Quote: “Like Cicero in De Oratore, Quintilian feels he must answer charges that the ideal that he seeks is impossible for mortals to achieve, that such a. good man will be hard to find. Quintilian’s answer is that he will make one, through that often readers might regard as an interdisciplinary effect involving educational psychology, sociology, literary criticism, and moral philosophy.”
Question: Is inspiring a “love for learning” versus of fear of punishment achievable through good moral teachings and can it be used to create a good person?
I think a love for learning is much more important to actually excel in a subject. The idea of fear of punishment doesn't inspire people to do well. It more or less just encourages them to complete what is necessary. In today's world I think there is only self motivation to do well and become a good person. Quintilian believes that you can only become a good person through learning and if you're only learning because you are scared of the consequences then you are not truly reaching your goal.
ReplyDeleteThat being said I think it is very difficult to implement the idea of a love for learning. I think it depends on the person who is trying to learn. If they really want to learn themselves then they will achieve the status of a "good man" by Quintilian's standards. Otherwise it is really up to the person if they was to excel.