JD, yes, you are right, there are colleges with enclaves that approach Emerson’s ideal. And to the determined student an excellent education is always available. But I don’t think it should take so much work to ensure a good education. The problem is, as you say, the clowns in the classroom. Emerson would be declared elitist I’m sure because he would say those clowns shouldn’t be allowed to be there. I can’t go that far, but I do think our educational system needs some work.

Dorothy, it is there, I agree, but not for the majority. I think it would be nice if the ideal was the norm. What a difference it would make in the culture at large.

The problem, of course, is sitting in a classroom and putting up with the clowns who don’t care about ideas. You won’t get the nurturing in class so much as outside of class, if you know where to find it.

But our little society can!

Litlove, curtains and chairs are very important matters not to be taken lightly Cambridge sounds like a wonderful place. I am sure there must be places like it in the US, but I fear that these days of major research institutions fighting for corporate sponsorship and a huge emphasis on college football often leaves programs in the humanities struggling for money and students.

bibliophylia, I wonder if it has to do with our idea of equality? Being all equal, no one is allowed to be smarter than anyone else. Yay for the inner hermit!