[lit-ideas] "The Great Go" (Is: Literæ Humaniores: The Secret History, anyone?
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 22:29:32 EST
Thanks to J. Evans for the clarification. Yes, I see what you mean by
'grammar' school. I was trying to connect the words, 'grammatike' with
'literature'. I would think that even if that link you provide makes a
reference to the
teaching of Latin _grammar_ I would think that the 'grammarians' were thought
of as 'literature' professors (and in retrospect, that's how I see ALL
literature professors that I've ever had -- except Geary -- they were ALL
(mere)
Grammarians; so I was disheartened that Geary is now turning Phonetics Mr.
Higgins.
Here below some quotes from the OED to the programme Grice followed at
Oxford.
It would still be interesting to find who created in Oxford the titles for
the current two(and only two no more than two) chairs in philosophy:
-- Waynflete chair in metaphysical philosophy
-- White chair in moral philosophy
Both must be under strict coordination with the Lit. Hum. programme as
supervised by Merton (College), but the details escape me.
Oddly (and nicely so) Grice never taught _those_ courses, but at most was a
_tutorial_ fellow with St. John's, or a _university lecturer_.
And I have a query: Since attendance to, say, talks by the Waynflete prof.
of metaphysical philosophy are NOT mandatory, what would ****YOU***** do if you
find yourself being the prof. there -- on, say, a Wednesday morning at 8:00
am, and NO STUDENT to talk to? Would you leave (and call it a day)? What's
the procedure?
(I remember that on more than one occasion I was the ONLY Student for the
Lectures on Mediaeval Philosophy and now that I think of it, I would think the
professor would rather go home rather than lecture on Saint Bonaventura just
for me!)
I'm not sure about the university lecturers. From the readings of Grice's
and Warnock's joint lecturers, I would think that they wouldn't care if there
were students or not.
I was told that when Grice delivered the John Locke Lectures at Merton the
hall wasn't precisely _crowded_ either.
Cheers,
J. L.
--- graduate from the "Faculty of Philosophy and ***Letters*** [Letras] ",
University of Buenos Aires.
LITERAE HUMANIORES [L., literally, ‘more humane LETTERS’.] The
humanities, secular learning as opposed to divinity; esp., at the University
of Oxford,
the study of Greek and Roman [never Latin, which sounds "Caribean" -- JLS]
*classical* LITERrature, [all, not just classical] philosophy, and *ancient*
history; also, = Greats (C.10).
1747 CHESTERFIELD Let. 24 Nov. (1932) III. 1057
Studies of the Literæ Humaniores, especially Greek.
1760 STERNE Tr. Shandy (ed. 3) II. xii. 61,
I would not depreciate what the study of the Literæ humaniores, at the
university, have done for me.
1883 Sat. Rev. 3 Nov. 581/2
We cannot conceive a better accompaniment to the study of literæ humaniores.
[than ...? The Yellow Book?]
1907 ‘B. BURKE’ Barbara [Allen?] goes to Oxford 43
‘Greats’, you must know, is a nickname for the school of ‘Literae Humaniores
’.
1911 BEERBOHM Zuleika D. iii. 30
He..was reading, a little, for Literae Humaniores.
1926 FOWLER Mod. Eng. Usage 240/2
The Humanities, or Litteræ humaniores, as an old-fashioned name for the
study of classical literature [and philosophy, hey! JLS]
1962 K. CHORLEY Arthur Hugh Clough iv. 72
In Clough's day there were but two schools open to men reading for In
Clounamely, Mathematics and Literae Humaniores.
1965 J. A. W. BENNETT in J. Gibb Light on C. S. Lewis 48
But litterae humaniores were his foundation, and they did in every sense
make him more humane, enlarging his responses not restricting them.
1972 Univ. Oxf. Examination Decrees I. 120
The Subjects of the Honour School of Literæ Humaniores shall be
(I) Greek and Roman History,
(II) Philosophy, [GRICE CHOSE THIS -- general philosophy, not just classic]
(III) Greek and Latin Literature.
----
greats (Oxford Univ. colloq.).
The final examination for the degree of B.A.; now applied esp. to the
examination for Honours in Literæ Humaniores. The earlier name was GREAT GO.
(Cf.
smalls.)
Univ. slang. The final examination for the degree of B.A. (At Oxford now
called greats.) (Cf. little go.)
1820 Gentl. Mag. XC. I. 32
At present the examination [at the University of Oxford] is divided into a
Little-go and a Great-go.
1825 C. M. WESTMACOTT Eng. Spy I. 137
An examination that would far exceed the perils of the great go. Ibid. 141
When he enters upon life, action, or profession, both the little go, and the
great go, he will find to be a by go; for he will find that he has gone by the
best part of useful and substantial learning; or that it has gone by him.
1841 THACKERAY K. of Brentford vii, His little go and great go He
creditably pass'd.
1876 ‘P. PYPER’ Mr. Gray & Neighb. I. 74
Young Mr. Applebee had managed to pass his ‘great go’ at Oxford, just about
the time the living fell vacant.
1853 ‘C. BEDE’ Verdant Green II. xi,
The little gentleman was going in for his Degree, alias Great-go, alias
Greats.
1861 HUGHES Tom Brown at Oxf. I. x. 163
In our second term we..begin to feel ourselves at home, while both ‘smalls’
and ‘greats’ are sufficiently distant to be altogether ignored if we are
that way inclined.
1884 G. ALLEN Strange Stories 175 Since I have begun reading philosophy for
my Greats.
1897 Westm. Gaz. 12 June 1/3
There are..more entries for Modern History than for Classical Greats.
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