PEP
Parent Education Program
A Book Review by Kimberly Brown, Anne
Kelly, and Jennifer Matlock
The Devil Knows Latin: Why America
Needs the Classical Tradition
by E. Christian Kopff
REGENTS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN
CO
RAM
DEO
regents
school
of austin
coram deo
Austin, Texas
Kopff, E. Christian. 1998. The Devil Knows Latin: Why America Needs the Classical
Tradition. ISI Books. 327 pages.
Reviewers:
Kimberly Brown
Anne Kelly
Jennifer Matlock
Of the over 1 million words in the latest English dictionaries, more than half are of Latin
origin and those of Greek origin could make up much of what is left over. Unfortunately,
much of the American educational system has cast aside the classical languages and
traditions. In The Devil Knows Latin, E. Christian Kopff explains through a series of
essays why America needs to return to classical education and offers creative ways in
which this tradition might be restored.
The Devil Knows Latin is an apology for classical education. Kopff ventures into a wide
variety of topics, including classical civilization, postmodernism, and pop culture. He
reminds the reader of America’s foundations in classical culture then offers his
assessment of the pitfalls of the postmodern worldview. Kopff concludes by giving
rousing examples of how fragments of contemporary culture unknowingly exhibit the
classical tradition.
Kopff states that “a society without trained workers will not get its work done. A society
without educated citizens will collapse in times of crisis and will wither away in times of
ease and prosperity. Simply put, a civilization without educated citizens will cease to be
civilized.” He distinguishes true education from mere training. While training is needed,
anyone is able to be trained to accomplish a task. On the other hand, true education gives
an individual a wealth of knowledge to draw upon in order to think critically and discern
matters of importance.
Kopff moves on to show how classical history and culture have come to saturate
America’s own. The technology used in every day life is based on classical science, and
the American government is modeled heavily on that of classical cities. Despite this,
America has tried to forget her past in the midst of multiculturalism, which leaves “the
victim of such curriculum on the outside of every culture, hungry and cold, with his nose
pressed against the window, staring enviously and impotently at the riches within.” In
order to reap the benefits of Western culture, one must first study the “languages,
literatures, and ideas that shaped that culture.” Classical education is the vehicle by
which to achieve this goal.
Finally, as the English language is the means through which we communicate with each
other, Kopff goes on to assert that knowledge of Latin is essential to possess an adequate
English vocabulary. If the words of Latin origin were to be removed from most English
sentences, only articles, pronouns and conjunctions would be left, removing the meaning
from the language altogether. Kopff adds that “without the Latin words, an English
sentence is a frame without a picture.”
While The Devil Knows Latin is well-written and the author is articulate and well-read,
the audience is unclear. Kopff seems to assume much about his readers’ education and
historical knowledge. Many essays refer to obscure people or events as though they
should be familiar to the reader. The layman reader may also find the many Latin
phrases peppered throughout the book confusing and frustrating.
Secondly, the first seven chapters and epilogue provide a clear, strong argument for
classical education, however the argument gets lost in the wealth of details he provides in
the middle chapters. Kopff expects the reader to make the connection between each
essay and the overarching thesis.
In The Devil Knows Latin, Kopff encourages thoughtful conversation about education.
He invites the reader to supplement his own education through language study, providing
an appendix with resources. His fervor for knowledge and truth is clearly evident
throughout the pages of the text. Due to his passion, he offers insight into the destructive
path our culture seems to be taking. To quote Kopff, “the last thing we need for the
future of our country or of our young people is one more lunatic smashing goldfish bowls
in order to free the goldfish.”