Education without Indoctrination: Can It Exist? Stephen Blackwood, John Vervaeke & David Butterfield
Release Date: 06/28/2024
From Homer to Gutenberg: Ancient Greek and Its Afterlives
The Ralston College Podcast
David Butterfield is a renowned classicist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. His work centres on the critical study and teaching of classical texts. How did the Renaissance revival of Greek language study transform Western Europe's intellectual landscape and shape our modern understanding of the Classics? In this talk, delivered on the island of Samos in Greece in August 2023 as part of Ralston College’s Master’s in the Humanities program, Dr. David Butterfield—Senior Lecturer in Classics at the University of Cambridge—charts how Western Europe came to...
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Education without Indoctrination: Can It Exist? Stephen Blackwood, John Vervaeke & David Butterfield
The Ralston College Podcast
Stephen Blackwood is the founding President of Ralston College, with advanced degrees in Classics and Religion and visiting positions at Harvard, Toronto, and Cambridge. David Butterfield is a renowned classicist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. His work centres on the critical study and teaching of classical texts. John Vervaeke, PhD, is an award-winning professor of psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhist psychology at the University of Toronto. What are the fundamental principles required to cultivate an educational environment free from ideological...
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Self and Story: In Conversation with Gregg Hurwitz
The Ralston College Podcast
Gregg Hurwitz, the New York Times bestselling author of the Orphan X series and a storyteller whose work spans many mediums and genres, in conversation with Stephen Blackwood, the founding president of Ralston College, and with students enrolled in the inaugural year of the College’s MA in the Humanities program. In this live event—recorded on [date] at Ralston College—Hurwitz discusses the concrete details of his own writing practice and explains how his training in literature and psychology have informed his craft. He reflects on how storytelling helps us to understand the self and on...
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Language, Thought, and Style: The Articulated Logos in Victorian Literature with Michael D. Hurley
The Ralston College Podcast
Dr. Michael Hurley, Professor of Literature and Theology at Trinity College in the University of Cambridge, delivers a lecture to students in Ralston College’s inaugural Master’s in the Humanities program on the intertwining of language and thought in the work of three major Victorian authors: Walter Pater, John Henry Newman, and Gerard Manley Hopkins. Prof. Hurley argues that, far from being merely ornamental, in these authors style is constitutive of thought and the difficult pursuit of beauty is inextricable from the pursuit of truth. — Ralston College ...
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Radical Thoughts on Human Nature: Stephen Blackwood at Hillsdale College
The Ralston College Podcast
In this lecture, delivered on March 30, 2023, as part of the Drummond Lecture Series at Hillsdale College, Dr. Stephen Blackwood—the founding president of Ralston College—argues that we must first understand something’s nature before we can properly care for and cultivate it. This principle holds true for all living things—including plants and animals—but it is seen in its fullest complexity in human beings as they seek to realize their unique potential through the concrete challenges and conditions of their individual lives. Drawing richly upon both text and images, Dr. Blackwood...
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The Medieval Cosmos as Permanent Apocalypse with Jonathan Pageau
The Ralston College Podcast
In his lecture, Jonathan Pageau presents a thoughtful examination of the Last Judgment through the lens of a late-11th-century mosaic, challenging the traditional view of it as solely an end-time event. He suggests that this imagery symbolizes an ongoing process of identity formation, where every entity acts as a judge, continually evaluating its alignment with its essence. This interpretation casts the Last Judgment in a new light, with the ideal human being as the ultimate measure of this alignment. Pageau further delves into how this imagery interacts with its placement within the church,...
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Serious Play: Renaissance Wisdom and Cosmic Choreography | Sophia Lecture 2023 Part 5/5
The Ralston College Podcast
In the culminating fifth lecture of the Sophia Lecture series, Professor Douglas Hedley culminates his exploration by delving into play's theological dimension, engaging with Marsilio Ficino, Desiderius Erasmus, and Plotinus to dissect 'serious play', a pivotal concept in Renaissance thought. Throughout the lecture series, Hedley has traversed play's philosophical terrain, examining its roots, the vital role of language in human development, the journey into self-awareness, and the allure of aesthetics. In this lecture, he weaves together the interplay of wisdom and play within cultural...
