“The scholar is that man who must take up into himself all the ability of the time, all the contributions of the past, all the hopes of the future. He must be a university of knowledges. If there be one lesson more than another, which should pierce his ear, it is, The world is nothing, the man is all; in yourself is the law of all nature, and you know not yet how a globule of sap ascends; in yourself slumbers the whole of Reason; it is for you to know all, it is for you to dare all.”

Just 61 years after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, Ralph Waldo Emerson offered a declaration of his own urging Americans to stop being “parrot[s] of other men’s thinking.”

The groundbreaking speech, later titled The American Scholar, is a treasure trove of autodidactic insight. If you’ve never read it, I heartily suggest that you take a look at the complete manuscript online, print out a copy, and get your highlighter ready. This one is a classic!

In his speech, Emerson draws attention to three ways that people can become independent thinkers and free themselves from over-reliance upon the ideas of others. In a nutshell, we must: learn from nature, study the past, and become people of action.

Learn from Nature

Emerson suggests that we need to learn from nature not simply for its own sake, but because learning about nature helps us understand ourselves:

“Its beauty is the beauty of his own mind. Its laws are the laws of his own mind. Nature then becomes to him the measure of his attainments. So much of nature as he is ignorant of, so much of his own mind does he not yet possess. And, in fine, the ancient precept, “Know thyself,” and the modern precept, “Study nature,” become at last one maxim.”

As a bookworm, this is something that I didn’t understand for years. But, as I’ve recently ventured out to hike in the woods, plant a garden, and ride my bicycle, I have found that my understanding of myself and other concepts has increased in ways that simply weren’t possible from spending hours in front of a computer screen or curled up with a book.

Study the Past

Don’t chuck those paperbacks out the window quite yet, though. Emerson certainly realizes the importance of book learning. In The American Scholar, learning about the past is one of the essential steps of become an independent thinker.

How can we know who we are, where we came from, and where we can go if we don’t study the past?

Emerson suggests that we read the best of books, enjoy poetry, immerse ourselves in science, and master history. Studying the thinkers of the past can help us learn how to form our own ideas.

At the same time, we must always keep in mind the danger of becoming a slave to the ideas of others:

“Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst. What is the right use? What is the one end, which all means go to effect? They are for nothing but to inspire. I had better never see a book, than to be warped by its attraction clean out of my own orbit, and made a satellite instead of a system.”

Let the ideas of the past guide your own thinking, not become a substitute for your own thinking.

Be a Person of Action

In previous posts, I’ve discussed the revival of valuing practical learning and action. It turns out that nineteenth century thinkers were already dealing with the issue of non-practical, abstract learning and trying to find ways to connect scholars to the real world.

Emerson explains:

“Action is with the scholar subordinate, but it is essential. Without it, he is not yet man. Without it, thought can never ripen into truth. Whilst the world hangs before the eye as a cloud of beauty, we cannot even see its beauty. Inaction is cowardice, but there can be no scholar without the heroic mind. The preamble of thought, the transition through which it passes from the unconscious to the conscious, is action. Only so much do I know, as I have lived. Instantly we know whose words are loaded with life, and whose not.”

I love that last line, in particular. As a learner, I could always tell when a teacher knew what they were talking about from their own experiences or when a teacher only understood a subject based on shallow theories and assumptions.

Acting without insight and knowledge is meaningless. But, what’s the point of knowing anything if it isn’t put to use? Through action our wisdom “ripens” and we become ever more capable of thinking for ourselves.

Your Own Declaration of Intellectual Independence

If you’ve been as inspired by Emerson’s words as I, consider writing your own declaration of intellectual independence. Are you clinging to the ideas of others or held back by a fear of finding your own path? What steps can you take to more fully embrace your life as an independent thinker? I hope you’ll join me in considering those questions this July.

Although no formal credit is offered, Peer-to-Peer University courses look like a promising resource for lifelong learners. They combine freely available opencourseware with more personalized instruction, giving enrollees the opportunity to study alongside peers.

I’ve often found it difficult to use opencourseware for personal study. The best material is often hidden amongst  skimpy syllabi and, since the content was created for live courses, it can be frustrating to use independently. Peer-to-Peer University solves that problem by finding the highest quality learning material and connecting learners with a guide.

Courses offered include:

• Behavioral Economics and Decision Making
• Copyright for Educators
• Introduction to Cyberpunk Literature
• Land Restoration and Afforestation
• Neuroethics and International Biolaw
• Open Creative Nonfiction Writing
• Poker and Strategic Thinking

If you want to enroll in the first session fo Peer-to-Peer University courses, you’ll have to hurry. The application period ends August 26. Additional courses will be offered after the six-week session ends.

A Bibliography for Lifelong Learning Enthusiasts

If you want to know more about self-education, your best bet is to start reading. Over the years, I’ve kept a list the best self-education books and blogs. Now I’m sharing them in the hopes that you’ll find something new and maybe add a suggestion or two of your own. Use these resources to evaluate your education, find the tools and resources you need, and learn effectively on your own.

