Tina Bell

5001

Commentary Week 5

19 March 2009

Vico’s Influence

I continually find it interesting in our study of the history of rhetoric, how long the discussions and debates concerning the proper way to educate our youth have endured. It is also interesting to pinpoint the historical origins of our current system. The structure of today’s educational system demonstrates the lasting effects of Giambattista Vico’s beliefs. He compared the ancient methods to the methods used during his lifetime as an attempt to illuminate the best possible structure. He discussed two issues I still see as prominent today. There is a proper order for learning, and students should have a common base of knowledge.

In Vico’s time, he argued against honoring only the philosophical reasoning. He disagreed with the notion that education should teach students a particular subject and once the students understand the subject, then they can discover “whether there is truth in the subject” (14). Vico believes that students need to think critically even from a young age. He believes his present system to be “harmful, since the invention of arguments is by nature prior to the judgment of their validity” (14). I see how Vico’s argument persists today. In California public school system each subject area has guidelines called standards. These standards, which often ask for evaluation and analysis, are an attempt to move away from simply teaching a subject to asking students to think critically about the subjects.

Another lasting tenant of Vico’s I still see prominently today is the idea that students should have a common base of knowledge. He “suggests that our professors should co-ordinate all disciplines into a single system so as to harmonize them…” (77). Today in both high school and the university, students spend several years acquiring a common base of knowledge. In a high school English classroom, students learn about literature in a particular order and often are required to read the exact same novel. In the university, students must complete a course of general education requirements. Similar classes must be taken by each undergraduate student regardless of their field of study. It is a common belief in our educational system that if all members of society have a common base of knowledge, they will be more productive members.

The past stretches into the future and the present clings to the past. Although I may not be in agreement with some of Vico’s beliefs, I cannot argue against the fact that he has had a strong influence on our present educational system.