This is a great short read, about 15 pages in the Great Books series on the subject of virtue. It is a conversation between Socrates and Meno and Meno asks Socrates whether "virtue is acquired by teaching or by practice; or if neither by teaching nor practice, then whether it comes to man by nature, or in what other way?", and the 2 of them work through a few ideas to get to end idea that virtue cannot be taught and it comes from God.
A couple ideas I found to be enlightening in this essay were about men's desire to do evil, learning consists of remembering, virtue cannot be taught and virtue comes from God.
Meno declares that some men choose to do good and others choose to do evil, but Socrates asks questions which lead down the path to realization that men who choose evil do it not because they want evil, but because they falsely believe that the evil will bring them some form of joy. Socrates says "if there is no one who desires to be miserable, there is no one, Meno, who desires evil; for what is misery but the desire and possession of evil?" So if no one desires evil, then why are so many miserable and fallen into evil? No doubt Socrates knows how to get one thinking.
Another interesting idea Socrates brings out is the idea that the soul is immortal and learning is not learning, but recollecting what we already know. To prove this point, Socrates draws a square in the dirt and has an unlearned boy answer questions for him which the boy is able to answer without any previous training and only guided questions from Socrates. From those questions the boy gives correct answers without any outside help. Socrates says " And if there have been always true thoughts in him, both at the time when he was and was not a man, which only need to be awakened into knowledge by putting questions to him, his soul must have always possessed this knowledge for he always either was or was not a man? (Obviously) And if the truth of all things alwasy existed in the soul, then the soul is immortal. " Wow!!
Another interesting idea that Socrates shows to be true is that virtue cannot be taught. There are no teachers of virtue as there are of other forms of knowledge such as carpentry or medicine. And those men who are considered to be the most virtuous would certainly train their children to be virtuous also if they could and yet he showed that their sons were not as virtuous as the fathers. So therefore, it cannot be taught. There is something more to virtue than just knowledge.
Then to show that virtue comes from God, he shows the difference between knowledge and true opinions. A person who know the way to go to a certain place and one who has a true opinion of how to get there but has not been there can both lead a person to that place equally well, so " the only right guides are knowledge and true opinion-- these are the guides of man; for things which happen by chance are not under the guidance of man: but the guides of man are true opinion and knowledge." And to end, Socrates says," the conclusion is that virtue comes to the virtuous by the gift of God." I think it's notable that Socrates says God singular and not in the usual plural form of the Greek gods. I think he is talking about a one true God here. What wisdom!!
Thank you, Socrates!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Household tips
These are some household tips that may seem like common sense, but I have not realized the importance of them and the huge benefit they bring for the same amount of effort done ahead of the curve instead of behind it. Here they are:
Tip #1 -- Keep up on the laundry. When a load is done, fold it and put it away or have your kids do it, but keep up. I have been doing well at it for about 2 months now and it is amazing how much smoother the household runs. It's the same amount of work without the enormous pile of clean or dirty clothes blocking the pathway everyday and the house just seems more orderly. I know some of you already knew this tip, but have patience with those of us who have had to learn it the hard way!!
Tip #2 -- Start making dinner at 4 p.m. so that your family sits down and eats by 5 or 6. I get interrupted a ton when I'm making dinner so it usually takes me twice as long to actually get it on the table. Because everybody is fed no later than 6:30, they are not too grumpy to help with the dishes and cleaning the kitchen afterwards. The after dinner kitchen help goes a long way in runnning a well-kept house. Then I can spend my time on the deeper cleaning organizing chores and the kids start to form good habits of cleaning up after themselves right away, which I am still trying to develop in myself today! Definitely have the dishwasher loaded before you go to bed. A clean kitchen makes for a smoother morning.
Tip #1 -- Keep up on the laundry. When a load is done, fold it and put it away or have your kids do it, but keep up. I have been doing well at it for about 2 months now and it is amazing how much smoother the household runs. It's the same amount of work without the enormous pile of clean or dirty clothes blocking the pathway everyday and the house just seems more orderly. I know some of you already knew this tip, but have patience with those of us who have had to learn it the hard way!!
Tip #2 -- Start making dinner at 4 p.m. so that your family sits down and eats by 5 or 6. I get interrupted a ton when I'm making dinner so it usually takes me twice as long to actually get it on the table. Because everybody is fed no later than 6:30, they are not too grumpy to help with the dishes and cleaning the kitchen afterwards. The after dinner kitchen help goes a long way in runnning a well-kept house. Then I can spend my time on the deeper cleaning organizing chores and the kids start to form good habits of cleaning up after themselves right away, which I am still trying to develop in myself today! Definitely have the dishwasher loaded before you go to bed. A clean kitchen makes for a smoother morning.
Homeschool Tip -- learning vocabulary words
Here's a Tip:
A great easy way for kids to review foreign language definitions is to have them make their own memory game with the matches being between the English word and the foreign word. This gives them practice when they write each word for the game and then it gives them lots of fun review as the play the game. I cut 3x5 card in half for our game, they wrote their vocab. words on them during little kid story time and then we played it with everybody for review. The younger kids are going to fly through their lessons when they get to that point.
