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Summary Living with strong convictions in a free and diverse society requires a clear distinction between private and public life. In private life, individuals may order their actions entirely according to their own beliefs. In public life, however, they must respect the equal rights and freedoms of others and cannot treat shared spaces as extensions of their own authority. The expression of beliefs requires prudence. While individuals are free to speak according to their convictions, public and professional contexts impose real consequences, which must be accepted as part of living in a free society rather than interpreted as violations of … Continue

In my work in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy I receive contacts from schools that acknowledge their awareness that the current school model is not sustainable and that improvement is needed. They are ready for change but there is a problem: being educated in modern schools themselves, and having no idea where to look for solutions, they are stuck. There is little to no knowledge of alternatives to the ordinary arrangement and operation of modern K-12 schools. The schools are not goal-oriented and designed for success in the present generation. They are still operating as schools did 30 years ago. … Continue

The relationship between the Bible, philosophy, and classical education is often misunderstood in modern discussions, especially among Christians. It is commonly assumed that the Bible replaces all other forms of knowledge, or that the world before Scripture was largely ignorant and in need of correction. From this assumption, it follows that children should be taught to consider only the Bible as a source of truth, as if it were sufficient for all intellectual development. Some even quote passages like 2 Timothy 3:15-16 as proof of this. However, when we examine the history of philosophy, the teaching of the Church Fathers, … Continue

Before any student can profit from the study of the arts and sciences, he must understand that knowledge does not fall from heaven, nor is it to be obtained by memorizing information put in front of us. All true learning depends upon a right order of inquiry, and the sciences themselves were originally established by men who followed this order carefully and consistently. If we are to receive their work rightly, we must understand the path by which they arrived at their conclusions. This article, therefore, explains the methods of investigation that govern all sound reasoning and scientific knowledge as … Continue

In modern circles, especially where we find people talking about classical education, Socrates is spoken of as if he were a martyr. He’s spoken of as a hero of Western civilization who is to be honored and imitated. And yet, if we think about the life of Socrates carefully and accurately, and think about what he was ultimately charged with and put to death for, there’s a chance that we might actually be wrong about Socrates. I’m not willing to argue at present that we are wrong, but I am interested in thinking that we may be wrong about Socrates. … Continue

In education circles, talk about “curriculum development” is usually theoretical and vague. Most of the work is left by administrators to teachers, which is irresponsible. Annual teacher turnover is near 30%, meaning a learning program left to teachers is unstable and not in the interest of students. Teachers are not paid to develop school infrastructure; that’s the work of administrators. Moreover, curriculum development must extend from goals, to objectives, to tasks. This includes study materials and assessments — quizzes, tests, written assessments, etc. — and grading. This leaves teachers responsible for one thing: teaching. In my years with the Classical … Continue

In the Oxford English Dictionary, we find the following definition: liberal arts (n.) – Originally: the seven subjects of the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy) considered collectively (now historical). In later use more generally: arts subjects as opposed to science and technology. The term “liberal arts” has not always meant what it means today. In its original and proper sense, it referred to a fixed and well-defined course of study consisting of seven disciplines: Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric (the Trivium), and Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, and Astronomy (the Quadrivium). These were called “liberal” arts … Continue