If you know of a book or blog that should be added to the list, please leave a comment below. Note that the list is focused primarily on material that discusses adult / teen self-education or learning theories that apply to both children and adults. I left out many worthy homeschooling books because there are already many lists dedicated to that topic.

Theoretical Books on Self-Education

Theory-oriented books examine education as a whole and provide the foundation of understanding that self-education advocates share when they examine issues related to learning. If you’re still developing opinions about the nature of learning and the proper role of educational institutions, this is the place to start.

Deschooling Society (Ivan Illich) – A case for radical changes in the education system, including the disestablishment of traditionally structured schools and the development of more informal “learning webs.”

Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire) – An education critic argues against the theory of “banking,” claiming that a student is more than an empty vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge from a teacher.

Experience and Education (John Dewey) – Dewey contends that experience is vital to education.

How Children Learn (John Holt) – Early unschooling advocate John Holt argues that learning comes naturally and that the best education is often gained outside of the classroom.

How Children Fail (John Holt) – According to the author, “most children in school fail…in fact if not in name.” This book explores the reasons why.

Instead of Education (John Holt) – This self-education classic examines how people learn on their own, outside of traditional schools.

Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling (John Taylor Gatto) – A former New York State Teacher of the Year takes a look at the dark side of forced education.

A Different Kind of Teacher: Solving the Crisis of American Schooling (John Taylor Gatto) – A look at some of the problems of compulsory schooling and what it takes for a person to become truly educated.

Practical Books on Self-Education

When you’re ready to embark on your own self-education journey, practical books can help. Whether you want to study the classics, quit school in order to pursue a passion, or publish a scholarly paper, experienced guides can walk you through the basics of learning independently.

The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education (Grace Llewellyn) – Thousands of teenagers have turned to this unschooling classic in search of guidance. Former teacher Llewellyn’s advice is aimed at teenagers but is invaluable to anyone interested in self-education.

The Art of Learning (Josh Waitzkin) – A chess champion and martial arts master shares his insights on how to learn effectively.

Self-University (Charles D. Hayes) – An in-depth autodidactic guide to giving yourself an education in all of the major disciplines.

The Independent Scholar’s Handbook (Ronald Gross) – A practical guide for self-educated learners wanting to become recognized experts without connections to academic institutions.

The Well-Educated Mind (Susan Wise Bauer) – Step-by-step directions on how to give yourself a classical education.

Self-Education Idea Blogs

Four years ago I felt rather alone. Now, a small but growing army of self-education bloggers has begun to form. Find out more about lifelong learning from conscious drop-outs, former teachers, and learning-oriented psychologists.

The Feeling of Thinking – A Psychology Today blog by successful high school drop-out and author of Buccaneer-Scholar James Bach.

The Art of Self-Education – Lifelong learning enthusiast Race Bannon shares the self-education tips he picked up from experience with dozens of exciting careers.

Wide Awake Minds – Ryan McCarl, a graduate student studying education, blogs about his thoughts on teaching, learning, and self-education.

Freedom to Learn – A Psychology Today blog about the importance of play in learning from psychology professor Peter Gray.

Buccaneer Scholar – James Bach’s personal blog about his experiences with self-education.

LiteMind – A unique blog from Luciano Passuello examines the most effective ways to use your mind.

Self-Education Resource Blogs

The internet is home to millions of educational resources, if you just know where to look. Resource blogs can help you find the best no-cost courses, websites, and learning materials.

ZaidLearn – Hundreds of lifelong learning resources, tools, and tips from e-learning manager Zaid Alsagoff.

Mission to Learn – Lifelong learning advocate Jeff Cobbs shares his education resource finds (Also, check out his packed learning resource newsletter).

Open Culture – A popular blog covering free, open-access learning material from editor Dan Colman.

Now, Bach calls himself a “buccaneer-scholar.” What is that, exactly?

He explains: “A buccaneer-scholar is anyone whose love of learning is not muzzled, yoked, or shackled by any institution or authority; whose mind is driven to wander and find its own voice or place in the world.”

Bach’s book, Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar is set to be released this September. But, right now publisher Simon & Schuster is letting anyone digitally borrow and read the entire book for free.

In the book, you’ll read more about Bach’s amazing self-education story. You’ll also find useful suggestions for discovering your own passion and making learning a more meaningful part of your life.

Here’s how to get the book:

1. Go to the Simon & Schuster Buccaneer-Scholar webpage.
2. Give them your email address and some other basic info.
3. Download the book and the Adobe Digital editions reader (also free).
4. You’ll have two weeks from your download date to read the book before it disappears from your e-reader.

So far, I’m half way through Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar and am loving every page. Instead of waiting until I finish the book, I’m posting now so that you can download it while it’s still available. The free download period ends on July 24th, so there are only a few days left.

