published over at the

ClassicalEd Review

. Otherwise, it’s been a quiet month as I try to keep pace.

On Traveling & Speaking

This week I am in Plano (Dallas, for those unfamiliar with Texas) for the Ciceronian Society Annual Conference. This is a great event and I’m looking forward to hearing the presentations and seeing some friends.

While here, my family will take in some of the Dallas highlights, such as the DMA. We are going to stay through the weekend and worship with the good folks at All Saints Presbyterian Church, alongside some friends.

On Listening

I could not have anticipated that just a few days after sharing the video of Luke Combs singing “Fast Car” live, that an even better performance would take place at the Grammys, with Tracy Chapman joining Combs on stage and performing a wonderfully harmonious rendition of the song. I won’t post it here, but you should definitely check it out. Otherwise, the weather has had me in a decidedly 90s alt rock kind of mood.