Learning From The Past
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Men and women of the American armed forces are on patrol today in the ancient cities of Kabul, Herat, and throughout Afghanistan. Our soldiers come in the footsteps of so many other armies: the Immortals of the Persian King Cyrus, the Macedonian Phalanx of Alexander the Great, the armies of ... Read More
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September 21, 2010 marked the 2501th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon. Of course, probably every day somewhere in the world people commemorate Marathon by running a 26 mile Marathon race. I wonder how many of them know or care that they are paying tribute to men who fought for freedom so ... Read More
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“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” So George Santayana, Harvard intellectual, whose main contribution to history was to write books no one reads any more. “History is bunk.” So Henry Ford, high school drop-out, whose inventive genius transformed history. Both ... Read More
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What’s the Big Idea? In a 2010 Big Think interview, technology writer Nicholas Carr (The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains) argued that the Web has made its users proficient at searching and browsing, but lousy at reading and remembering. The distraction-filled online world, he ... Read More
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Plato’s vision of a harmonious state would scandalize liberals and conservatives alike. But some of his advice might be worth taking. What’s the Big Idea? Although it’s a staple of philosophy classes everywhere, Plato’s Republic has attracted considerable criticism over the centuries. As a ... Read More
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What’s the Big Idea? Whether or not they consider themselves politically “progressive,” many Americans reflexively expect their country to make robust progress along economic lines. Buoyed by decades of material growth, we expect GDP to rise and standards of living to improve indefinitely. If ... Read More
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About Learning From The Past
J. Rufus Fears is David Ross Boyd Professor of Classics at the University of Oklahoma, where he holds the G.T. and Libby Blankenship Chair in the History of Liberty. He also serves as the David and Ann Brown Distinguished Fellow of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs.
On 25 occasions he has been recognized for outstanding teaching excellence. In 1996, 1999 and again in 2000, students chose him as University of Oklahoma Professor of the Year. In 2003 he received the University Continuing Education Association Great Plains Region Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South. Again, in 2005, he received the National Award for Teaching Excellence from the University Continuing Education Association, the national organization of all colleges and universities with programs of continuing education. Students at the University of Oklahoma named him as “Most Inspiring Professor” in 2005. In 2006, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence awarded him its Medal for Excellence in College and University Teaching.
Professor Fears is the author of a series of eight widely-acclaimed original books on tape, published by The Teaching Company: A History of Freedom, Famous Greeks, Famous Romans, Winston Churchill, Books That Have Made History – Books That Can Change Your Life, The Wisdom of History, Life Lessons from the Great Books and The World was Never the Same, 36 Events That Changed History. His forthcoming book with The Teaching Company is Life Lessons from the Great Myths. These lectures have been showered with praise by the many attorneys, physicians, business people and other professionals who form his audience. Sample comments include: “You have brought history alive.” You are the best teacher I have ever listened to.” You have a message that I wish were being taught in every school and college in this country. You are the Michael Jordan of history.”
Professor Fears leads annually study trips to historical sites in Europe and America, including “In the Footsteps of Winston Churchill,” In the Footsteps of Robert E. Lee,” “In the Footsteps of Peter and Paul.”, and In the Footsteps of George Washington.”