Blake’s first book, College Without High School will be on shelves this October. I was treated to a sneak-peek and am impressed with the insight Blake shares with teens who want to skip high school, pursue their own interests, and still make it to college.

I asked Blake a few questions about how he became involved with the unschooling movement, where his educational philosophy has taken him, and how the theories behind unschooling shape his own life as a learner. You won’t want to miss his answers.

Photo: Blake Boles (top, center) with Unschool Adventures group in Argentina.

How did you first become interested in helping unschooling teens learn on their own?

In Spring 2003, when I was an astrophysics major at UC Berkeley, a friend handed me a John Taylor Gatto book and ignited my passion for unschooling and free schooling. I ended up changing my major to study those fields exclusively, but for years after graduating I wasn’t quite sure how to apply this passion outside the academic realm of reading and research. I knew that I liked working with teens from my time as an instructor at a wilderness summer camp, but the question of where to find these magical “self-directed teens” eluded me. A short-term internship at a Sudbury-model school (where youngsters dominated the scene) had left me unsatisfied. So, I wrote Grace Llewellyn an e-mail, remembering vaguely from my first reading of her Teenage Liberation Handbook that she ran a teen-only summer camp, and I asked her if I could become a staff member. She wrote back with an enthusiastic “yes”.

Not Back to School Camp totally altered and informed my perception of homeschooling and unschooling. Previously, I think I held many of the common doubts about homeschooled teens: Are they really just social recluses? Do they have personalities? Can they actually read and write well? NBTSC blew those all away by showing me that unschooled homeschooled teens are really more like savvy high school graduates taking an extended gap year. (Literally, their social, emotional, and intellectual literacy levels were often on par with most high school graduates.) These teens were taking on challenges and projects at age 15, 16, or 17 that blew me away. And socially they were “normal,” “well-adjusted” kids with shares of healthy weirdness and idiosyncrasy. The first summer that I worked at NBTSC I spent one session there, and I returned the next year to work all three sessions. Since then, I haven’t looked back in my desire to work with unschooling (or more generally, “self-directed”) teens.

Why are teens leaving school? What can they learn or accomplish on their own that can’t be done from a classroom?

Teens choose to leave school for a variety of reason: intellectual, social, religious, and safety. My work involves teens who choose the intellectual and social reasons. Intellectually, a student may be held back by a slow teacher or curriculum, his academic interests may not be addressed by the school, or his learning style (especially kinesthetic) may be ignored. Socially, a teen may be frustrated by superficial and vicious social groupings, a dearth of worthwhile friends, or the unfulfilled desire to interact with the whole world–not just the little bubble of people her same age who happened to be born in the same area.

For most of the teens who I work with, it’s some combination of these factors that drive them from school. Unschooling lets them undertake big learning projects and take ownership of the results. It’s a more adult way of learning, and it’s a lot more fun to boot!

Leaving school is scary. What do you say to parents who worry that their teens will become socially awkward, deficient in necessary skills, or unable to make it to college?

My initial response to these questions is: Yes, it could happen. If you pull your child from school, keep them at home all day, and insulate them from the world-at-large, then it’s perfectly possible to raise a socially stunted and untalented teen with no college preparatory assets. Homeschooling can be botched just as any form of education can be botched.

Homeschooling done well, in my opinion, means actively getting the student out of the house (which is why I prefer the terms “unschooling” or “self-directed learning”), exposing them to a wide swath of real-life activities (especially the world of business via internships, job shadows, and employment), traveling, and joining in group activities large and small. The more that these are chosen by the student, the better.

When homeschooling is done this way, social “adjustment” is a given; students learn skills because real life demands it of them (instead of a teacher’s decree); and college preparation is only a few steps away (by taking a few community college courses and a standardized test, for example). And for teens with a basic measure of independence, none of this absolutely requires one parent at home.

My advice to parents who still worry about these common issues is to read, read, read, and then find local homeschooling groups who can give sage advice on specific issues. John Holt & Pat Farenga’s Teach Your Own and Grace Llewellyn’s Teenage Liberation Handbook are excellent places to start.

If you could go back and re-do your teen years, what would you have done differently?

I try to tactfully avoid this question when it arises, because I think it’s silly to hold any regrets about my teen years. But perhaps if I had been exposed to the ideology of self-education and embraced in my teen years, I would have gone on more backpacking trips in Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks, which were a scant 2-hour drive away from my hometown of Bakersfield, CA. At the time I was more interested in playing computer games.

How have your new beliefs about education affected how you learn as an adult?

At the core of unschooling is the belief that everything is a learning experience, and therefore every failure is an opportunity for growth. As I’ve struggled to find my career path as a young adult, the ability to embrace failure has helped me immensely. Also, over the past years I’ve kept a line of study (currently it’s political philosophy) just for myself. Not for a class, not for a test, just me. I love it.

