Comparing Philosophies on Education

          Pirsig and Augustine agree that the pursuit of knowledge is one of humanities most honorable quests. They both agree that the core of a real education is sincere interest and that enforcing education by scolding or beating cannot be used to gain the student's interest. Augustine illustrates this idea with his studies of Greek and Latin; he gets more out of his Latin lessons because he enjoys studying it and he has an attraction to it. He believes everyone has their own quest for knowledge and "a student of good quality does not follow another's studies but studies along his own paths" (Augustine). Pirsig illustrates this idea with Phaedrus's gradeless institutions. When he takes away the ulterior motive of grades, the students who have an actual interest in their studies are the ones that continue to pursue knowledge. They also both agree on the fact that we are not omnipotent creatures. We are not born with the knowledge of right and wrong and that is why we have instructors. Phaedrus believes these instructors are parents, teachers, philosophers, mathematicians, etc. Augustine believes that there is one ultimate Instructor, God, and that the pursuit of knowledge should be toward Him because "knowledge of God is greater than any other" (Augustine 75). Pirsig and Augustine agree that the human spirit longs for a knowledge greater than that of the physical world, of right and wrong or of a creator, but they disagree on what true knowledge is.