Category Archives: reading

The Stomach of Your Memory

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“We ought, therefore, in all that we learn, to gather brief and dependable abstracts to be stored in the little chest of the memory, so that later on, when need arises, we can derive everything else from them.  These one … Continue reading →

Posted in Hugh of St Victor, Learning, memory, reading | Leave a comment

The Soul of a word

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“A word’s force consists in its meaning.  Without the latter it is empty, useless, and (so to speak) dead.  Just as the soul animates the body, so, in a way, meaning breathes life into a word. Those whose words lack … Continue reading →

Posted in John of Salisbury, reading, trivium | Leave a comment

Misery loves company

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“See how a teacher’s task, to my discomfort, is many sided.  Never, unless compelled by a teacher, does a boy take a book into his hands.  When he receives it, his eyes and mind wander off.  A teacher explains something, … Continue reading →

Posted in Philip Melanchthon, reading, teaching | Leave a comment

Study as Eating

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“Study is, so to speak, the pabulum of the mind by which the intellect is trained and nourished.  For this reason, just as gastronomes are careful in the choice of what they put in their stomachs, so those who wish … Continue reading →

Posted in Learning, Leonardo Bruni, reading, Renaissance | Leave a comment