Many teens are unable to stop attending school and many adults have already passed that point. Is there anything about the unschooling philosophy that can help them?

I feel that unschooling is a philosophy consistent with American individualism, which relishes self-reliance and self-direction. These are the roots of self-education. By acknowledging that only you can truly motivate yourself to learn, any teen or adult can build their confidence and independence. Unschooling helps people get over the (artificially instilled) belief that learning stops when school stops, or in other words, an institution or other external motivator is required for you to learn.

Through your program, Unschool Adventures, you take groups of unschooling teens on some pretty exciting trips. Tell us about a couple of your best outings.

Our inaugural trip was a 6-week adventure through Argentina in Fall 2008. We split the trip into three 2-week segments: an initial, highly structured segment in the Andean foothill town of Bariloche (where students did Spanish classes, family homestays, and outdoor adventure); a second, totally unstructured segment (where the students
chose the destinations, arranged travel and accommodations, and motivated themselves when they were bored); and finally, a semi-structured segment in Buenos Aires (where we took Argentine Tango lessons, explored the neighborhoods of the city, and got a few students involved in volunteering and job shadows). Each day we cooked for ourselves, had “check-in” meetings, and asked if anyone had changes to propose for the daily schedule.

The trip, by everyone’s measure, was a total success. Abbi (my co-leader and fellow Not Back to School Camp staffer) and I walked away totally jazzed to lead more adventures, and thus the company solidified.

For a specific example of one of our “best outings”, I think our day-long bike ride around the “Chico Circuit” outside of Bariloche takes the cake. The 25km-long circuit wound around a beautiful wooded peninsula surrounded by a large lake, from which the Andean mountains jutted up into space. Even Quincie, our beloved student from Austin who wished that “nature doesn’t have to be uphill,” walked away smiling.

Our next two planned trips include a month-long novel-writing retreat on the Oregon coast in November 2009 and a huge 6-week adventure around Eastern Australia in January and February of 2010. (Anyone interested should check out our website, www.unschooladventures.com).

If you could give one piece of advice to high schoolers and other learners, what would it be?

Take a block of time–the bigger, the better–to figure out what really matters to you. For graduating high schoolers, this might mean taking a year-long gap year. For younger teens frustrated with school, this might mean taking a “deschooling vacation” during the school year. Unschooling is just a vehicle for doing what matters most to you. The trick, of course, is that you’ve got to figure out what matters first.

Do you have any other projects or programs for teens in the works right now?

Currently I’m developing a 2-week leadership retreat program for teenage homeschoolers and unschoolers. The approach will be more structured and draw on my experience as a leadership trainer at my wilderness summer camp. The first retreat will likely be held in Ashland, Oregon in May 2010. Students will have the opportunity to do one-on-one mentorships with advanced college students (in an area of mutual academic interest), create their own short-term internship or job shadow, get trained in lots of hands-on leadership skills, experience a high ropes course, and do fun stuff like cook for a group, visit Crater Lake, see a Shakespeare Festival play, and more. Families interested can visit my personal website (blakeboles.com) or just shoot me an e-mail at blake@collegewithouthighschool.com.

Interested in the Book?

College Without High School hit bookshelves in October 2009. If you’re as exicted about the release as I am, you can pre-order a copy with the publisher (www.newsociety.com) for a 20% discount any time before September 1st.

“…We must immediately expand our vision beyond standard educational institutions. In our cultures of today – and of tomorrow – parents, peers, and media play roles at least as significant as do authorized teachers and formal schools…if any cliché of recent years ring true, it is the acknowledgment that learning must be lifelong.” – Howard Gardner

Cultivating your mind is more important than anything else you can do to prepare for personal and professional success. Why? Because the modern world is unpredictable. The whirlwind of technology changes our lives so quickly that there’s no way to anticipate how the future will look. Your industry, your job, and even your day-to-day life may be very different 10, 20, or 30 years from now. The only way to get ready for what comes next is to create the mental infrastructure to thrive in any environment.

In past times, people could “finish” their education and move on to professional life. Today, learning is an essential part of just about any job. Imagine if a computer repairman, doctor, teacher, or librarian decided he was done learning just a decade ago. The results would be disastrous.

My article The 3 Types of Learning & Why You Won’t Want to Ignore Any of Them discusses the most important types of knowledge / ability to acquire. Professor Howard Gardner’s book Five Minds for the Future focuses on the most important ways to cultivate your mind for future success. Below you’ll find a summary of his five “minds” as well as my own thoughts on how independent learners can develop these traits.

The Disciplined Mind

The disciplined mind has mastered at least one way of thinking – a distinctive mode of cognition that characterizes a specific scholarly discipline, craft or profession.

People need to know how to do at least one thing really well. The ability to focus and develop a deep knowledge will help anyone stand out from the generalists. Whether you’re an athlete, a professor, or a musician, learning how to embrace your subject on an expert level is the only way to excel.

