ABSTRACT
With roots in Greek and Roman antiquity, the Classical tradition has been a perennial part of Western culture. Its foundations were established, interpreted, and then interpreted yet again. 1 Once widely influential, Classicism now displays but a remnant of its former sway. One reason for that decline in influence is found in the type of interpretations it has recently endured. Interpretations of cultural traditions can either be aesthetic, or done in the pursuit of beauty. They can seek to establish the facts about a tradition, inviting us to emotionally respond to those facts. Or they can seek to obtain wisdom via an understanding and application of that tradition’s core beliefs. We can voyeuristically accumulate facts about Classicism, or we can attempt to understand the world as Classicists. That is to say, a factual and emotional study of Classical art and culture is radically different from a study of art and culture in a Classical pursuit of truth and wisdom. It is as different as aesthetics is to beauty.
