I Wonder whY I Wonder

Physicist Richard Feynman while attending a philosophy class at MIT wrote a theme about what it is like to fall asleep. The theme eneded with a short poem:

I wonder why.
I wonder why.
I wonder why I wonder.
I wonder why I wonder why
I wonder why I wonder.

Part of Feynman's poem became the name of this website. I wonder why I wonder. Wonder is the beginning of education, especialy liberal education. The search for truth, beauty, and goodness awakens wonder. For human convience we organize our thoughts in topics such as Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. If we are wise, we realize the humanities topics of Story, Transcendence, Ethics, Anthropology, and Music are necessary to a well rounded liberal education. And as Pope John Paul II wrote in his Letter to Youth

For while there is no doubt that the family educates and that the school teaches and educates, at the same time both the action of the family and that of the school will remain incomplete (and could even be made useless) unless each one of you young people undertakes the work of your own education. Education in the family and at school can only provide you with a certain number of elements for the work of self-education.

Education means the gradual gathering up of all that is true, good, and beautiful oneself. But self-education is not only about external truths, beauties, and goods. Self education is about oneself. One must ask not only what is true, but also who am I? A lover of truth capable of knowing anything that exists. One must ask not only what is and where is beauty, but also who am I? A transcendent beautiful soul capable of enjoying beauty. One must ask not only what is the good, but also who am I? What must I do to be saved? A person with free will who is the author of my actions who is capable of living happily by choosing ethically.

The Activities of the Freedonia Academy

Edward Everett Hale, thinking of Helen Keller,wrote a poem:

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything.
I will not refuse to do something
That I can do.

I, David Hayes, would like to start a college that would continue the work of George Stanciu and John Meehan. A college that would bring together the outstanding talents of teachers like Cynthia Nicolosi, John Donohue, Jo-Ann Handy, and John Klucinec. But starting a college is a form of "everything". I can do some things, and I have not refused to do them because I cannot do everything.

I have helped Geroge Stanciu publish the books: The New Story of Science, The New Biology, and The Great Transformation.

I have written a trashy science fiction novel that is fun to read and where some readers have said that they would like to meet the characters portrayed in the story.

I have started a homeschool coop called Liberi Dei Ludens (The free Children of God Playing).

I have written a Guidebook to Mathematics and hope to expand this work to middle school and to training tutors to properly teach The Elements of Euclid.

As the opportunity to do other things that I can do present themselves, I will record those projects here and ask others to contribute to the long work of radically reforming education and society in our sphere of influence.