Development Idea: Research shows that becoming an expert takes around ten years or 10,000 hours of focused work. If you know what you want excel at, set aside daily time to develop your abilities. If not, take a few moments to contemplate your passions.

The Synthesizing Mind

The synthesizing mind takes information from disparate sources, understands and evaluates that information objectively, and puts it together in ways that make sense to the synthesizer and also to other persons.

They call this the information age for a reason. With internet access and a library card, a person can look up just about anything. The problem is that many people don’t know how to process the massive amount of information they encounter. Learning how to synthesize this knowledge (i.e. combine it in a way that makes sense) can help you find meaning and see the big picture in your profession and life in general.

Development Idea: Take note of new-to-you ideas, theories, and events whenever you’re reading or having a discussion. Then, watch to see where you hear about them a second time. I’m often surprised when I read about something for the first time and then see references to related topics three or four times during the following week. Combining this additional information helps me have a deeper understanding of the whole.

The Creating Mind

The creating mind breaks new ground. It puts forth new ideas, poses unfamiliar questions, conjures up fresh ways of thinking, arrives at unexpected answers.

Unfortunately, schools often have the effect of squelching creativity in favor of route learning and conformity. But, the creative mind is an extremely valuable asset both in one’s professional and personal life. If you have a creative mind, you can think of ways to change your own circumstance for the better and contribute cures, ideas, and products to global society. People who can create have the ability to change the world.

Development Idea: Watch just about any young child playing and you’ll see that creativity comes naturally. If you haven’t developed this trait as an adult, the best way to get started is by experimenting. Try new things, play around. Don’t be afraid to look silly or fail.

The Respectful Mind

The respectful mind notes and welcomes differences between human individuals and between human groups, tries to understand these “others,” and seeks to work effectively with them.

Now that technology has made worldwide travel and communication possible, the ability to understand and respect other people is essential.

Development Idea: The more people I know, the easier it is for me to value and respect ideas that are different from mine. Visiting other countries and communities and meeting new faces can help you become more welcoming of differences.

The Ethical Mind

The ethical mind ponders the nature of one’s work and the needs and desires of the society in which he lives. This mind conceptualizes how workers can serve purposes beyond self-interest and how citizens can work unselfishly to improve the lot of all.

Thinking ethically is the unselfish trait. You benefit from living in a world where people do right by each other.

Development Idea: Take a look at the article Moral Reasoning for links to some compelling online ethics videos by a well-known professor Michael Sandel.

More Minds?

Gardner does a great job of identifying five “minds” that will help people in their future professions. But, I’m left feeling that there are additional ways of thinking that can help us excel in other areas of our lives. What “minds” or thinking abilities have you found beneficial?

“The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn’t interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting,” he explained. “Much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intention turned out to be priceless later on.”

Jobs isn’t the only one to ghost college classes. Many independent learners have haunted lecture halls for a bit of free learning. Some have snuck into so many courses that, were they actual students, they would have been awarded a degree. Others have been given letters of recommendation from professors teaching at schools they never officially attended.

Why Ghost College Classes?

If you live near a university, sitting in on college classes can help you explore new subjects and improve your skills without paying a dime. Books are an invaluable resource for independent learners, but sometimes people need face-to-face assistance. Professors can help point you in the right direction and course discussions can help you get a better grasp of whatever you choose to study.

I graduated college at 19, speeding through my studies by not taking classes outside of the requirements. (That’s right, I didn’t take a single class just for the enjoyment of it.) Sure, I graduated quickly. But, I also missed out on some incredible opportunities to explore different subjects and develop a more in-depth understanding of my field.

Many college grads now look back and wish that they would have taken a few extra courses of their own choosing. Sitting in on college classes is a way to go back for a second helping now that you have a more mature understanding of your tastes.

One of the best aspects of sitting in on college classes is that ghosters are there purely for the learning. You don’t have to worry about grades and exams. You don’t have to avoid hard subjects because they’ll hurt your GPA or sit in on fluff classes to give it a boost. If the class gets boring, you can leave. If a class is interesting, sit in on it a second time. You are completely in control of your learning.

Is it Ethical?

It depends. There are several ways to sit in on a college class: blending in, asking the professor, and auditing. Auditing is the 100% official way to sit in. But, you may end up paying full tuition and the course audit will be listed on a transcript. In some schools, teachers are more than happy to have ghosters sit in on their courses as long as there’s enough room for the registered students. However, teachers may tell you to register for an audit if that is the official school policy.

A few schools do have an open visiting policy for lectures in large halls. You’ll probably want to look into existing rules to see what your options are in that regard.

Some ghosters use a “don’t ask, don’t tell” strategy. They show up without announcing their presence and assuming that the professor won’t mind an additional eager learner. If they’re asked, they’ll explain the situation and leave if necessary.

