Classical Liberal Arts Academy Studium

In this lesson from the Sacred Scripture I course, Headmaster William C. Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy leads students through a detailed study of Genesis Chapter 2. This chapter reveals the completion of creation, God’s sanctification of the seventh day, the formation of man from the earth, the creation of woman, and the establishment of marriage. Students explore the nature of human life as both body and soul, the meaning of work and rest, and the harmony of man and woman in the state of original innocence. The lesson lays the theological foundation for Catholic teachings on human dignity, vocation, and the sacrament of matrimony.

Learn more or enroll in the course at classicalliberalarts.com.

In this opening lesson of Harvey’s Elementary Grammar and Composition, students explore the foundation of all language and thought — the idea of the object. Guided by Headmaster William Michael of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, this lecture introduces how we come to know the world through our senses and consciousness, and how words allow us to express our thoughts about the things we know. Students learn to distinguish between perception and consciousness, define key terms like object and word, and see how grammar begins with understanding reality itself.

Learn more or enroll in the course at classicalliberalarts.com.

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. This lecture is part of the Academy’s Latin Vocabulary course and introduces Lesson 01 from Johann Amos Comenius’ Orbis Sensualium Pictus (“The World of Things Obvious to the Senses Drawn in Pictures”), titled The Master and the Boy.

In this first lesson, students study the foundational dialogue between the teacher and the student that sets the tone for all later learning. Written in the 17th century, Comenius’ text presents education as a sacred and rational activity guided by both human instruction and divine grace. This dialogue captures the essence of Catholic education: the pursuit of wisdom through understanding, right action, and right speech under the guidance of God.

The lecture follows the traditional Studium Method and includes:

Praelectio: Introduction to Comenius’ work and philosophy of learning

Oratio: Prayer before study

Lectio: Reading the Latin text aloud

Divisio: Analysis of the lesson’s structure and themes

Interpretatio: Explanation of the meaning of each phrase

Comprehensio: Key points, memory work, and study suggestions

Demonstratio: Methods for assessing mastery and understanding

Students will learn to:

Understand Comenius’ view of wisdom as right thinking, acting, and speaking

Recognize the dependence of all true learning on both teacher and God

Appreciate the Thomistic principle that learning begins from the senses and proceeds to higher understanding

Translate, pronounce, and explain the Latin dialogue with comprehension and reverence

This lecture is taught by William Michael, Headmaster of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. To join the Academy for self-paced studies in Latin and other classical Catholic subjects, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com.

For course assistance or support, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com/support.

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. This lecture is part of the Sacred Scripture I course and provides a detailed study of Genesis Chapter 1, verses 1–31—the account of the six days of creation.

In this lesson, students explore the inspired text written by Moses around 1400 BC, which reveals God as the Creator of all things and establishes the foundation for the entire history of salvation. Through careful reading, analysis, and interpretation, we examine the order, purpose, and goodness of God’s creative work and the special dignity of man made in His image.

The lecture includes:

A praelectio announcing the lesson’s purpose and historical context

A traditional prayer before study (oratio)

A detailed analysis of the six days of creation (divisio)

A verse-by-verse theological interpretation (interpretatio)

Key memory work, notes, and assessment objectives (comprehensio and demonstratio)

Students will learn to:

Recall what was created on each of the six days

Understand what it means that man is made in the image and likeness of God

Explain the order and pattern of creation and its reflection of divine wisdom

Recognize the theological and moral truths expressed in the text

This lecture is taught by William Michael, Headmaster of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. To join the Academy for self-paced studies in Sacred Scripture and other classical Catholic subjects, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com.

For questions or support, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com/support.

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. In this lecture, Academy Headmaster William Michael presents a full study of Chapter 2 of Porphyry’s Introduction (Isagoge), one of the foundational texts of classical logic.

Porphyry (c. 234–305 AD) wrote the Introduction as a commentary on Aristotle’s Categories, explaining how we classify and reason about reality through the five predicables: genus, species, difference, property, and accident. In this second chapter, Porphyry focuses on genus and species, showing how these two concepts form the structure of logical and philosophical understanding.

Students will learn:

The three meanings of “genus” and why philosophers focus on the third

How “genus” and “species” differ and relate to each other

The hierarchy from the most general genus down to individual substances

The rules of logical predication and why higher terms are said of lower ones

How Porphyry’s teaching became the foundation of medieval Scholastic logic

This lesson provides a clear and systematic explanation of how human reason organizes knowledge into a rational order of reality—a method used by Aristotle, perfected by Porphyry, and taught by St. Thomas Aquinas and the great medieval schoolmen.

Course: TRV-371 Classical Reasoning I

#Porphyry #Logic #Aristotle #Philosophy #ClassicalEducation #Scholasticism #CatholicEducation #WilliamMichael #LiberalArts

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. This lecture introduces students to the opening chapter of Myers’ General History for Colleges and Schools on Prehistoric Times, which serves as the foundation for the Academy’s World History course. In this lesson, William Michael, headmaster of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, leads students through the origins of human civilization, exploring the long ages before written records and the remarkable achievements of humanity under divine providence.

The lecture follows the traditional Scholastic method, beginning with the Praelectio (introduction of the lesson), the Oratio (prayer before study), and the Lectio (reading), followed by a detailed Divisio (analysis), Interpretatio (explanation), Comprehensio (review), and Demonstratio (assessment and mastery). Students learn how human progress from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Metal Ages reveals both the rational nature of man and the providential guidance of God throughout history.

