On the Merit of Literature

     "Standing on the shoulders of giants." A powerful message. It describes one's ability to learn from the experiences, beliefs, wisdom, and thought of great human beings in history's past. How is it that students living in the twentieth century, modern world are able to reap the wisdom of Aristotle's "Virtue Ethics", Nietzche's "Beyond Good and Evil", or Jesus' words of the New Testament? The answer lies with preservation in literature. Through publication of their expressed words, and the study there of, we, people thousands of years later, are able to read and absorb the wise words of past and current thinkers. Humanity has grown in their knowledge of truth immensely since the beginning of time, to no lack of extent due to our ability to record and share knowledge, and grow from the knowledge of others.
     Lack of knowledge is the basis for all ignorance, arguably evil following. True knowledge is only possible through years of experience, thought, study of other thinkers, and inner reflection. Literature is the only way to record and preserve experience and thought. Therefore, the reading of said material is the truest path, arguably, a major component of only path, to wisdom (We will be posting on the path to wisdom in due time). Today's America is hindered by its lack of reading citizens. Our society has become so narrow-sighted, "practical", and arrogant due to our lack of reading and the thought that follows. Philosophy courses are unheard of in the high school system, original and critical thought is eclipsed by  fear of controversy, too much emphasis on format, and overly structured assignments. Students have learned to Sparknotes novels, fill in the blanks correctly and move on with their lives. Would not a class studying wise words and discussing their meaning prove more valuable? Reading has become a chore in society, and writing follows suit. We read to fill in the multiple choice answers, attain quick surface data, and keep up with the latest Brad and Angelina news. Conversely, we write to prove our understanding of format. Except for a select few, the golden ones.
     The point of this post is to emphasize the value of wisdom through literature, and the inner reflection of such works. This is a universal virtue, for wisdom is universal. Literature happens to be its eternal home.