Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
I was driving to my gainful employment as a Latin teacher when I heard Rush Limbaugh discussing how worthless a degree in Classical Studies is. I normally listen to Rush while driving between my private tutoring clients (I own a successful small business) and my duties as a part-time Latin teacher at a preparatory high school.
I feel compelled to comment on this because, as an alumna of Hillsdale College with a degree in Classical Studies from their first-rate department, I have managed to be a small business owner, author, editor, and teacher in my chosen field. What prompted Rush to embark on his rant was the incoherent scribbling of a Classical Studies major in the "We are the 99%" notebook. The author of this gaseous emission was complaining of his/her lack of job prospects and future student loan burden. Rush is right to scoff at the proliferation of degree programs with the dreadful appendage "studies." He is even right to suspect the credentials of a graduate with a degree in Classical Studies from a large, public university, as the leadership of most of these departments have utterly abandoned their posts as guardians of the Western tradition and have rushed to give aid and comfort to the barbarians at the gates. The target of Rush's criticism – a loathsome loser unworthy of calling him/herself a student of the Classics – does indeed deserve the scorn which Rush generously piled on.
But the study of the Western Heritage (including in the original, classical languages) does not deserve that derision. It is what Hillsdale College exists to defend, along with the Judeo-Christian tradition. Why does it matter? Because Rush Limbaugh's endorsement of and frequent on-air commercials for Hillsdale College have been perhaps the most successful marketing campaign that my alma mater has ever attempted.
It was embarrassing for me to listen to Rush's uninformed and utterly juvenile assault on the study of the very thing that he purports to esteem -- Western Civilization. Granted that many students of Classical Studies are lazy whiners who don't really learn much Latin or Greek; granted that many professors of Classical Studies in this country are liberal shills. These facts are chronologically relative and are irrelevant to the question of whether the study of the pillars of Western Civilization is worthy of great minds. I shall not make a list of all the founding fathers who, along with Karl Marx, studied the classics. The study of the Classics and its role in the education of the founders has been well defended and documented in (former Hillsdale faculty member) Tracy Lee Simmons' Climbing Parnassus.
When Latin lost its place in the curriculum of public schools, there was a corresponding collapse in verbal SAT scores. When did this occur? Beginning in 1962. In fact, one could even argue that the exit of Latin from the schools corresponded to the dreaded social and political upheavals of the 1960's. I won't make that argument, but it's at least worth considering, along with other factors. There is a utilitarian argument for Latin. But to make it misses the deeper point about the nature of the mind, its proper cultivation, and the resulting effect on the ability of citizens to be self-governing.
So, Dr. Arnn: are you going to respond? You are one of the most articulate defenders of the Classical and Judeo-Christian foundations of this nation. You are a great and beloved teacher. I think Mr. Limbaugh needs a lesson.
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Comments:
Feb '11
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
Please take Evelyn Waugh's words to heart: "If you approve, headmaster, I will stay as I am here as long as any boy wants to read the classics. I think it would be very wicked indeed to do anything to fit a boy for the modern world.”
Oct '11
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
As an English and French double major, I find your defense of a liberal arts education to be a sound one, particularly, as you own a successful small business.
Kudos!
May '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
I know Victor Davis Hanson appears on many talk shows. I wish he'd call Rush. My B.A. In Classical Studies from William and Mary gave me the closest thing to a old-fashioned, solid education I could get in the early 1980's. We should all call him on Friday when he has open lines.
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
I'd be pleased as punch if my daughters took Classical Studies. Of course, their school is a Classical Lutheran School and one of their teachers studied at Hillsdale. He has pretty much convinced us of the utility and beauty of that line of study.
Aug '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
I don't see the need for Dr. Arnn to step in. You did an admirable job of defending your Classical Studies education all on your own. Well said.
Sep '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
Rush will have turned out to do everyone a favor as he's no doubt being set straight behind the scenes. Its such a circus maximus that even the animals are posting about it in the Member Feed on Ricochet.
May '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
Later on in the show Rush did walk back on his comments somewhat, especially after talking to some callers.
Sep '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
I suspect his research staff is being lit up over this.
May '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
I fully agree with your assessment from an intellectual/cultural standpoint.
However, if Rush is arguing in terms of career prospects, he's absolutely correct. Exampling Hillsdale betrays the reality in most of the rest of the country.
Whatever cultural value studying in the humanities and social sciences still has, there's an over-saturation of people coming out with such degrees (most of them extremely unqualified). Therefore, all of the obvious, 'safe' outlets have dried up.
Traditionally most of these graduates would filter into teaching positions, however in most parts of the US teaching jobs are presently very difficult to come by due to lack of funds and oversupply of teachers (among other difficulties, thanks to the teachers unions). Only those in the top levels of performance have some form of graduate school as an option. That leaves the rest to try to squirm into the varying civil service positions that might hire an undergraduate with such a degree. All that remain better be prepared for a career somewhere in the service industries.
Edited on November 3, 2011 at 4:15pmDec '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
Should Classics Studies include Euclidean statistics?
Rush is right. He lives well pontificating. Should unviersities hire faculty to teach that?