Topics include:

The distinction between prehistoric and historic ages

The Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Metal Ages

Major human achievements in prehistoric times: fire, domestication, agriculture, language, and writing

The legacy of prehistoric man and the beginnings of civilization

This lecture teaches students not only the facts of early human development but also the moral and philosophical meaning of human progress in light of divine wisdom.

For enrollment in the World History course or other classical studies, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com.

For academic support, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com/support.

Instructor: William Michael

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. In this lecture, Academy Headmaster William Michael presents Chapter 1 of Porphyry’s Introduction (Isagoge)—the classic opening to the study of logic that shaped Western philosophy and education for more than a thousand years.

Porphyry (c. 234–305 AD), a Greek philosopher and student of Plotinus, wrote the Introduction as a commentary on Aristotle’s Categories. In this first chapter, he explains the necessity of understanding the five predicables—Genus, Difference, Species, Peculiarity, and Accident—which are the essential tools of reasoning, definition, and demonstration. He also sets the boundaries of his study, choosing not to enter the profound metaphysical questions about the reality of universals, questions that later became central to medieval Scholastic debates.

Students will learn:

Why Porphyry begins with logic before metaphysics

The meaning and function of the five predicables

The distinction between logical and metaphysical inquiry

How the Isagoge prepared students for Aristotle and the Scholastic tradition

Course: TRV-371 Classical Reasoning I

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#Porphyry #Logic #Aristotle #Philosophy #ClassicalEducation #Scholasticism #CatholicEducation #WilliamMichael #LiberalArts

This lecture in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy’s Classical Rhetoric course explores Chapter 2 of Book I of Aristotle’s Rhetoric. Presented by William Michael, headmaster of the Academy, this lesson examines Aristotle’s definition of rhetoric as the power of perceiving in every case the means of persuasion. Students will learn how Aristotle distinguishes rhetoric from other arts, defining it as a universal method applicable to all subjects. The lecture introduces the two kinds of proofs—non-artificial proofs that exist independently of the speaker, and artificial proofs that must be created through rhetorical skill—and develops the famous three modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos.

Through a careful reading and interpretation of the text, the lecture demonstrates how Aristotle links rhetoric to dialectic, ethics, and political science, showing that true rhetoric depends upon logical reasoning, virtuous character, and psychological understanding. Students will also explore Aristotle’s treatment of the enthymeme and example as the two forms of rhetorical argumentation, and the distinction between necessary and probable reasoning in persuasive speech.

This lesson provides essential insight into the foundations of classical rhetoric and its enduring influence on Catholic intellectual tradition, particularly through St. Thomas Aquinas’s integration of Aristotelian philosophy into moral theology. Students enrolled in the course are encouraged to review the text, memorize key principles, and complete the related assessments to demonstrate mastery of Aristotle’s teaching.

To study with the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, visit classicalliberalarts.com.

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. In this lecture, Academy Headmaster William C. Michael leads a complete study of Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Book I, Chapter 1—the opening chapter of the greatest work ever written on the art of persuasion.

In this lesson, students will learn how Aristotle establishes rhetoric as a true rational art, not a tool of manipulation. Aristotle explains its relationship to dialectic (logic), its role in the pursuit of truth and justice, and its foundation in the enthymeme, or rhetorical syllogism. The lecture walks through Aristotle’s critique of emotional rhetoric, his four arguments for rhetoric’s usefulness, and his enduring insight that the purpose of rhetoric is not simply to persuade, but to discover the means by which truth may be communicated to all.

Whether you are a student of philosophy, logic, or communication, this lecture will help you understand how classical rhetoric was originally conceived—as a moral and intellectual discipline rooted in truth and virtue.

📘 Course: TRV-381 Classical Rhetoric

#ClassicalEducation #Aristotle #Rhetoric #Philosophy #CatholicEducation #LiberalArts #WilliamMichael #ClassicalLiberalArtsAcademy

In this lecture Academy headmaster Mr. William C. Michael, O.P. guides students through Book I, Chapter 1 of Aristotle’s Rhetoric, one of the most influential works in the history of education. Written around 350 BC, Aristotle’s Rhetoric presents a systematic treatment of the art of persuasion. It teaches that rhetoric, far from being manipulation or flattery, is a logical art—a disciplined method for discovering the means of persuasion through reason. This first chapter establishes the relationship between rhetoric and dialectic, defines rhetoric as an art grounded in logic, and defends its role in the education of wise and virtuous citizens. What You’ll Learn How rhetoric and logic work together as sister arts of reasoning. Why all men naturally engage in rhetorical and dialectical activity. What an enthymeme is and why it forms the heart of true persuasion. Aristotle’s critique of teachers who rely on emotional manipulation. The four reasons rhetoric is valuable and necessary in public life. Why rhetoric, like medicine, aims to discover the means of its art rather than guarantee results. How rhetoric can and should serve truth and justice, not deception. Key Ideas to Remember Rhetoric and dialectic are natural human arts of reasoning. True rhetoric is grounded in logical credibility, not emotion. Enthymemes are rhetorical syllogisms that prove by reason. Laws should be precise to limit the role of emotional persuasion. Rhetoric is valuable because truth and justice are naturally stronger than their opposites. Studying both sides of a question trains the mind for defense of truth. The purpose of rhetoric is not to force agreement but to discover persuasion through reason. Course Information This lecture is part of TRV-381: Classical Rhetoric, one of the Academy’s courses in the Trivium. Students learn Aristotle’s complete Rhetoric alongside classical models of argumentation, imitation, and expression used throughout Catholic tradition and Scholastic education. If you’re not yet enrolled, you can begin self-paced studies in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy at: https://classicalliberalarts.com For assistance or course support, visit: https://classicalliberalarts.com/support