Four ‘Rs’ for Studying
“Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him.” John Locke
Under this page we will attempt to provide various areas that are designed for aiding everyone who shares the desire to grow in knowledge regarding our U.S. Constitution, our American heritage, and the path we were to take. As we grow in our foundational knowledge we are better prepared to see where we are today and what has gone both right as well as wrong. As part of each area we will be adding a forum topic to further discuss each portion so go to the forum, “Horatio Bunce Society” to join in the discussion.
We are also better prepared to discuss with others our heritage and founding, our principles and goals, and our desire for our future as a community. Many are feeling frustrated with today’s governing approach by those in political power yet also feel powerless. Through research, reflection, relating, and recording we can be ready to help relieve the feelings of angst while setting our country’s course back on Constitutionally solid ground.
Our Founders used the ‘Four Rs‘ for becoming what we refer to as enlightened. We are seeing a resurgence of enlightenment. Each of us can use the same study methods of the four Rs in our daily efforts. We can also share our study with others as we grow in our foundational knowledge together. By using the ‘Four Rs’ and studying in groups we each become better in our understanding and better in our ability to calmly improve our government and the future for our posterity.
Joseph Andrews, founder of The Center for Teaching the Constitution, shares the technique our founders used in their studies. Commit to following their technique and you are on the road to enlightenment. Share these techniques with others and you help deliver on the promise of liberty. The technique is encompassed in ‘Four Rs.’
Research: Seek the Primary Source
Researching our heritage is critical and whenever we engage in research we should strive to seek primary sources for information. We are extremely fortunate as we have access to many sources giving us clear insight into the thoughts of the founders at the time our history was their present day. We supplement our understanding if we invest in time to study the meanings of words in their day as words change over time. In addition to primary sources enhance your research with quality secondary resources.
Reflect: Meditate, Ponder, Embrace
Perhaps this is one of the hardest aspects in our fast-paced world. Some refer to this as meditation while others refer to it as pondering. In my view this is an investment in time where we actually embrace the information we have researched. There are so many little nuances found within each aspect of the documents developed and the men who developed them reflection allow us to consider their interactions.
Picture yourself at the conventions or sitting in the churches, meeting houses, pubs, or restaurants as the science of government was discussed. Take some time to think of the ‘what if’ scenarios that could have impacted our future. For example; What if young Thomas Jefferson would not have been at St. John’s Church in Richmond, VA the day Patrick Henry gave his powerful ‘Give me liberty’ speech.
Relate; Bridge the Gap
As Joseph Andrews relates, “Almost every day fresh materiel relating to the Constitution can be found in the newspapers.” Relating what we research and reflect on to everyday items happening in our world is one way we solidify our understanding. Also, relating the documents with the debates while considering the history of the men involved in the debate helps us understand how they reached their stances and what led them to compromise in some areas yet stand strong on others. How can we relate the idea of a written Constitution with specific enumerated powers to the ‘living’ unwritten British model they were fighting to break from?
Record; Thomas Jefferson’s Technique
This fourth tool is quite an enjoyable act of re-writing. This is what Jefferson used especially when he was studying information he didn’t quite understand. It is an extremely effective way to force our minds to go through the mental exercise of truly understanding the materiel. As many benefits a person can obtain through this it is multiplied significantly when groups work together to do this. It also becomes an extremely fun family project where kids and parents work together in restating items such as the preamble to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Entire study times can be submerged in this activity alone.
“The great aim of education is not knowledge, but action.” Herbert Spencer
