Ars dictaminis

I am attempting to write a letter as it would have been written between 1150 to 1350 C.E. Because of my lack knowledge for the vernacular of the times (i.e. Latin), please treat my modern-day English as suffice for the exercise. The letter will be composed of a student, or pupil, writing his teacher in regards to various ideals that pertain to the acquisition of knowledge. I will be using Dr. Deborah Morton, Ph.D., as the recipient of the letter, and I will be using myself (Sean Doran) as the letter-writer, or dictator, of the letter. Feel free to comment on the letter itself. I will be very thankful if I can get any useful feedback and/or suggestions about the approach I used in writing the letter. Also, please keep in mind that the ideas I present and propose within the letter are reflective of a possible correspondence between a teacher and his/her pupil taking place in Medieval Times.


ca. 1135

To Deborah Morton, by divine grace resplendent in Ciceronian Charm, Sean Doran, inferior to his devoted learning, expresses the servitude of a sincere heart,

Being of a sound and educated mind, you have strived in your teachings of rhetoric to enlighten my devoted, grateful, and intellectual soul. Your professional ethos has been established by your journey through various universities, and your hard work and dedication has been rewarded with the attainment of a noble and just profession. This recognition, on my behalf, of your ever-lasting devotion to the pedagogical forces brought about in our universities will never waver.

I, being your lowly pupil and unworthy of being held in the same regard as yourself, have decided to write to you to express my concern for the growing need of spreading the ideals of Scholasticism. In recent times, there has been a partial reconciliation between Christian theology and secular teachings. Both of these pursuits are crucial in the attainment of wisdom and truth. As educators and students who are constantly trying to reach the pinnacle of intellectualism, I feel as though we have an obligation to focus upon the ideals of theology, but we must also restore the classical teachings of such notables as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Cicero. The recent discoveries of classical Greek writings, through Arab and Jewish sources, can be utilized to establish an influx of "new" ideologies. By combining the power of such diverse teachings and knowledge, the entire corpus of intellectualism and pedagogy can become widespread. Theological doctrines and classical interpretations of rhetoric and philosophy can be compared against each of in the pursuit of understanding and intellectual wisdom. Furthermore, as you well know, the study of rhetoric has been held in a lower regard as compared with the study of dialectic. This is a stigma that needs to be changed within the academic system. By placing a greater emphasis on the study of rhetoric through classical texts, new and more practical rhetorical ideologies can be established in academia.


Thus, I propose to institute a new program that will promote and consolidate the theories and teachings of both secular and non-secular philosophies. I am willing to travel to Paris, Oxford, Bologna, and beyond to promote the ideals of this program. Universities must unite and join forces to achieve the type of mass education that is so desired. I implore you to consider this idea as a way of supporting the mass changes that are taking place during this ever-evolving Renaissance Period. With your divine help, studium generales will be filled with a large and diverse collection of newly-devoted intellectual minds that are willing to learn a wide range of subjects. Whether the subject is theology, dialectic, rhetoric, philosophy, medicine, law, math, or science, a conglomeration will take place that will revolutionize the educational system for the greater good.

In conclusion, I thank you for taking your precious time to read my humble letter. I can only hope that a person of your esteemed nature will be able to appreciate and understand my need to address the current nature of the teachings that take place in our newly-created universities.

Sincerely,

Sean Doran, your humble and devoted pupil…


I attempted to create the five parts of a letter according to The Principles of Letter Writing. The parts included: the Salutation, the Securing of Goodwill, the Narration, the Petition, and the Conclusion. The Salutation was taken from "The Salutation of a Pupil to His Teacher" from The Principles of Letter Writing. The abundant acknowledgment of the recipient’s established ethos seeks to solidify the creation of a strong Securing of Goodwill. The Narration and Petition make up the bulk of the body of the letter, followed by a conclusion that further accentuates the “esteemed nature” (Securing of Goodwill) of the recipient. I hope that I successfully organized the letter in a fashion that reflects the implementation of the aforementioned entities.