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Unveiling Aesthetics: Art, Suffering, and Transcendence | Sophia Lectures 2023 Part 4/5
The Ralston College Podcast
In the fourth Sophia Lecture, Professor Douglas Hedley explores the transformative power of play in art and human consciousness, examining its philosophical significance across various cultures and traditions. Hedley highlights play's role in fostering aesthetic appreciation and creativity, embarking on a historical and philosophical journey from ancient wisdom to modern interpretations. He scrutinizes the aesthetic crisis in contemporary art, noting its departure from traditional notions of beauty and creativity, and weaves together intriguing concepts from evolutionary psychology,...
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Wisdom in Paradox: The Seriousness of Play | Sophia Lectures 2023 Part 3/5
The Ralston College Podcast
In the third lecture of the Sophia Lecture series, Professor Douglas Hedley embarks on an intellectual journey that explores the enigmatic nature of play and its profound impact on human life, drawing from ancient philosophies and modern psychological theories. Delving into the works of Heraclitus and Plato, Hedley examines the paradoxical relationship between play and seriousness and how this dynamic shapes our understanding of life's deepest questions. He discusses the transformative power of poetic language, the importance of embracing the child's soul, and the role of play as a bridge...
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Exploring the Inner Word: Play, Poetry, Philosophy | Sophia Lectures 2023 Part 2/5
The Ralston College Podcast
In this second episode of the Sophia Lectures, Professor Douglas Hedley from the University of Cambridge embarks on a deep exploration into the theme of "play" and its relationship to consciousness, language, and poetic expression. Drawing upon the intellectual legacies of Owen Barfield and Hans-Georg Gadamer, Hedley explores the philosophical and theological dimensions of language, highlighting its role in shaping our understanding of existence. He discusses the concept of the "inner word" as described by Augustine and how poetry serves as a bridge between the tangible and the abstract,...
info_outlineStephen Blackwood is the founding President of Ralston College, with advanced degrees in Classics and Religion and visiting positions at Harvard, Toronto, and Cambridge.
David Butterfield is a renowned classicist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Cambridge. His work centres on the critical study and teaching of classical texts.
John Vervaeke, PhD, is an award-winning professor of psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhist psychology at the University of Toronto.
What are the fundamental principles required to cultivate an educational environment free from ideological bias?
In this episode, Stephen Blackwood, David Butterfield, and John Vervaeke explore the current landscape of higher education and its pervasive ideological influences. They discuss the importance of fostering genuine freedom of inquiry, intellectual diversity, and non-coercive teaching practices. Through personal anecdotes and reflections on academic experiences, the conversation examines the conditions that make real dialogue and meaningful education possible. This episode challenges listeners to reconsider the essence of true education and its role in developing critical, independent thinkers.
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00:00 Introduction and Exploring Education Without Indoctrination
02:20 Defining Indoctrination in Education
05:25 Current State of Higher Education
09:05 Neo-Marxism and Power Dynamics in Education
16:30 Teaching and Parenting: Fostering Realization and Free Agency
26:05 John Vervaeke:Exploring Logos, Love, and the Meaning Crisis
35:35 The Dual Aspects of Free Speech: Good Faith and Inquiry
38:30 Audience Q&A: Handling Classroom Dynamics and Approaches
53:45 Conclusion: University Traditions and Political Orientations
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Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thomas Jefferson
Martha Argerich
Descartes
Jordan Peterson
Education without Indoctrination
Freedom of Speech
The New Criterion
Meaning Crisis
Dialectic into Dialogos
The Vervaeke Foundation
Re-Humanising Education By Stephen Blackwood and Bernadette Guthrie — ARC Research
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Additional Resources
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