In his Harvard Crimson 863-word op-ed—more words than he ever wrote as editor-in-chief of the Harvard Law Review—in which he mentions his wife, Michelle, by name three times, POTUS 44 explains how his government will save Harvard alumni entering into the real world:
“I’ve announced a new policy that will help families whose home values have fallen refinance their mortgages and save thousands of dollars… that’s why we’re making changes that will give about 1.6 million students the ability to cap their loan payments at 10 percent of their income starting next year.”
Circumventing the legislature with the issuance of executive orders, POTUS decrees the government takeover of markets by retroactively superseding terms and conditions of contracts between banks and borrowers for home and education loans.
Why? To buy votes. From Harvard alumni.
Like an upside down Ponzi scheme, the higher education bubble starting inflating since the 60s. Now, a Harvard Law graduate uses the forum of his alma mater to advance collectivism. And the solution is to speak Greek?
Edited on November 3, 2011 at 4:18pmMay '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
As I said in one of the articles on the Members Feed: How do you argue the need or effectiveness of a Classical Studies education with a college dropout with the accumulated wealth of Mr. Limbaugh?
This whole slew of threads is based not on an argument but on personal grievance. OK, so you have a degree in Classical Studies and feel insulted. Get over it. It was right for you.
We sell higher education as a panacea and assured access to success. It is not. It should be viewed for what it is: A process for someone to achieve their personal goals. It wasn't necessary for Mr. Limbaugh, or Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or Oracle's Larry Ellison.
Stop being defensive about it.
Dec '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
The education you received at Hillsdale is NOT the one people are getting elsewhere. Every discipline has been co-opted by the left. You can't even compare what you received with what a typical OWS protestor with the same degree from another school. I work in higher ed and it's a sick place.
Rush is right because not everyone goes to Hillsdale.
Jan '11
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
The moral of this story is, don't waste your time listening to the windbaggery of Rush Limbaugh.
May '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
That "windbaggery" has probably done more to advance the conservative cause than anything you, I, or anyone else on Ricochet has ever done and in that regard seems a bit of a bizarre statement.
Jan '11
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
If you say so, I've always found Rush to be a massive jerk and overbearing, self-promoting ass. I've never found his show compelling. He came on the scene when I was in college and fairly liberal. If anything at that time he confirmed the negative stereotypes I had of conservatives. My move to the right happened in spite of his type of gaseous conservatism, and I find talking to independents and reasonable, persuadable people on matters of politics, once I express my conservative leanings, one of the first things I usually have to do is assure them not every conservative is as big a DB as Mr. Limbaugh.
Sep '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
Lighten up, Francis.
Aug '11
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
The topic was very interesting and well written. I won't comment on what other people remember someone else saying.
Also, I can imagine Hillsdale College as being an outlier in terms of how the quality of the teaching and teachers.
My own feeling of classical studies is mixed. I minored in the classics and took ancient Greek at UMiami. We didn't do any defending of the West! But the teachers were good and there were only three teachers so you got to know them...
How do I feel about Rush Limbaugh? Well, he's someone to listen to in the car who I generally agree with, but I don't take him too seriously. I like his show because he gives me a good, humorous (and biased) overview of the major headlines of the day. When I get time to read the news, I know what the "big stories" are.
May '11
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
BThompson
If you say so, I've always found Rush to be a massive jerk and overbearing, self-promoting ass. I've never found his show compelling. He came on the scene when I was in college and fairly liberal. If anything at that time he confirmed the negative stereotypes I had of conservatives. My move to the right happened in spite of his type of gaseous conservatism, and I find talking to independents and reasonable, persuadable people on matters of politics, once I express my conservative leanings, one of the first things I usually have to do is assure them not every conservative is as big a DB as Mr. Limbaugh. · Nov 3 at 8:58am
Some never liked Limbaugh, such as yourself, some wearied of him, as MYself, but many also were 're-educated' listening to him, turned from 'the dark side' ; ) Liking him or not is in the main rather more an issue of style than content.
May '10
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
It's not that Rush himself has converted the masses to conservatism directly, although I am sure that he has, it is that he armed millions with facts and effective arguments.
I am not certain of your path to conversion, but I would be willing to bet that you probably encountered a Rush listener along the way that extended his arguments to you and that helped lead you to where you are today.
Not everyone appreciates his "schtick" but not everybody appreciates Buckley, Will or Coulter. We know these aren't the hand-picked disciples of Jesus we're talking about but, c'mon. As MBF said, "Lighten up."
Edited on November 3, 2011 at 5:30pmMay '11
Re: Paging Dr. Larry Arnn
BThompson
If you say so, I've always found Rush to be a massive jerk and overbearing, self-promoting ass. I've never found his show compelling. He came on the scene when I was in college and fairly liberal. If anything at that time he confirmed the negative stereotypes I had of conservatives. My move to the right happened in spite of his type of gaseous conservatism, and I find talking to independents and reasonable, persuadable people on matters of politics, once I express my conservative leanings, one of the first things I usually have to do is assure them not every conservative is as big a DB as Mr. Limbaugh. · Nov 3 at 8:58am
Some never liked Limbaugh, such as yourself, some wearied of him, as MYself, but many also were 're-educated' listening to him, turned from 'the dark side' ; ) Liking him or not is in the main rather more an issue of style than content.