Online Great Books Program
Adele Strecker
The New College Liberal Arts program is for those who wish to learn how to think, not what to think. The great ideas covered in this program have been the foundation of dynamic, independent thinking for millennia. Come join us in learning the wisdom of the ages.
New College was established on the foundation of great western traditions in the liberal arts. This program empowers students with a classical liberal arts education based on essential teachings from the greatest thinkers in history. Learn more below!
The flourishing of ancient Greece saw the beginnings of the western tradition in literature, history, drama, philosophy, and science. These contributions remain central to our thinking and culture because they have shaped an ongoing conversation we are still part of, and because in many cases they engage and speak directly to questions we still care about. The course starts by developing an understanding of the techniques and themes of drama through the defiant characters of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes. In Homer, Herodotus, and Thucydides, we look at the role of myth and the emergence of historical thinking. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, meanwhile, set an agenda and advance methods for investigating questions about ethics, politics, metaphysics, and the natural world.
This class is appropriate for those with no prior knowledge of mathematics who wish to have a genuine experience of logic and mathematical thinking, as well as students in mathematics who wish to explore and reflect on the roots and foundations of their subject. Everyone taking the class will have a profound encounter with one of the greatest works of all time and come away with enhanced powers of logical thought.
In this course, students will learn about the creative ideas and accomplishments of various cultures in various fields of humanities that may include art, architecture, drama, history, music, literature, philosophy, and religion. The course will include cultural expressions from the Western canon and may also include expressions from around the globe. Students will be introduced to major works of literature from Ancient Greece and Rome, with a special emphasis on the High Classical period in Athens (c. 480-323 B.C.) and the Augustan period of the Roman Empire (c. 46 B.C. to 18 A.D.). There will also be selections from the Bible and from Near Eastern literature, chosen to illuminate common themes and significant differences among the civilizations of the ancient world. The course will survey foundational ideas that shaped the outlook of those civilizations and continue to affect modern people profoundly as well.
In this course, students will be introduced to the nature of philosophy, philosophical thinking, major intellectual movements in the history of philosophy, including topics from the western philosophical tradition, and various problems in philosophy. Students will strengthen their intellectual skills, become more effective learners, and develop broad foundational knowledge. In particular, the course examines thinkers including Socrates and Plato, Aristotle, and figures in the Stoic and Epicurean traditions as they inquire into the nature of virtue and the best life, appropriate forms of political organization, the fundamental constituents of reality, the persistence of the soul, elements of formal logic, and other enduring philosophical topics. In addition to analyzing and critiquing these influential views, students will practice the tools and strategies characteristic of these authors.
In this course, students will utilize multiple means of problem solving through student-centered mathematical exploration. The course is designed to teach students to think more effectively and vastly increase their problem-solving ability through practical application and divergent thinking. This course is appropriate for students in a wide range of disciplines/programs. In addition to looking at modern sources, students will look at the foundations of mathematics by proving theorems from great books by Euclid, Nicomachus, and Archimedes that illuminate the historical and philosophical roots of the subject. This approach will enable students to develop their ability to understand mathematical concepts, interpret and reason about geometric figures, examine the nature of magnitude and number, and handle logic both as an object of inquiry and as a tool for solving problems.
This course provides a comprehensive look at modern astronomy, emphasizing the use of the scientific method and the application of physical laws to understand the Universe including Earth and its environment. Throughout this course, students will develop the ability to discern scientific knowledge from non-scientific claims by using critical thinking. In addition to looking at modern sources, students will read excerpts from great books by Ptolemy, Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Kepler, and Galileo. This approach will enable them to examine how scientific theories evolve, to explore the issue of what is involved in distinguishing scientific knowledge from non-scientific claims, and to practice critical thinking.
In this course, students will be assigned readings representative of a broad range of literary genres and cultures. These readings will cover a variety of literary movements and historical eras. The readings will include, but are not limited to, selections from the Western canon. Written analysis of literary works may be required. Students will be provided with opportunities to practice critical interpretation. (Note: this is BOG LIT X000 course description; instructor will provide additional text about specific course readings and objectives).
This course will introduce students to some of the classic works of social and political thought from the Renaissance to the twentieth century. Topics covered will include the structure and purpose of government; the proper relationship between state, society, and the individual; the course and direction of history; human nature and the limits of reason; and the nature of modernity and its impact on both individuals and societies. Students will develop their abilities to think critically and analytically about big issues by engaging with challenging texts.
All Great Books program students qualify for in-state tuition. And all full-time degree-seeking students receive an 80% in-state tuition waiver. Need-based aid may also be available for degree-seeking students.
Complete the form at the bottom of the page to stay up-to-date on the next classes starting. If you have questions, contact Alex Muller ([email protected]; 941-487-4476; Schedule a Meeting) for more information.
No. Courses are offered on a set schedule, and students are grouped in small class cohorts led by New College professors. All courses will be taught live through a combination of real-time video seminars, guest lectures from experts, peer-to-peer discussions and your own reading and study. Regular attendance per the class schedule is required.
Liberal arts degrees are a path to the critical thinking and problem solving skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing society. Grappling with timeless questions has allowed many great men and women to adapt and thrive, leading to successful careers and fulfilling lives.
Ohio Wesleyan University is a liberal arts and sciences university located in Delaware, Ohio and 20 miles from the capital city of Columbus. The university offers 86 majors and 57 minors as well as 23 varsity sports. The Great Books tradition is strong and extends throughout their Humanities division programs, which include both Comparative Literature and Classics. The Classics program is small but academically rigorous. Students study ancient Greece and Rome, the ancient Greek, and Latin languages and literature through a study of epic, lyric and elegiac poetry, tragedy and comedy, ancient history and philosophy, and classical mythology and religion. Classics majors are equipped for a variety of career and lifetime pursuits, as well as continuing education. Given the sound training in skills of critical reasoning, graduates often go on to pursue graduate degrees in law and medicine.
Benedictine College launched its Great Books Program in academic year 2014-15 and is an option for students who want to fulfill general education requirements in a more liberal arts format. This program revolves around a Great Books sequence over four years which will take students through the development of human thought during the Ancient World, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Modern Age. Great Books students will be encouraged to spend a semester in Florence, Italy, where they will be introduced to the cultural richness of the west. Though the Great Books Program is new, Benedictine College was founded in 1858 by two Benedictine monks and six students. It is located on the west bank of the Missouri River in the historic city of Atchison, Kansas. There are now nearly 2000 students at Benedictine and students benefit from a 15:1 student/faculty ratio.
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