Episode 56: A Nice Definition of Classical Education: The Language, Metaphors, and Meaning Behind “Classical”

Description

Christopher Perrin explores why “classical education” is both widely used and widely misunderstood—and why the language we choose matters. He surveys common assumptions people attach to the word classical (Greek and Roman history, Great Books, elitism, Eurocentrism) and explains why the modern renewal is, for better or worse, “stuck” with the adjective. Perrin argues that we cannot speak clearly about education without metaphor and analogy, since language itself is rooted in metaphor (from lingua, “tongue”). He then turns to the ancient Greek and Latin vocabularies of education—especially paideia (formation) and trophē (nourishment)—to show how earlier cultures understood education as shaping a human person, not merely transmitting information. Using Ephesians 6:4, he compares Greek and Latin renderings (Paul and Jerome) to illustrate how meaning is often “lost in translation” when rich terms are flattened into single English words. Perrin closes by suggesting that if he had to choose one word to gather the tradition, it would be formation—a metaphor that points to education’s deepest aim.

Episode Outline

• Why “classical education” is misunderstood: common reactions and cultural assumptions
• Why we keep the word classical: branding, public discourse, and the need for clearer definition
• Metaphor is unavoidable: language, analogy, and the “dead metaphors” we no longer notice
• Greek terms for education: paideia (formation) and paidia (play), plus other educational vocabulary
• Trophe as nourishment: education as bringing up, feeding, and forming a child
• Ephesians 6:4 as a case study: Paul’s Greek terms and Jerome’s Latin translation
•  Translation problems: why one English word rarely matches a rich Greek/Latin term
•  The need for “economy with clarity”: using more words (and better words) to describe education
• A proposed center-word: formation as the best single term to gather education’s aims
• Where to continue learning: the podcast, ClassicalU, and ongoing reflections on definitions

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Words carry history—and drift over time: Even identical spellings (like “educate”) may not mean what they once meant.
• Metaphor isn’t optional: We describe complex realities (like education) through images, comparisons, and inherited figures of speech.
• Education is formation, not mere information: Ancient terms frame schooling as upbringing, cultivation, and shaping character.
• Greek paideia is richer than a single English equivalent: Translations often require multiple terms (training, discipline, instruction) to approximate meaning.
• Education is nourishment (trophe): The image of feeding and raising up reinforces education’s humane, embodied, relational nature.
• Translation always involves choices: Comparing Paul’s Greek with Jerome’s Latin exposes what can be gained—and lost—across languages.
• Clear speech requires more words, not fewer: When society forgets education’s purpose, precision often demands fuller description.

Questions & Discussion

• What does it mean to study the past “in its pastness”?
  Discuss why people in the past may act in ways we do not recognize—or approve. How can teachers pursue truth without turning history into propaganda or therapy?
• What do people assume when they hear “classical education” in your context?
  List the top three assumptions you encounter (e.g., “Great Books only,” elitist, Eurocentric, test-driven). Draft one sentence you could use to clarify what you mean—and what you don’t mean.
• Where do you see metaphor doing “hidden work” in the way educators talk?
  Identify common metaphors you use (pipeline, outcomes, delivery, rigor, standards, growth). What do those metaphors emphasize—and what might they obscure?
• If education is “formation,” what exactly is being formed?
  Name the top three aims you believe education should form (virtue, wisdom, piety, civic responsibility, attention, love of truth). How does your school’s daily life (not just its curriculum) support those aims?
• How does the image of education as “nourishment” challenge modern schooling?
  What “diet” are students receiving—intellectually, morally, spiritually, culturally? What might “malnourishment” look like in a school (and what would renewal look like)?

Suggested Reading & Resources

• Mortimer Adler: The Paideia Way of Classical Education by Robert Woods, Edited by David Diener
• The Good Teacher: Ten Key Pedagogical Principles That Will Transform Your Teaching by Christopher A. Perrin, PhD and Carrie Eben, MSEd 
• Festive School by Father Nathan Carr
• An Introduction to Classical Education: A Guide for Parents by Christopher A. Perrin, MDiv, PhD
• A Student's Guide to Classical Education by Zoë Perrin
• The Liberal Arts Tradition by Kevin Clark, DLS, and Ravi Scott Jain
• Latin Vulgate: Ephesians 6:4 
• Amplified Bible: Ephesians 6:4
• Expanded Bible: Ephesians 6:4 
• ClassicalU
• ClassicalU Course: Introduction to Classical Education
• ClassicalU Course: ParentU: Is Classical Education Right for Your Children?
• ClassicalU Course: A Brief History of Classical Education
• ClassicalU Course: The Liberal Arts Tradition
• ClassicalU Course: Classical Education History and Introduction