Dead White Men…
This criticism that often accompanies Great Books is unwarranted. The analysis of Shakespeare, Plato, Byron, and Kant, for instance, that appears within this issue of the Great Books Symposium Journal expresses the perspective of what some might consider the privileged majority. However, what makes these texts so important is not who wrote them or the ideas they convey but the thoughts they inspire.
As Oscar Wilde argues, all art is “amoral.” One can easily blame the influence of a novel because, as a mirror reflects a person’s appearance, books reflect the human soul. Great Books, in particular, can reveal inner truths about an author or reader that may be hidden, even from themselves, truths that they may not want to acknowledge. Whether it is Dorian’s moral and spiritual degradation or Victor Frankenstein’s incomprehension of motherhood, these texts remind us that we are all unreliable narrators. At its best, a Great Book demands creativity, inspires empathy, and teaches self-awareness; at its worst, it reveals our lies or exploits our desires. The existence of many “dead, white males” on the Great Books list is not the point; rather, it is what these authors inspire within the reader that is important: inquiry.
The essays contained within this issue of the Symposium Journal are not just research papers based on Great Books but inquiries into the human experience. While the subject matter of these essays does include many “dead, white men,” the works are analyzed by a diverse group of students from non-traditional backgrounds whose perspective, therefore, provides a real-world interpretation of the classics. The intended result is not for the reader to agree with the contributors but to disagree with them, thereby encouraging the reader to make their own inquiry.
Since its inception in 2000, the Symposium Journal has been a labor of love, a collaboration between students and faculty who have invested an immeasurable number of hours in analyzing, editing, and revising essays. Like Vali churning the ocean to produce nectar for the Gods, the result is the rich culmination of everything great about Great Books and the Great Books Curriculum at Wright College, introducing students to “the best that has been thought and said.”
I would like to thank all involved, but special thanks to Professor Michael Petersen for his tireless effort in keeping alive the publication of quite possibly the only academic journal from a two-year institution produced by students. The Symposium Journal not only highlights the importance of developing critical thinking skills but also the significance of cultivating friendships through collaborative efforts such as Symposium Journal and The Great Books Student Society. These programs can determine the academic path of a student.
The ideas expressed through these texts define the human experience. In a way, the jigsaw puzzle of ideas and concepts produced in Great Books characterizes what is the best life to live while shedding the shackles of temporality. As editor-in-chief, I would like to welcome you to the seventh addition to the Great Books Symposium Journal.
Ad astra per aspera
Roberto Pacheco
Spring 2020 Editor-in-Chief, Great Books Symposium Journal