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A look behind the scenes at how work is getting done in the CLAA. The Classical Liberal Arts Academy is engaged in a work of uncommon scope and importance: the construction of a complete course of studies in the classical Catholic tradition. This is not a matter of assembling a few isolated courses, but of building an ordered curriculum that leads the student from the first elements of language and reasoning to the highest studies of philosophy and sacred theology. Such a task requires not only learning and devotion, but also careful organization, lest the work become irregular or incomplete. … Continue

Mathematicians argue that negative numbers exist because they can serve as square roots for positive quantities. A screenshot of the OpenStax Algebra textbook above (the most widely used textboook in the world) provides an example of this teaching. This is fed to kids in schools and they drink it in as normal. This idea, however, was opposed for many years by philosophers who denied that it was possible for negative quantities to exist. This provides us with an opportunity to ask, “What, exactly, are we learning in modern Mathematics courses?” Is this truth? Or, is Mathematics some sort of “Trojan … Continue

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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