William C. MichaelWilliam C. Michael

Mr. William C. Michael, O.P., is the founder and headmaster of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy and a Lay Dominican in the Catholic Church. Mr. Michael received an honors degree in Classics and Ancient History from Rutgers University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He led the CLAA to accreditation with Cognia in 2024. He has been studying and teaching the classical liberal arts for over 30 years.

Alcibiades I, by Plato

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Here we present the text of Plato’s dialogues Alcibiades I, or First Alcibiades, translated by Thomas Taylor. In this dialogue, Alcibiades I, Socrates investigates the nature of man, and explains the meaning of the famous ancient command: “Know thyself.” Read the dialogue and be amazed at how accurately the ancient philosophers understood the nature of man–a creature composed of body and soul, made to the image and likeness of God. To study the works of Plato in the Academy, please visit the Academy Study Center. Return to the Works of Plato Return to the Works of Plato

Baltimore Catechism I, Lesson 02. On God and His Perfections

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This second lesson of Baltimore Catechism I is intended for children preparing for First Communion in the Catholic Church. We will study the Church’s teaching on God and dhis perfections. It is impossible for man to say anything about God himself because we cannot know God. Anything we say about God will be confusing because God himself is a mystery and beyond anything we can understand or imagine. We can only speak about the things God has made and about characterstics found in God. Because any characteristic found in God is perfect, we call these God’s “perfections”. Return to Baltimore … Continue

St. Thomas Aquinas on the Duty of a Wise Man

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“My mouth shall meditate truth, and my lips shall hate impiety” Proverbs 8:7 The language of common people, which according to Aristotle, is to be followed in giving names to things, has commonly held that they are to be called “wise” who order things rightly and govern them well. Hence, among other things that men have conceived about the wise man, Aristotle includes the notion that “it belongs to the wise man to order.” Now, the rule of government and order for all things directed to an end must be taken from the end. For, since the end of each … Continue

Obedience in the Catholic Life

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Obviously, St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, did not agree with some in modern Catholic circles. It’s important to see the difference between the aim of the lives of the saints (see the book in the image below) and that of men who speak against the hierarchy of the Church in our times and throughout history. The Latin phrase AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM means, “For the greater glory of God.” This was the principle of the life of St. Ignatius and allowed him to think rightly on controversial issues. In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, … Continue