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The Fear of “Screen Time” in Online Education: A Reasonable Examination

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One of the most common objections raised against online education today concerns what is commonly called “screen time.” Prospective parents often express concern that enrolling a child in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy will place him in front of a computer for dangerous or unhealthy lengths of time. While these concerns are understandable in a culture already overwhelmed by entertainment technology, the objection itself is often confused because it fails to distinguish between the different uses of computers and other digital devices. The phrase “screen time” is frequently used as though all time spent in front of a screen was … Continue

Why CLAA Students Should Consider Majoring in Classics

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Students are often faced with a decision: (a) choose a different major or (b) choose a different college. Most students choose a different college, and it is usually a college that is inferior to the one they first applied to. They imagine that earning the same degree from an inferior college will be better than pursuing something else, and inferior colleges naturally encourage this thinking. That is their business. The truth, however, is that there will eventually be even fewer jobs available than spots in college admissions classes, and those jobs will become more competitive, not less. Being denied admission … Continue

New Translation Work in Logic and the Philosophical Sciences

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When most schools—even colleges—talk about “Logic” today, they are referring to school classes that study modern textbooks designed simply to provide a “Logic course” for those institutions. When we learn, however, that the Catholic Church was the source of the true teaching of the art of reasoning, we realize that there is much more to the subject than modern schools are aware of. Two of the greatest Doctors of the Catholic Church were St. Albert the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas. Most Catholics who know something about Church history, or who pay attention to the Church calendar, are familiar with … Continue

Summer Studies in the CLAA

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As we move through May and into June, most schools are preparing to close for the summer. Modern schools are only open 180 days—less than half the days of the year. One of the greatest advantages of homeschooling is that school remains open year-round. Still, some homeschool programs only serve public school standards and provide for 180 days of homeschool activity. For anyone interested in a classical Catholic education, that’s not realistic. In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, our program is available 365 days a year to parents and students. All of our online courses are open, allowing students to … Continue

St. Albert the Great, On the Nature of Logic, Chapter 1

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Return to St. Albert the Great, Logic Prelection In this opening chapter on the nature of logic, St. Albert the Great introduces students to one of the most important foundations of all liberal learning: the right use of reason. Logic is not merely a school subject or an exercise in argument, but the art by which the mind is guided from what is known to what is unknown, from confusion to understanding, and from error to truth. Following Aristotle and the ancient philosophical tradition, St. Albert explains that logic serves every science because it teaches the intellect how to define, … Continue

Why Do We Need to Study Porphyry’s Introduction?

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In the opening sentence of Porphyry’s Introduction, we read: Since it is necessary, both to the doctrine of the Categories of Aristotle, and to the formation of definitions, and in short, to those things which pertain to division and demonstration, to know what Genus and Difference, Species, Peculiarity, and Accident are; and since also the theory of these is useful: In a summary way, I will briefly endeavour to discuss for you, in the form, as it were, of an Introduction, what has been delivered on this subject by the ancients. In this opening sentence, Porphyry identifies for us the … Continue

Understanding the Five Predicables in Porphyry’s Introduction (Isagoge)

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This page provides a detailed explanation of the five predicables as taught in Porphyry’s Introduction. This work is also referred to by its Greek name, Isagoge. What are the Five Predicables? In his Introduction, Porphyry proposes five fundamental ways in which something may be predicated of a subject. These are called the five predicables: Genus, Species, Difference, Peculiarity, and Accident. These distinctions are necessary for understanding how things are defined and how they are related to one another in logical reasoning. When we ask what a thing is, what kind of thing it is, or what belongs to it, we … Continue

Lecture on Aristotle’s Ethics – Book I, Chapter 06

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Note: The following text is a direct transcription of the spoken lecture above. Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. This lecture is intended for students enrolled in the Academy’s Philosophy 311, Classical Ethics course. If you’re not enrolled and would like to join us for self-paced studies, please visit classicalliberalarts.com. My name is William C. Michael. I’m the Academy headmaster, and I’ll be leading this study. Prelection The subject of this lesson is Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Book One, Chapter Six. This chapter is a very difficult chapter for most students because it examines the question of whether there is … Continue

She Shall Be Saved Through Motherhood: Taking Up the Work God Has Given You

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The Work That Belongs to a Mother Many young mothers find themselves unsure of what to do when their children become disruptive in public. They feel torn between wanting to remain where they are and knowing that others may be distracted. These moments are not easy, and they can leave a mother feeling uncertain or even discouraged. I remember being in that place myself, and I had to learn these lessons slowly over time, and not always perfectly. One truth, however, became very clear to me. The care, training, and government of my children belonged to me. This was not … Continue

Choosing between Standard and Premium Tuition

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Families who enroll in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy are offered two modes of participation in the course of study: Standard Tuition and Premium Tuition. Both provide access to the full CLAA curriculum, but they differ in the manner in which that curriculum is pursued. The distinction is not one of content, but of guidance. Standard Tuition for Independent Study The Standard Tuition plan is designed for independent study. Students are given full access to all courses, assessments, and records, and parents oversee the daily work of their children. This arrangement serves families who are confident in directing their studies … Continue