For almost twenty years, I taught a four-seminar rotation of “Great Books” for The College at Southeastern. The readings were formative not only for the students, but also for me, the professor. I gained an invaluable education. Through these works, I was able to trace the rise and development of Western thought and civilization, in which today’s ideologies are rooted. For that reason, and out of gratitude for those years of careful reading, I offer this list of a dozen books every thoughtful person should consider reading.
To continue reading this article, originally published at First Things Magazine, click here.
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Dr. Ashford: Having read the list–and I fully recognize there is a margin for difference of opinion given the available choices–if restricted to one work of theology I favor Calvin’s “Institutes” over Aquinas. One may reasonably argue that Calvin’s work has been just as influential in the Anglosphere as has the “Summa.”
I am aghast that anyone thinks enough of Rousseau to recommend he be read, unless as an intellectual warning. Also, Marx rather than Adam Smith?