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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

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

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

Questions concerning who should attend college, for what purpose, and by what means are of great importance, for many young adults are making decisions that require decades to recover from. It is necessary to begin by correcting a common and costly misunderstanding concerning the nature of modern higher education. Many today continue to speak of colleges and universities as though they were heirs of the medieval institutions of Christendom, ordered to the pursuit of wisdom and governed by philosophy and theology. This assumption is false, and it leads students and families into serious error. Decisions about education are not merely … Continue