Classicism

In my experience, people tend to associate the term classicism with the technical study of ancient Greece and Rome; however, the primary definition of this work captures a far broader and more profound scope. The two primary definitions for the term according to Marriam Webster are thus: "the principles or style embodied in the literature, art, or architecture of ancient Greece and Rome" and "adherence to traditional standards (as of simplicity, restraint, and proportion that are universally and enduringly valid." Given these denotations, I would argue the term classicism represents not just a period in time or the study thereof, but the overarching transcenedent qualities and values that defined the classical period, built the West, and rendered these things immortal. 

Therefore, studying classicism as it manifests throughout the Western world and its canon is, to me, a matter of examining transcendent truth, goodness, and beauty as they manifest in the real world through philosophy, history, Fine Art, and literature. Transcendence can and does appear in other places throughout Creation; however, traditional Western society, driven by its Christianization, has stewarded, preserved, and refined itself toward transcendence in a truly excellent manner. Classical Western education, when properly emphasized, unlocks this treasury, which comprehensively cultivates the individual in body, mind, and soul. Thereby, the lifelong student of classicism strives ever further toward self-perfection through reason and in Christ, rendering themselves more productive citizens, community-members, helpers of humanity, and stewards of Creation.

As Mortimer Adler, Douglas Wilson, Dorothy Sayers, and other classical education pioneers have variously alluded to, the Western tradition is defined by the "Great Conversation" that spans the entire duration of our civilization, with brilliant voices from many fields and perspectives dialectically seeking to uncover the transcendent qualities and truths from which all goodness and meaning flow. As a Catholic, I believe that this truth manifests most concretely in the incarnational Logos--Christ and, by extension, His Church; however, our possession of reason and physical bodies allows us to uncover and relate to the divine truths of the universe through ideas and objects. And, as the classical education proponents rightly identify, our exploration of these ideas, in particular, ought to begin with books and primary sources.

As such, I believe it is imperative for classically minded people and households to develop a study--that is, a physically incarnate place that serves as the foundation of classical education and self-education. This study can contain artwork, documents, projects, crafts, an office, and all manner of productive and enlightening things, but most of all it must possess classic books, which are themselves the building blocks of any true classical education curriculum. By intentionally identifying, cultivating, organizing, and presenting such a library, its owner can also come to understand the overarching patterns and interrelationships that hold these texts together within the grand scope of Western classicism and history. 

I recommend that one build this library gradually, reading the books as they are purchased. This strategy prevents the library from becoming an unused vanity project or otherwise an end unto itself. The goal is for the library to serve as a mere instrument by which one can become embedded in the Western tradition and learned in its particulars. 

Each person should assemble their own library according to their specific needs, interests, and purposes; however, I have included my library spreadsheet below should it be helpful to anyone exploring this topic. It is my hope that, in my own small way, I may be able to promote the best of the West and help people connect to the transcendent in their own lives, and my reading and writing are intended to be one step toward that end.