Academic Life

Educational Mission

To assist a young person in his journey toward living life well, Socrates began by questioning, through dialogue, the opinions and beliefs that he or she held to be true. These opinions and beliefs, Socrates asserted, stem, for the most part, from a particular cultural experience or historical moment.  His initial discourse with the young sought only to unmask opinion and belief so that they could be seen clearly for what they are. 

As a prelude to human learning, the unmasking of opinion or belief is necessary because it allows objective inquiry to begin. Epictetus agreed with Socrates that the first step in liberal education is “to part with self-conceit.  For it is impossible for anyone to begin to learn what he thinks he already knows.”

The common opinion or belief of young people living in the post-modern era is that the human person is a disconnected, self-contained, psychological unit. As a result, the common experience of youth is to distrust relations with others and the world. Therefore, they become narrowly shut up within themselves, seeking by themselves and in themselves for the only purpose or reason for things. This sense of disconnectedness and self-containment can lead to a condition of false autonomy and alienation that will nurture doubt and despair.

As Socrates insisted, however, beyond shared cultural experiences and historical moments, and the opinions or beliefs that come from them, lie first principles and fundamental relationships. 

Herein lies the threefold educational mission of the Program of Studies: (1) to unmask the opinions and beliefs that are peculiar to the post-modern era; (2) to demonstrate the connectedness of things; and (3) to ground the odyssey towards living life well in those first principles and fundamental relationships that are universal to mankind.

[Top]