🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <spurrett.34.721489185@superbowl.und.ac.za> spurrett@superbowl.und.ac.za (David Spurrett) writes:
>I am interested to hear from anyone who knows of research into the 
>relationship (empirical, not necessarily causal) between the study of highly 
>abstract subjects like philosophy and mathematics, and the general academic 
>performance of the student/s in question.  I know of one study which found a 
>close link between study of phil or math, and dramatically above average 
>performance in all other areas.  This study did not have any control groups

Well, I'm not sure of a study, but I attended St. John's College for my
undergraduate education, and it seemed, across the board, that even 
students who had performed poorly in many subjects in high school or
previous college experiences, did exceptionally improved work when studying
very difficult mathematical and philosophical texts and that all of
their work improved.  I can't speak for myself, because I always did
quite well in school, but I know that the general feeling at the 
school was that delving deeply into these questions in mathematics
and philosophy made learning more interesting and just plain fun.
No control groups here, though, just a lot of hard-working kids reading
great books.

Leslie Kay