Why does someone who is so explicitly trying to break with tradition use SO MANY unnecessary allusions in his writing to some of the most traditional writings out there (i.e. the Bible, Shakespeare, &c.)?
Here's a possible explanation to Thoreau's blatant contradictions:
Thoreau actually sees value in both inherited experience and in the new. His overt warnings against conventional wisdom is just part of Thoreaus beliefs on the value of experience in learning or living. The other part ( which we noticed he has not stated explicitly, but has done so through selected quotes, is that there is some use for the past.
My guess is that he is reacting to traditional modes of learning at the time Which over emphasized the whole " you are the tabula rasa that I, the elder, must write on." So he might in practice be more willing to find middle ground between thinking all the came before is useless and we can only learn what older people have to teach us.
I'm paraphrasing this thought from the Uncommon Learning book. The author is analyzing Thoreau's works to try and pull out Thoreau's philosophy of education. He noted that Thoreau was very frustrated with his few years of teaching in public school, specifically forthe reason above, the notion that everything should come from the teacher and the student really has nothing to add.
This is from the iPhone by the way so sorry for the sloppiness.
Ok Jesus that was a mess. I can't type on this thing. I've got to keep it shorter.
Thoreau didn't like the idea that learning just meant learning what came before and stopping there. He might be using Walden to try and open eyes to the idea that yes I will pull wisdom from the classics, but I don't just stop there. I trust in my own first hand experiences as well and I pit them against conventional wisdom to see what is worth keeping from the old.
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ReplyDeleteHere's a possible explanation to Thoreau's blatant contradictions:
ReplyDeleteThoreau actually sees value in both inherited experience and in the new. His overt warnings against conventional wisdom is just part of Thoreaus beliefs on the value of experience in learning or living. The other part ( which we noticed he has not stated explicitly, but has done so through selected quotes, is that there is some use for the past.
My guess is that he is reacting to traditional modes of learning at the time Which over emphasized the whole " you are the tabula rasa that I, the elder, must write on." So he might in practice be more willing to find middle ground between thinking all the came before is useless and we can only learn what older people have to teach us.
I'm paraphrasing this thought from the Uncommon Learning book. The author is analyzing Thoreau's works to try and pull out Thoreau's philosophy of education. He noted that Thoreau was very frustrated with his few years of teaching in public school, specifically forthe reason above, the notion that everything should come from the teacher and the student really has nothing to add.
This is from the iPhone by the way so sorry for the sloppiness.
Ok Jesus that was a mess. I can't type on this thing. I've got to keep it shorter.
ReplyDeleteThoreau didn't like the idea that learning just meant learning what came before and stopping there. He might be using Walden to try and open eyes to the idea that yes I will pull wisdom from the classics, but I don't just stop there. I trust in my own first hand experiences as well and I pit them against conventional wisdom to see what is worth keeping from the old.