From An Unguided Adventurist in Literature and Philosophy

Having been reading much of Merriweather Thackeray, he led me to a name that never showed in my earlier - formal or informal - education: Paul de Kock. He's a Frenchman and in his time considered some heavy weight in popular literature. I did not like very much what I read, but I am positively convinced that this is due to a poor translation by one who appears to be in excellent command of the French language, but knows only the basics of the English. Nevertheless, the content of his writings is remarkable. Among other leads, he reminded me of J-J Rouseau's influence on the life and thinking of his time and this led to my picking up Emile, which Mr. Rousseau considers his primary and most outstanding work. It deals, to make things sound simple, with the education of man in relation to society. Not yet having finished this book by a long reach, a further lead in this text brought me to the concept of the 'Pythagorean Regime', which led me to a book dating way back in the history of phylosophy, and briefly touching on this regime which Pythagoras made to the principle of his life conduct. In looking at this chain, a new line of connections immerses: Pythagoras, Rousseau, Dr. Benjamin Spock.

In the sixties,  Dr. Spock made high waves in the way young children were raised and there was one camp that decried him for having caused the permissiveness in upbringing that eventually led to the creation of the anti-Vietnam war movent and the deterioration of the the respect of children to their parents and elders. This effect still continues, even though some families, thang Good, have escaped its influences.

However, contemplating Emile, and Spock's writing, it appears that Spock is falsely accused. I am beginning to believe that he was taken in by earlier philosophers, most specifically by Rousseau's Emile, but was incapable to transmit those thoughts clearly to his own generations and the misunderstanding he created caused his problem.

I was one of his outspoken opponents without having read his books at that time. Yet, reading his presumed sources, the ideas he perhaps wanted to transmit appear sound and, from the standpoint of one who is earnestly contemplating the upbringing (education) of children, it should be imperative that he familiarize himself with these philosophies.

That is why I attempted to send you this link this morning, but it appears it did not reach you. Make a search for 'Pythagorean Regime' and it takes you to a preview of a Google book where you can get the gist of it. Then read Emile, if you have not yet done this in school, and get a vast expansion of the few hints you receive in Pythagoras. Forget Spock, for I think he misrepresents the original ideas which, after all, have led to the design of a national education system.

And, most of all, introduce your children to Emile and help them understand it with your more extensive life's experience, because they are the ones next at the front of educating the next generation.
It is, if nothing else, a valuable expansion of the horizon.

Further research along this line will probably lead to Walden Pond.

Sent to you by an unguided adventurist in literature and philosophy who brings nothing as a base but math, physics, chemistry, aerodynamics, thermodynamics . . . And who knew only that Pythagoras unlocked the mysteries of the right-angled triangle.

P.s. My references to 'him' without mentioning 'her' is an old habit. When I grew up, depending on the context of speech or writing, both sexes were understood by this short reference to man, just as 'man' used to be understood to mean 'mankind', or all of us. How complicated things get when we let lawyers and extremists formulate the basics of our lives.