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English Notes on Classical culture Forest Hills High School Mr. M. Lutece
** In understanding the basis of classical culture, it is necessary to focus on the central questions “ What is
humanity? ; What does it mean to be a human being?” and How do we develop ourselves to become
truly human, as opposed to living a merely bestial existence? “ Classical culture can also be viewed as
‘Renaissance culture’, because it is this conception and realization of humanity which has given mankind
it’s greatest progress and development throughout history.
1. Man is inherently good ( as opposed to being greedy, selfish and self-obsessed, as most of our
environment tends to attempt to instill within us in these modern times ). We are not simply “animals
without fur”, as modern sociology / anthropology would lead us to believe, but divine beings by virtue of
being created in the image of our creator, with the expressed capabilities to develop ourselves and humanity
as a whole by achieving our given potential to uplift humanity for the greater good of all.
2. We develop our humanity through making discoveries ( universal physical principles ); learning how the
universe operates, which gives us the power ( capability ) to make change / develop / advance society, not
merely for our best interests as individuals, but for all of mankind. This is the most efficient form of
action, as it creates the greatest benefits for man ( wealth ) in total. Note that wealth is not just money,
assets…, but an advancement in living standards for all ( education, health care, art, music, science… – this
is real wealth and can never be achieved successfully through selfish actions.
3. Truth does exist and can be known. The universe is not random, but is predictable and knowable, from
the actions of societies in general at the highest levels and the resulting survival or destruction of those
societies, to individual cause and effect relationships in our lives. Just as scientific principles can be known
and this knowledge used to develop mankind; in the same way, a competent and thorough study of history
clearly shows us how society should live and what principles should exist at it’s core to achieve the greatest
good for all of humanity. This is all based on understanding what it means to be human. The idea of
“popular opinion” is a poor substitute for truth and generally does not achieve real progress in any form. It
may be gratifying for one’s ego to say: “ I have my opinion, and that’s all I need to know.”, or “you have
your opinion and I have mine”, but what is one’s opinion based on, but what one chooses to believe, or
what one is told / led to believe. Truth is provable to everyone, and societies which embrace the honest and
selfless idea of dedicating their lives to pursuing truth have advanced significantly throughout history.
Those societies which have said “There is no truth, only opinion.” are denying reality and have collapsed
for these reasons ( ie. – the Roman Empire; Napoleon’s France; Hitler’s Germany; ancient
Mesopotamia…). In short, the universe, being orderly and organized, reacts to us either favorably or
unfavorably, depending on whether we perform lawful / moral actions, or inhumane and selfish actions. If
we learn how the universe operates and act in conjunction with it ( through science, technology, art,
music…), then we will develop optimally; if we disregard human goodness, and live and act against human
goodness and advancement, then we will collapse into war and degeneration.
4. Sense perception / our senses are very limited. If we rely on sense perception as truth / reality, then we
are easily deceived and retard our progress as human beings. Every truly successful and optimistic culture
has understood that sense perception is merely the universe around us impacting our physical inputs, and
that cognition is required to perceive reality. This refers to understanding / deciphering what our senses tell
us to discover how the universe operates ( the reality which casts the shadows that we see through our
senses, from Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” ). An example is the primary general shape of our planet. To
the naked eye, it appears flat and this sense perception was falsely adhered to at many junctures throughout
history, even after the ancient Greeks proved the earth was round by 200 b.c. Another example is Kepler’s
discovery of the true nature of the solar system ( that the earth and all other planets rotate around the sun ),
as opposed to our senses, which tell us that the earth is still and other celestial bodies are moving around us.
Note that this discovery of truth / how things really operate applies to every element of our environment
large and small, but takes an evaluation of our sensory inputs to understand what they are really telling us.
This takes higher cognition, otherwise known as operating in the “complex domain”, as opposed to taking
things literally ( ie. – “seeing is believing”… ).
