Although not a manifesto per se, this essay is a defence and illustration of what Raphaël Arteau McNeil calls “education through the great works.” It is a lucid examination of what younger generations lose when the canonical works of Western culture are removed from school curricula in the name of short-sighted “modernization” and “democratization.” does not, however, recommend a futile attempt to return to the past. Rather, the author argues for the reactivation of an unjustly forgotten cultural legacy, the rediscovery of its beauty and still-relevant truths, and for the freedom of which it remains the greatest defender.
Written with remarkable clarity and elegance, this work does not aim to revolutionize education, but to help repair a broken link, to give today’s “disowned” generations the magnificent legacy they are owed.