Maeser’s view of classical education is in many ways the culmination of a long educational tradition. Students at Maeser study the great words, works, and ideas of the past. They do this, not through secondary materials and modern interpretation, but by reading the original primary sources. This not only allows students to experience the tremendous growth that comes from reading exceptional literature, but it also allows students to form their own opinions about the literature instead of having to rely on modern commentaries and opinions. They can follow the mantra of many Renaissance intellectuals and go straight ad fontes—“to the sources.” 

Those who decide to swim in the deep waters of the Classics will find themselves changed when they emerge. Those who commit to building themselves by focusing on the building blocks of the Classics will feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction at who they have become in the process. 

Ultimately, engaging in classical education is akin to building a house. There is lots of exhaustion as you lay the critical foundation, noise as you hammer nail after nail, dust from hanging sheetrock in the right places, and a big mess from painting both the interior and exterior. It’s difficult to appreciate and enjoy the process as you’re building, but when you’re done and step back, you really appreciate and admire what you’ve built over the years. Except instead of a house, it’s you.

While we moderns may refer to this approach as “Classical Education,” the ancients referred to it as an education in the “Liberal Arts.” The purpose of Greek and Roman liberal education was to provide students with the necessary skills and moral qualities that would allow them to be the leaders in their respective societies. The artes liberales were the ideas fitting for free citizens.