Author Archives: Matthew Phillips

Devotion to the Subject

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“Devotion to the subject is the one factor which inspires both sound learning and sound teaching.  If one is really keen on a discipline, one’s enthusiasm will usually communicate itself to the students.  Even if they do not share it … Continue reading →

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God never stops teaching

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

…and Christians never stop learning. “God Himself is not ashamed to teach these things daily.  He knows nothing better to teach.  He always keeps teaching the same thing and does not take up anything new or different.  All the saints … Continue reading →

Posted in Learning, Martin Luther, teaching | Leave a comment

Grades, Teaching and Learning

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

 This post differs from most of my posts here.  The quotes below are from a recent article from the Chronicle of Higher Education on the topic of grading and the college student. “Consider a car’s speedometer. It is a tool that performs … Continue reading →

Posted in Learning, teaching | 1 Comment

Life, Liberty and Possessions

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“But though this be a state of liberty, yet it is not a state of license; though man in that state have an uncontrollable liberty to dispose of his person and possessions, yet he has not liberty to destroy himself, … Continue reading →

Posted in government, John Locke | Leave a comment

Greediness Pretends to be Liberality

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“There are, though, many especially those greedy for renown and glory, who steal from one group the very money that they lavish upon another.  They think that they will appear beneficent towards their friends if they enrich them by any … Continue reading →

Posted in avarice, Cicero, government | Leave a comment

Reading for understanding

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“A student who doesn’t want his work to go for nothing ought to read and reread some good author until the author becomes part, as if were, of his flesh and blood.  Scattered reading confuses more than it teaches.  Many … Continue reading →

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Humanity, Social Life, Justice and Animals

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“A social instinct is implanted in all men by nature, and yet he who first founded the state was the greatest of benefactors.  For man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristotle, government, justice | Leave a comment

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

Education as the remedy for evil

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“People by nature possess many common vices.  We are born with a large measure of barbarity.  Historic periods, peoples, undertakings have, as well, their own characteristic false morality and each individual man is fashioned by his own peculiar nature.  Finally, … Continue reading →

Posted in education, Johann Sturm, Learning | Leave a comment

Martin Luther and the Continual Teaching of Righteousness

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Matthew Phillips

“But this most excellent righteousness, the righteousness of faith, which God imputes to us through Christ without works, is neither political nor ceremonial nor legal nor work-righteousness but is quite the opposite; it is a merely passive righteousness, while all … Continue reading →

Posted in Martin Luther, preaching | Tagged | 1 Comment