Blending in

Blending in is the least official and most hassle-free way to sit in on a class. Choose a class you want to attend and simply start showing up. This strategy works best for larger courses with 50 students or more. Smaller classes won’t work because small-course teachers often refer to the roll and everyone tends to know each other by name. You can usually find the available courses and the number of filled seats on the college’s website.

The easiest courses to blend in to are taught in large lecture halls. You’ll want to skip the first day or two (when the teacher is taking the roll / asking for names) and start showing up during the second week. Skip non-lecture days that include graded assignments such as exams and in-class essays.

Avoid overfilled courses or those taught by celebrity teachers. If the teacher does ask who you are, the best bet is to tell the truth. Say that you heard the class was interesting and wanted to check it out. You probably won’t be asked to leave. But, if you are, do so.

Asking the Professor

Another option is to ask a teacher outright. This is most likely to work if you’re a student at the school. But, either way, the majority of teachers are open to having engaged students fill their seats.

Reasons you may get turned down: the course is already full, the class relies on labs and materials not available to a non-paying student, or the school has a policy requiring long-term visitors to officially audit courses.

When asking the professor to sit in, simply show up the first day. If there seems to be room in the course, approach the teacher afterwards and briefly explain your situation. It doesn’t hurt to compliment the class and let the teacher know why you’re excited to learn the subject.

Auditing

Auditing is the official way to sit in on a college class. Each school has their own auditing policy. However, in most cases, you will need to register ahead of time and pay a fee. It is not uncommon for the auditing fee to be the same as regular tuition.

You will not be given a final grade for auditing a course. However, you may be allowed to take exams and turn in assignments to receive personal feedback. Your course audit will be listed on a transcript created by the school.

Some Final Ghosting Tips

Sitting in on a class can be an easy, cost-effective way to improve your education. If you’re not paying to attend, don’t detract from the time and attention regular students need. Don’t dominate the conversation or ask too much of the teacher. When you finish a course, a hearty thanks to the professor would certainly be appreciated.

Ultimately, universities should be about learning. In this spirit, many professors are willing to give an extra seat or two to people who are genuinely interested in what they have to share.

“The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.” – S. Gudder

When you hear the phrase “quantitative reasoning,” does it bring you back to days of high school Algebra and Calculus? Does it make you remember the anguish of learning formulas without a purpose explained to you? If so, it may be time to look rethink your presumptions about math and logic.

Students seeking a classical education study quantitative reasoning in order to better understand the world around them. Every day we are confronted with advertisements, news reports, and arguments that twist numbers for their own purposes. If you don’t understand what the manipulators are doing, you may end up making faulty decisions and holding incorrect ideas.

In part six, we discussed some of the ways people can make philosophically moral decisions. This post gives an overview of how to use quantitative reasoning to fairly evaluate claims and make sound arguments of your own.

In the field of quantitative reasoning the three most important subjects you can focus on are: logic, statistics, and economics.

Assignment #1: Master the Basics of Logic

“Logic is the anatomy of thought.” – John Locke

Logic has been called the science of reasoning. Learn the basics of logic and you’ll be prepared to evaluate the arguments of others and make sound arguments of your own.

Aristotle was one of the most important thinkers on the subject of logic. His collection of logic-related works, The Organon, is considered one of the classic texts in the field and is available online at no cost. It explains several key principles including syllogism, induction, deduction, and logical fallacies. You can read an overview of these principles and general Aristotelian logic in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

Because logic is a rather complicated subject, you may also want to check out a book or two about it. Most public libraries offer plenty of volumes on the topic. You may also want to look into the logic curriculum from Memoria Press . The advanced books are aimed at homeschooling high school students, but they’re in-depth enough for adults new to the subject.

Assignment #2: Learn How to Interpret Statistics

“Statistics … the most important science in the whole world: for upon it depends the practical application of every other science and of every art; the one science essential to all political and social administration, all education, all organisation based upon experience, for it only gives the results of our experience.”- Florence Nightingale

You’re likely to encounter some form of statistics every day. On the news, you’re presented with compelling figures and visual charts. In advertising, you’re told that a certain product helps with weight loss in 80% of customers or that 72% of prescription drug users “see results.” Where do these numbers come from and what do they really mean?

The purpose of statistics, as Nightingale so accurately explains above, is to help us learn from our experience. By recording and analyzing data, we can make scientifically-founded decisions about what works.

On the other hand, you’ve probably heard the old line that 99% of statistics are made up. While the media is held to some standards, statistics can be skewed and reported in a deceitful way. Learn the basics of statistics and you’ll be prepared use numbers to your advantage, identify statistics that are worth considering, and disregard unreliable figures.

Three websites offer a wealth of information on the topic:

• HyperStat Online – A casual 18-chapter online statistics handbook with links to many other resources.
• StatPrimer – A more formal statistics textbook that goes through intermediate level. Includes exercises.
• The Little Handbook of Statistical Practice – An in-depth overview of statistics from a Tufts University professor.

