In this talk, Mr. William C. Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy discusses the need for practical objects to direct and order classical studies for modern students.

In modern schools, students are taught to answer controversial questions using what is called the “Five Paragraph Essay”. While this is a simple and helpful model for beginners, we can learn from the example of St. Thomas Aquinas to do better. In the document below, I have provided instructions for how to write an argumentative essay following the method employed in Scholastic philosophy. Please note that this method was discussed in a live class held on October 27, 2023.

It is common to find students, and their parents, complaining about schools today. Students complain about subjects to be studied, textbooks to be read, lessons taught by teachers, assignments to be completed, tests to be taken, etc.. The modern student sets himself up as the judge of schools, which is absurd. Parents often join their students in this unreasonable judgment, not understanding what schools are for. First, no one has any need of a school. All students may study whatever they wish, however they wish. A student can grow up and live an entirely self-sufficient life. He can direct his … Continue