VDH talks about the passing of three classicists this summer who humanized and popularized Classics for their students. He explores debates ancient and modern in the discipline, and, in the second half, explains Classics as a modern, culturally relevant discipline. What is being lost as our schools lose Classics?
Infiltrate & destroy the discipline. Do the same with all institutions by forcing the institution to work at purposes different than it’s stated purpose. Society then loses confidence in the institution and it is ripe for replacement. Judges, doctors, educators, charities, Congress, etc…. All are doing it willfully and enthusiastically. Leadership destroys their own discipline in hopes of being the ones who get to rebuild it. These high paid jesters as you call them will be the most surprised when they are done away with by the truly powerful. The arrogant and overly self important useful idiots are usually the first to the gallows when the anarchy they have caused is quelled by the new regime they helped gain power. The last thing their totalitarian regime will tolerate is a bunch of displaced anarchist challenging their authority! Hitler’s treatment of the Brown Shirts comes to mind as a recent example.
Thank you for this detailed and touching eulogy. There are many of us outside the academic world who follow the history and current state of Classics as a discipline. Talks like this provide valuable insight into the field as well as helping listeners situate your work in your own terms rather than that of your detractors (though even Eidolon ran a piece arguing that Hanson was doing what liberals only talked about and should be treated as a model academic in spite of his politics). Once again, thanks!