You may also want to check out the classic 1954 book How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff. He explains:

“The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify. Statistical methods and statistical terms are necessary in reporting the mass data of social and economic trends, business conditions, ‘opinion’ polls, and the census. But, without writers who use the words with honesty and understanding and readers who know what they mean, the result can only be semantic nonsense.”

The book will walk you through the essentials of how statistics are collected and where these numbers go wrong. Although the examples may be outdated, the theory remains true. An overview of similar statistic tricks can be found in this PDF article from Columbia.

Assignment #3: Learn How the World of Economics Works

In today’s tough times, no one would argue against the importance of a solid education in economics. In fact, if professionals had paid attention in econ, they may have seen the warning signs years earlier.

Even if you’re not interested in the finance industry, understanding the basics of economics can help you interpret what is happening in the nation and guide your financial decision-making.

Fortunately, there are many no-cost resources for the self-educated economics student:

• A downloadable textbook, Introduction to Economic Analysis, is available in PDF format from a California Institute of Technology professor.
• About.com Economics gives a solid overview of the basics and publishes a blog connecting current events to economic principles.
• MIT offers dozens of free, opencourseware classes on the subject of economics.

If you’re looking for a more light-hearted way to get started with the subject, you may want to check out the ever-so-popular book Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt. He explains the work of economists through a variety of compelling examples. The related Freakonomics blog is also an interesting read.

In Conclusion

Many people grow up thinking that quantitative reasoning skills are irrelevant to their lives. But, the subjects of logic, statistics, and economics can be used to help anyone better understand the world.

Next week: Science

The volumes in the Great Books (1952) and the Harvard Classics (1909) collections were hand-picked by influential presidents of major universities. During a time when college was strictly for the elite, these collections served as a way to make Western culture and learning available to anyone. Thousands of Americans gave themselves a self-education by working their way through these historic books.

In previous posts, I’ve discussed the benefits of reading great books. Here, I’m going to walk you through the basics of these two major collections and help you decide which is right for you. You can give yourself a classical education without relying on a pre-set reading list. However, when you’re just getting started, it helps to have a bit of guidance.

(Before I get to the good stuff, it’s important to note two issues with these book collections. First, like any book list, these are flawed and will leave out some of the most important works. Second, these were commercial productions published with the intention of generating revenue. Although all of the individual works are now available for free in the public domain, the commercial nature of the collections likely had some influence on book selection).

Harvard Classics

“Before the reading plan represented by the Harvard Classics had taken definite form, I had more than once stated in public that in my opinion a five-foot—at first a three-foot—shelf would hold books enough to afford a good substitute for a liberal education to anyone who would read them with devotion, even if he could spare but fifteen minutes a day for reading.” – Charles Eliot

The 51 volumes for the Harvard Classics collection were selected by Harvard President Charles W. Eliot in 1909. The set is often referred to as the “five foot shelf of books,” a tribute to Eliot’s widely-publicized claim that anyone could gain a liberal education by reading a set of books that take up no more than five feet. The Harvard Classics include a variety of full works from the Western tradition including essays, poems, novels, scientific papers, and more.

Most volumes contain writings from several authors, each with a brief introductory note. A final book offers lectures on the classics based on historic period and genre. Although the Harvard Classics are no longer in print, used collections are easily locatable online and in thrift stores.

Pros: wide variety of Western works, many authors included

Cons: unusual non-chronological organization, no modern works

Great Books of the Western World

“This is more than a set of books, and more than a liberal education. Great Books of the Western World is an act of piety. Here are the sources of our being. Here is our heritage. This is the West. This is its meaning for mankind.” -Robert Hutchins

Forty-three years after the Harvard Classics were introduced, a new collection was born under the guidance of University of Chicago President Robert Hutchins. The Great Books of the Western World originally offered 54 volumes of chronologically-organized classics.

The majority of volumes in the Great Books set include writings from just one author. The works selected are similar in genre to those in the Harvard Classics. Additionally, the Great Books set includes an introductory volume, “The Great Conversation,” and two in-depth indexes tracing ideas between all of the works in the collection.

In 1990, the collection was updated with some edits and the inclusion of six additional books featuring modern writers. The new set is still published by Encyclopedia Britannica; the older collection is regularly sold at a discount on eBay.

Pros: chronological organization, updated content, useful index

Cons: harder to find no-cost versions online, fewer authors in relation to pages

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What Will You Read?

Personally, I’ve chosen to work my way through the Great Books of the Western World because I want to see how the pieces build on each other over time (plus, I got a great deal online). I know others who prefer the Harvard Classics because of the variety offered in most volumes.

Which do you prefer? Neither collection is clearly better than the other. But, hopefully, knowing the differences between the Great Books and the Harvard Classics will help you make an informed decision.

