February 2022

Henry Adams ended his Education by considering the incredible changes he witnessed during his lifetime. As he reflected on how greatly life had changed, he considered how modern progress had failed to produce what it had seemed to promise. In his words, “Prosperity never before imagined, power never yet wielded by man, speed never reached …

The Education of Henry Adams (6) – Our Hearts Are Restless Until They Rest in Christ Read More »

Henry Adams spent the better part of a decade teaching at Harvard College. He was well-loved by his students and well-respected by his colleagues; by all accounts he was a very gifted teacher. Yet here is what he had to say about himself: “He [Adams] was rejoiced [at the gratitude of his students]; but he …

The Education of Henry Adams (5) – No Man Ever Judges Himself Correctly Read More »

“No one man in America wanted the civil war, or expected or intended it. A small minority wanted secession. The vast majority wanted to go on with their occupations in peace. Not one, however clever or learned, guessed what happened. Possibly a few southern loyalists in despair might dream at it as an impossible chance; …

The Education of Henry Adams (4) – A Good Education Prepares Us for the Unexpected Read More »

As a young man Adams got the opportunity to study in a German high school and university. This was his judgment. “All State-education is a sort of dynamo machine for polarizing the popular mind; for turning and holding its lines of force in the direction supposed to be most effective for state-purposes.” In other words, …

The Education of Henry Adams (3) – Education is not Neutral Read More »