A great easy way for kids to review foreign language definitions is to have them make their own memory game with the matches being between the English word and the foreign word. This gives them practice when they write each word for the game and then it gives them lots of fun review as the play the game. I cut 3x5 card in half for our game, they wrote their vocab. words on them during little kid story time and then we played it with everybody for review. The younger kids are going to fly through their lessons when they get to that point.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Food Storage
Given the current climate, I have had more questions on food storage than before, so here's some info for whoever is interested:
First of all, let me share the best advice I've heard on food storage:
Get your survival food first, the stuff that will keep you alive, then get the tomato sauce and dehydrated fruit and pop tarts to make the survival food go down easier. Variety is extremely important though, especially if you have kids, because "if your kid don't like it, your kid don't eat it", and try to incorporate the survival foods into your regular meal planning. It's a lot healthier for you anyway, especially if you start sprouting and growing miniature greens like wheatgrass.
How much food do you need?
If you go to www.providentliving.org you will find all sorts of info and a food storage calculator. The total recommended amount of food you need is 30lbs of food/ person/ day, that comes out to 1 lb. of food per person per day, that is a 1 lb. loaf of bread (1 lb. of wheat = 1 lb. of flour). I think I would be happier living on more than that. I've heard that 300 lbs. of grain per year is how much the Jews in concentration camps were fed during the Nazi regime so that gives you an idea, but at least you would be alive. That's where you start. Get 300 lbs. of grain and 60 lbs. of dry beans and other legumes and be sure to get some good oil (non-hydrogenated and non-GMO) and salt because they say you can't live long without salt and oil. I think seeds would be a good thing to have also, so you can grow more food, and sprouts are a must for the vitamins we need.
Here's some info on sprouting and some recipes for sourdough bread and pancakes that only require flour, salt, water and baking soda and they taste good. My kids love both.
That's it for the bare basics of food storage. It takes up a lot more space than you would think and it is a major effort, but the Lord will provide for any who seek his blessing and guidance and do their best to keep his commandments. So good luck!! I hope everyone gets their food storage, because I think we may need it desparately someday.... if only I knew when!!
First of all, let me share the best advice I've heard on food storage:
Get your survival food first, the stuff that will keep you alive, then get the tomato sauce and dehydrated fruit and pop tarts to make the survival food go down easier. Variety is extremely important though, especially if you have kids, because "if your kid don't like it, your kid don't eat it", and try to incorporate the survival foods into your regular meal planning. It's a lot healthier for you anyway, especially if you start sprouting and growing miniature greens like wheatgrass.
How much food do you need?
If you go to www.providentliving.org you will find all sorts of info and a food storage calculator. The total recommended amount of food you need is 30lbs of food/ person/ day, that comes out to 1 lb. of food per person per day, that is a 1 lb. loaf of bread (1 lb. of wheat = 1 lb. of flour). I think I would be happier living on more than that. I've heard that 300 lbs. of grain per year is how much the Jews in concentration camps were fed during the Nazi regime so that gives you an idea, but at least you would be alive. That's where you start. Get 300 lbs. of grain and 60 lbs. of dry beans and other legumes and be sure to get some good oil (non-hydrogenated and non-GMO) and salt because they say you can't live long without salt and oil. I think seeds would be a good thing to have also, so you can grow more food, and sprouts are a must for the vitamins we need.
Here's some info on sprouting and some recipes for sourdough bread and pancakes that only require flour, salt, water and baking soda and they taste good. My kids love both.
That's it for the bare basics of food storage. It takes up a lot more space than you would think and it is a major effort, but the Lord will provide for any who seek his blessing and guidance and do their best to keep his commandments. So good luck!! I hope everyone gets their food storage, because I think we may need it desparately someday.... if only I knew when!!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Science Curriculum
My pick at this point for a good elementary school science curriculum is the God's Design series by Debbie and Richard Lawrence.
There is a separate book for each science subject such as plants, animals, the earth, the universe, weather, atoms and molecules, matter, etc. Then each book is divided into chapters that build on each other. It is so organized and full of good information in a format easily understood by the child. Also, each chapter lists the materials you may want to have to do the activity or experiment suggested for each chapter. It is so nice to have it all done for you. I read the chapter to my kids which is written in language for kids and we talk about what we read and then do the activity or experiment to go along with it. There is very little prep time. My kids really like learning real science and I even learn new things along with them. It is very fun!!
Just thought I'd pass this along, I am working on War and Peace and the first 2 books of Herodutus, slowly but surely. I'll finish my essays on the Greek plays at some point, but I got a little burnt out, if you didn't notice!! I've had to give up sewing in order to read, but this month I went back to sewing (for Halloween) and thus the reading went out the window. It's been a nice change of pace, but it's time to get back to reading and cleaning!!
There is a separate book for each science subject such as plants, animals, the earth, the universe, weather, atoms and molecules, matter, etc. Then each book is divided into chapters that build on each other. It is so organized and full of good information in a format easily understood by the child. Also, each chapter lists the materials you may want to have to do the activity or experiment suggested for each chapter. It is so nice to have it all done for you. I read the chapter to my kids which is written in language for kids and we talk about what we read and then do the activity or experiment to go along with it. There is very little prep time. My kids really like learning real science and I even learn new things along with them. It is very fun!!
Just thought I'd pass this along, I am working on War and Peace and the first 2 books of Herodutus, slowly but surely. I'll finish my essays on the Greek plays at some point, but I got a little burnt out, if you didn't notice!! I've had to give up sewing in order to read, but this month I went back to sewing (for Halloween) and thus the reading went out the window. It's been a nice change of pace, but it's time to get back to reading and cleaning!!
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