The word “intelligence” conjures up images of books, classrooms, and serious-minded professors. But, real learning is just as likely to involve wrenches, ballet studios, and repairmen examining the parts of a bicycle.

In Shop Class as Soulcraft: an Inquiry into the Value of Work, Matthew Crawford shares his experiences and research related to the divide between thinking and doing. In this post, I’ll summarize some of his ideas and discuss their implications for independent learners. You don’t have to choose between being a “thinker” or a “do-er.” By accepting both, may find that your work is more intellectually rewarding than ever.

Are You Living an Abstract Life?

Many people now graduate from high school or even college without the ability to do anything. They get jobs as knowledge workers and their work consists of creating ideas, brands, and culture. Or, they work in a cubicle with such little responsibility that they do not need to know how to actually create anything on their own.

At home, people live apart from the things that they own. We don’t know how things work and we don’t know how to fix them. We have little connection to what we drive, wear, eat, and live in. In fact, manufacturers are beginning to create products that are harder to fix. Many cars, for example, now require foreign, specialized tools that can only be purchased by a dealer.

Unfortunately, living so abstractly makes us disconnected from the world.

Thinking and doing are meant to be united. A true intellectual is able to apply his learning to the actual world, instead of simply living in clouds of ideas and theories. The type of knowledge that results in action can’t be taught in classrooms alone. It requires people to create and to fix, to learn through practice and failure.

After graduating with a PhD in philosophy and getting a job at a highly-regarded think tank, author Matthew Crawford became frustrated with the fact that his work was so abstract. He wanted to do something. So, he quit the think tank and opened up a motorcycle repair shop. It may sound unusual for such an educated person to choose manual labor. But, Crawford found that working on a trade was, in fact, more intellectually stimulating.

Practical knowledge isn’t as easily transferred as facts and statistics. But, its results are real and tangible. “Practical know-how…is always tied to the experience of a particular person,” writes Crawford. “It can’t be downloaded, it can only be lived.”

How Thinking was Separated from Doing

Originally, work wasn’t so disconnected from practical knowledge. People employed at banks, car manufacturers, or other jobs were encouraged to use their minds when making work-related decisions.

Then, the idea of “scientific management” became popular. Basically, this line of thought states that the best way to get work done is to give people small, highly-structured tasks that they do not need to really think about. Crawford explains:

“The dichotomy of mental versus manual didn’t arise spontaneously. Rather, the twentieth century saw concerted efforts to separate thinking from doing. Those efforts achieved a good deal of success in ordering our economic life, and it is this success that perhaps explains the plausibility the distinction now enjoys. Yet, to call this ‘success’ is deeply perverse, for wherever the separation of thinking from doing has been achieved, it has been responsible for the degradation of work.”

Instead of building a complete car, an employee now took on the job of applying hub cap after hub cap in an assembly line. Instead of analyzing the facts to determine if a loan applicant is creditworthy, the banker simply entered information into a computer. In many cases, doing things in the workplace became fragmented and lost its intellectual quality.

The best way of illustrating the separation of thinking and doing, is to see exactly what business expert Fredrick Winslow Taylor was telling people about company management:

“The managers assume…the burden of gathering together all of the traditional knowledge which in the past has been possessed by the workmen and then of classifying, tabulating, and reducing this knowledge into rules, laws, and formulae…

All possible brain work should be removed from the workshop and centered in the planning or laying-out department…”

Remove “all possible brain work” from employment? Yikes. No wonder so many people find their jobs unfulfilling. They’re discouraged from intelligent work and prodded into simply following rules and procedures.

What Can You Do?

One of the most important steps lifelong learners can take is eliminating their prejudice about manual work. Realize that thinking-jobs are no better than doing-jobs. In fact, in many cases doing-jobs require more intellectual stamina.

Crawford urges readers to stop being afraid of learning how to do things well:

“The egalitarian worry that has always attended tracking students into ‘college prep’ and ‘vocational ed’ is overlaid with another: the fear that acquiring a specific skill set means that one’s life is determined. In college, by contrast, many students don’t learn anything of particular application; college is the ticket to an open future. Craftsmanship entails learning one thing really well, while the ideal of the new economy is to be able to learn new things, celebrating potential rather than achievement.”

Even if you want to work in academia and prefer the abstract, consider learning how to do something in your spare time. You may find a certain satisfaction in creating and repairing things that are real.

Another way to reconnect thinking and doing is to pay more attention to the things you interact with on a day-to-day basis. Can you mend your clothes? Stop a leaking faucet? Grow your own food? You could pay someone to do these tasks, but choosing to be a master of your things is a step towards intellectual freedom.

Embrace practical knowledge and you’ll begin to bridge the artificial separation between thinking and doing.

See Also:

The Joy of Practical Learning

The 3 Forms of Learning and Why You Won’t Want to Ignore Any of Them