Educational Goals

I am majoring in both Math and Classics because I want a multidisciplinary understanding of the world. I cannot study everything, but these two disciplines cut a wide swath across the field of human knowledge.

Math is worthwhile in itself because it describes the quantitative logic that underlies the universe, but it is also useful as a tool for other disciplines because it is the language of the sciences.

Similarly, the Greek and Roman Classics are both inherently interesting and useful for other studies. In itself, Classics studies languages, linguistics, history, and philosophy, all of which contribute significantly to our understanding of human nature. But because of its profound impact on Western civilization, Classics also sheds light on Western history, philosophy, and literature, as well as the Romance languages. Both Mathematics and Classics open vast treasures of knowledge; Mathematics reveals nature, Classics human nature.

Those are my educational goals for college, but I will continue learning for my whole life. Given enough time, I will study German, Old English, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Japanese, and Mandarin and read significant works in each of those languages. I will teach myself history, philosophy, and science… Well, I said, <em>if</em> there’s time, but a lot can happen in 70 years.