Special Offers for Family, Annual Enrollment

As we enter enrollment season in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, we are happy to continue to offer several special enrollment options. Discounted Family Plans If you are enrolling more than three students in the Academy, you may be able to save by enrolling under our Family plans instead of individual Student plans. Discounted Annual Plans If you are committed to studies in the Academy, you can save by purchasing an annual enrollment rather than a monthly subscription. We offer two free months with annual enrollments. Please note that all special offers are non-refundable. These offers are intended for committed … Continue

The Greek Origin of Liberal Education

This article provides a helpful explanation of the development of the seven liberal arts, based on the chapter on that subject in Thomas Davidson’s Aristotle and Ancient Educational Ideals. The tradition of the seven liberal arts did not arise in ancient Greece as a fixed or formal system, but developed gradually from a more unified understanding of education. This history is explained in my book Understanding Classical Catholic Education. In its earliest form, Greek culture recognized two principal branches of training: gymnastics for the body and music for the soul. Yet the Greek conception of “music” was far broader than … Continue

Recommended: Davidson, “Aristotle: Ancient Educational Ideals”

Thomas Davidson’s “Aristotle and Ancient Educational Ideals” posits that education is the deliberate cultivation of the soul towards eudaimonia, or human flourishing, focusing on character development rather than just information acquisition. The text outlines a hierarchical curriculum, culminating in philosophical contemplation, that serves as a foundation for moral formation and a virtuous life within the family unit. I recommend this book for families in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy.

What is the Goal of a Classical Catholic Education?

Modern students and parents often ask what will come of an education in the classical liberal arts, philosophy, and theology. The question itself reveals a misunderstanding. It assumes that education is justified only by what follows it—by admission to a university, by the securing of employment, or by the increase of income. In this way of thinking, studies are merely instrumental, and their value lies outside themselves. Such a view, though common today, departs entirely from the classical and Catholic understanding of education. In the classical tradition, education is ordered not to an external product, but to the perfection of … Continue

Classical Catholic Tutoring in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy

In every age, parents desire not merely that their children succeed in school, but that they be truly educated—that their minds be formed, their judgment strengthened, and their lives ordered toward what is good and true. Yet in our own time, education has been largely reduced to a system of mechanical exercises, standardized assessments, and superficial accomplishments. Within such a system, even tutoring—though often sought with great hope—frequently proves ineffective, because it simply reinforces the very methods that have failed. The Problem with Modern Tutoring The difficulty in modern tutoring lies not in the diligence of students or the goodwill … Continue

What is Classical Philosophy?

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, philosophy is nothing other than the work of human reason seeking to understand the order of things. This definition, though simple, opens before us the whole scope of classical learning. For wisdom, as St. Thomas explains, is the perfection of the intellectual faculty, and the mark of the wise man is his ability to set things in order rightly. While the senses provide us with knowledge of individual, material things—this tree, that building, this action—it belongs to reason alone to perceive how these things relate to one another, how they depend upon one another, and … Continue

When Should a Child Begin Latin Studies?

This is one of the most common questions asked by parents, and the answer depends less on the child’s age than on the level of support available to him. Parent/Tutor Support The proper time to begin Latin studies is determined largely by the support available to a student. A young child is quite capable of beginning Latin early—provided that someone is available to direct and assist him. Parents who already know Latin are in an excellent position to introduce their children to the language at a young age. Their familiarity allows them to guide lessons, answer questions, and ensure steady … Continue

Sophistry in Modern Astronomy

In this essay, I wish to challenge certain assumptions that are commonly taken for granted in modern explanations of planetary motion. Terms like “inertia” and “tangential velocity” are frequently invoked as if they were true causes, yet upon closer examination, they appear to function more as convenient descriptions than as genuine explanations. By examining the logic behind these concepts and applying them consistently, I intend to show that they fail to account for the actual changes observed in the earth’s motion. Moreover, I will argue that the notion of space as a “vacuum,” often used to support these explanations, is … Continue

The CLAA is More Scientific, Not Less, than Modern Schools

Modern science has been proven, over the past 400 years, to be incapable of accomplishing what the ancient philosophers explained it could never accomplish: providing a more accurate and certain knowledge of the world than philosophy. Plato explained this — and he wasn’t even smart enough to figure out the art of Reasoning. Aristotle also explained this, and there is a reason why Aristotelian philosophy guided western civilization for almost 2,000 years. That’s when Francis Bacon proposed the abandonment of Aristotle’s “method” and the Scientific Revolution was launched. Because of the massive amounts of money and manpower that has been … Continue

True Social Life Flows from the Contemplative Life

The tension within modern Catholic culture regarding “socialization” is not merely a practical concern, but a deeper confusion about the nature and purpose of human life. Parents are urged to immerse their children in constant activity—teams, clubs, peer groups—under the assumption that this produces well-formed, socially competent individuals. Yet the Church continues to hold up as the highest expressions of human life those vocations marked by silence, recollection, and even separation from the world. This apparent contradiction disappears once we recover a proper understanding of true social life. The Error of Modern Socialization Modern culture treats social activity as an … Continue