Today on a segment of the Hewitt show . . . which continues the quest to educate the American public and to stimulate the very educated Hewitt audience. To answer any requests I receive here is my list of what I think college students must read . . .
As I was limited to thirty books . . . I picked the pre-modern authors that students are least likely to read on their own. This was a painful experience for me . . . so much that is good had to be left out.
First, every college student should read the English Bible from cover to cover. The Bible is the all time best seller, a billion souls or so base their lives on it, and it should be the center of a well-lived life. I left it off the “list” because I think the best way to read the Bible and a “great books” list is along side the books on it. One thing that made Torrey Honors different from other great books programs from day one was this idea.
Second, I have included a list of top ten modern books, since I bet Hugh Hewitt will ask for it. I invite my friends here at this blog to add or subtract from this list . . . a real Torrey favorite for entertaining arguments!
Finally, given the goal of an American college (a good one) to produce good citizens I have focussed (too much perhaps) on political readings. I have added a list of ten novels I cannot imagine not having read as well. My hope is that a good student will read novels like these (if I must be limited to thirty books) on her own.
The best solution to this problem is to enroll your child in Torrey Honors!
The order is (roughly) chronological and not in order of importance:
Iliad, Odyssey, History of the Peloponnesian War, Ethics (Aristotle), Metaphysics (Aristotle), Meno, Republic, Timaeus, Oedipus Rex, Bacchae, Orestia, On Friendship and On Duties (Cicero), Aeneid, Meditations, History of the Church (Eusebius), Confessions, City of God, Histories (Tacitus), Consolation of Philosophy, Summa Theologica (selections!), Divine Comedy, Canterbury Tales, The Prince, The Institutes (selections from Calvin), Fairie Queen, Shakespeare (Hamlet, Lear, As You Like It, Henry V, Julius Caesar), Faerie Queen (at least Book I), Leviathan, Second Treatise on Government, Pensees.
Ten Works of You Should Read to be Civilized:
1-3. Some poetry by Donne, Blake, Wordsworth, and Dickenson (counts as 3!)
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. Tale of Two Cities
6. Jane Eyre
7. Moby Dick
8. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
9. Brothers Karamazov
10. Anna Karenina
Modern Top 10 (US student):
1. Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
2. Federalist Papers
3. Reflections on the Revolution in France
4. Wealth of Nations
5. Communist Manifesto
6. Origin of Species
7. On the Genealogy of Morals
8. Civilization and Its Discontents
9. No Exit
10. Lincoln’s speeches (especially Gettysburg, which should be memorized, and the Second Inaugural)
Without agreeing with all of it, everyone should check out blogging hero Joe Carter on what he would read.
