I am reading Allan Bloom’s book called “The Closing of the American Mind”.  This is about the most challenging book I have ever read.  Every sentence, almost every phrase, is an uphill climb.  Like a long marathon, every word a mile.  But once I reach the summit, the vista of new meaning makes it worth the while.  I think that I am beginning to understand the position that self-knowledge is the most important form of knowledge.  I’m sure that this book won’t bring me to that peak, but it might give me the tools…

I do not necessarily agree with Bloom’s opinions, but he is worth listening to.  At least he is sincere and passionate about what he is saying.  Is it easier to learn from someone with whom you disagree but respect?  I feel like an empty vessel.  I’m not sure that I shall like this book, but I have a sense that I can learn from it.  Reading is not all entertainment:  it used to be about education, but I think it is difficult not to find pleasure in book learning.  Is even that wrong?

In any case, his chapter about music and the significance of music is worth reading.  If you are prepared to abandon the doctrine of relative and easy truth, this chapter explains why music is at the centre of Plato’s and Aristotle’s writings on politics, and its role today.