Occasional Thoughts on the Study and Character of Classical Authors, on the Course of Litterature, and the Present Plan of a Learned Education by J. Gordon.. This item is unavailable.Occasional Thoughts on the Study and Character of Classical Authors, on the Course of Litterature, and the Present Plan of a Learned Education by J. Gordon.

Occasional Thoughts On The Study And Character Of Classical Authors, On The Course Of Litterature, And The Present Plan Of A Learned Education By J. Gordon — John Gordon. This volume offers a critical reflection by John Gordon, Archdeacon of Lincoln, on how the study of classical authors and the course of literature should inform a learned education. Gordon argues against an overemphasis on antiquarian learning and ornate diction, contending that true knowledge develops through a progression from sensory perception to reason, and that education should begin with nature and derive its methods from it, rather than from traditional scholastic forms. He contrasts ancient and modern learning, cites Homer, Ossian, and Virgil, and examines how poetry and language can distort nature when art is pursued without regard to its sources. The treatise advocates reforms in grammar schools and a broader curriculum emphasizing practical reasoning, moral improvement, and a balanced engagement with classical study. It presents a theory of knowledge as a natural, staged process culminating in mature understanding.