Why Are the Classics Important to Us?

Why Are the Classics Important to Us?

Everything you’ve heard about our school is true. We LOVE to read the classics! Here are a few reasons why the classics are important to us:

1. The classics help us to engage in the “great conversation of ideas.”

Engagement with the classics teaches scholars how to think and not what to think. These works have wisdom proven over hundreds of years, and present valuable and significant truths. Scholars internalize these truths and then discuss how they apply to the present day, and to their lives. Discussion of the classics brings each scholar immediately into the “great conversation of ideas.”

2. The classics help us “seek the true, the good, and the beautiful”, as we repeat each day in our school declaration.

As Paradigm Patriots, we seek light in all aspects of life. The classics, as part of the liberal arts scope, lead scholars to those things in life and in learning that will serve them throughout their lives.

3. The classics carry historical significance.

A study of the classics merges literature, fine arts, mathematics and the like with history. The classics speak to us in an original voice about the most significant events humans have endured.  We can learn so much more from original works and classics rather than a textbook’s version of events and people.

4. The classics expose us to literary mastery.

Those who penned the classics had something to say and said it well, helping us to understand how to express ourselves. We can uncover stories from renowned authors, explore diverse genres, and deepen our understanding of different cultures and philosophies. Reading the classics helps us to enrich and deepen our knowledge and make us more well-rounded scholars.

5. The classics give us a connection with humanity and the human condition.

Connecting with people is an important part of being at Paradigm. Through heartbreaking and inspiring classics, scholars learn about what it means to influence others and to be in relation to humankind. By reading the classics, we can learn compassion and empathy through the stories and histories of others.

6. Most importantly, we read the classics to draw out time honored virtues.

There are many classics that teach us about virtues, including (but not limited to), courage, respect, justice, gratitude, loyalty, accountability, and more. “I accept my shared responsibility to create a free society and a better world” is an important principle to us at Paradigm, and expressing the virtues in our everyday lives is an important way for us to become well-rounded and responsible citizens.