Vives saw the connection between various studies, a loss that has terribly crippled the modern academy. "We must study all branches of knowledge." Additionally he said that, "the student will be always desirous of learning, and will never suppose that he has already reached the highest point of learning. Seneca has said very incisively: that many men want a taint to true learning, if they did not believe that they had already obtained to it." This is one example among many, that shows that Vives wanted students to embody humility. It is also likely the reason why he encouraged students to begin all their studies with prayer following the example of many of the great Christian students through the ages.
Vives also encouraged students to remember bodily health, avoid arrogance, live the Christian faith, and recognize that wisdom is the key to all of learning and life. As a matter of fact, it can be seen in his writings that he believes that wisdom and humility are to reign supreme. "The wise man directions himself to the contemplation of that holy and divine wisdom."
It is worth noting that Vives when writing of rhetoric or erudition, pointed out that it involved four factors. These factors according to Vives are, "natural capacity, judgment, memory, and application." Vives even gave credit to God for these related to rhetoric. Also, Vives gives a profound insight where he says, "I maintain that with Cicero himself, that I should prefer the words of wisdom, inelegantly expressed, rather than foolish fluency."
A good portion of Vives writings focuses on such things as riches and power as they are related to learning. He encourages all students to "first philosophize" and then become rich. He also gives quite a bit of instruction on how some seek glory with their learning contending this is not wise. He points out that fame is a shallow and fleeting motivation for education. In some of the most wonderful terms, he gives the proper motivation or ultimate goal for learning. "This then is the fruit of all studies; this is the goal. Having acquired our knowledge, we must turn it to usefulness, and employ it for the common good."
As with many Renaissance thinkers, Vives took seriously what it means to be human. He recognized that we human beings do need encouragement, but he directs students to seek praise in the right places. "More wretched still, if I were to buy people's good word in exchange for such an excellent and holy reward, and preferred to be praised by mortal men rather than by the immortal God; by fools, rather than by Wisdom Itself. Oh how we fish with a golden hook, for merely foul eels!"
In addition to writing to students or about students, Vives also wrote to Scholars about scholarship. He makes the case that real wisdom and eloquence is saying fitting words in the finest manner at the most fruitful time. He severely criticized those who debased scholarship by hypocrisy. Great is the era of learning, but better is that era of true education that has deeds that complement learning is at the heart of his message for scholars. "Learned men should show themselves gentle, affable, self – controlled, unvanquished by depraved desires, and should demonstrate how much wisdom can accomplish in the human mind, when it has the sovereignty; and what a great distance there is between the wise man and the fool."
When Vives provides specific instructions on teaching, he encourages the teacher to imitate Jesus in form and content. "And in teaching, what master shall we rather imitate than Christ himself who the father sent from heaven to teach the human race." As a Christian humanist, Vives wrote most eloquently about why the learning of that time was called humanistic. In essence it is that education that makes us fully human. He recognized that all of this learning (as he described it) has its source in God and can make us good human beings.