5. Man is capable of achieving immortality. No other known living creature is capable of learning /
discovering and passing on knowledge from one generation to the next over thousands of years. This
accumulation of knowledge ( not merely facts, as facts are often worthless things if you don’t understand
the higher principles involved in their creation ), advances society continually upwards if successive
societies remain committed to developing their humanity. Immortality refers not to the physical body,
which is limited in both ability and time, but to ideas created through the human mind ( cognitive reason ),
which can endure and impact society for thousands of years ( ie. – Plato, Socrates, Beethoven, Ben
Franklin, Shakespeare…). This is the most potent and enduring element of a person, what they create
through their discoveries which uplift mankind long after they have physically deceased. It is what we do
which lives on after we die that classical beings commit their lives to ( ideas which are a gift you give to
future generations ).
6. The highest purpose of government, upon which our forefathers created this republic, is to create the
ideal conditions in a society under which mankind can develop the optimal realization and exercising of
their humanity ( true beauty ). These discoveries, whether in science or arts / music, are then seen as
causing advances in society for all and are further cherished and developed by future generations, creating a
continuous advancement for the human race as a whole. Examples of this are superior health care for
everyone ( healthier people are more cognitively productive ), real education, which teaches not merely
facts and rote procedures, but ideas and principles; classical art / music / literature… which uses metaphor
to impact the mind and the spirit and influence the human soul toward beautiful thoughts and acts. These
are the classical ideas imbued in our Constitution and Declaration, which reflect the truthful ideas of Ben
Franklin, Cotton Mather, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay… and their like. This tradition has been carried on
by American intellectual tradition proponents such as Abraham Lincoln, Matthew Carey, Henry Clay,
William McKinley, F.D.R., and J.F.K. The primary idea is to recognize that all wealth / production comes
from the human mind at it’s source, and the effectiveness with which the human mind is cultivated through
a formal and societal education determines the success of a civilization. Selfish actions, a focus on material
wealth, physical pleasure devoid of higher ideals, and the view of oneself as the most important thing in
existence, are all highly inefficient in developing human potential ( hence real wealth – ideas and
improvements in existence ) and lead to the eventual collapse of civilizations unless they mend their ways
and commit themselves to acting for the greater good. In truth, the best way we serve our own
development / wealth is to act for the goodness of all of society and posterity – and this is the best of all
possible worlds, showing that the universe, based on this outcome, is truly good and lawful.
7. As German classical poet Friedrich Schiller writes in his essay “Theater Considered As A Moral
Institution”, the primary purpose of theater, literature, art and poetry was never intended to be for
mere entertainment, relaxation, a few laughs, nor to take the mind to a more ‘pleasurable’ state of
fantasy than the real world. The primary purpose and reason for the creation of any classical work is the
education of the citizen of a nation on how to be a more developed and productive individual, with
the intent of strengthening and uplifting the conditions of human existence for the increasingly
greater good within both the nation and the world. The main tenets of classical drama, poetry and
literature are universality and metaphor. Universality refers to a lawful universal principle ( often unseen
through the mere senses ) which, when practiced, will cause knowable consequences ( for better or worse )
in any time or place in history. Metaphor refers to the transmission of a higher idea through a story or
series of images which enlightens the mind ( ‘moves the mind’ ) and causes it to reflect, ‘see’ and become
inspired and joyful at the knowledge of a universal and lawful principle which has the power to move the
universe forward. Unlike most modern art, which focuses on pleasing the senses and relaxing the mind
away from reality and considered reflection on the human condition, classical art always strives to provoke
the audience / viewer / reader to understand reality, the universal and timeless principles which have and
will always impact human development at its highest levels. In many historical examples, classical drama
has been used to organize the mind’s of seemingly overmatched armies prior to battling their enemies,
enabling them to gain inspiration ( and oftentimes unexpected and dramatic victory ) from their
understanding of the moral legitimacy of their cause. In effect, classical drama / art is essential for the
continued existence and strengthening of the morals and honor of a nation, and of all mankind.