Recording of a lecture delivered by Annapolis tutor Paul Ludwig on November 5, 2004, as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Recording of a lecture delivered on February 18, 2005, by Dr. Harvey C. Mansfield as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Recording of a lecture delivered on November 19, 2004, by Stephanie Nelson as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Recording of a lecture delivered on September 17, 2004, by Gisela Berns as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Audio recording of a lecture delivered on October 23, 1981, by Leon Kass as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Dr. Kass is Addie Clark Harding Professor Emeritus in the Committee on Social Thought and in the College at The University of Chicago, the Hertog Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and the Dean of the Faculty at Shalem College in Jerusalem. He was a tutor at St. John's College from 1972 to 1974.

Recording of a lecture delivered on September 2, 2016, by Annapolis tutor Elliott Zuckerman as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Recording of a November 20, 2024 lecture and Q&A session by Karl Walling of the U.S. Naval War College.

Recording of a lecture delivered on November 15, 2024, by Stephanie Nelson as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Professor Nelson offers this introduction to her lecture: It is not too much of a stretch to say that Aristophanes’ Clouds is primarily about two topics: logos and the gods – and about Socrates’ relation to them both. Aristophanes, in his most serious playful manner, challenges us to think about who gets to be a god, and even, this lecture will suggest, proposes the Logoi as the real gods of human experience. The play thus asks us to consider both the nature of gods and the nature of logos, and in so doing juxtaposes the way that Socrates views the relation of logos and reality to the way the comic poet sees the same question. 

Recording of a lecture delivered on November 8, 2024, by Allen Speight as part of the Formal Lecture Series.

Professor Speight offers this introduction to his lecture: "Since the modern discovery of Paleolithic cave art in 1879, scholars have pondered its origin and significance. The remarkable paintings and etchings that line the walls of caves at Altamira, Lascaux and Chauvet and hundreds of other sites around the world prompt both wonder and reflection: what can images produced tens of thousands of years ago tell us about the nature of human making and our responses to it? This lecture will explore a range of philosophical questions posed by early art, including the nature of mimesis, the roles of sight and touch, and the relation between symbol and figurative art."

Audio recording of a lecture delivered on November 1, 2024, by Bret Davis as part of the Formal Lecture Series. 

Professor Davis offers this introduction to his lecture: “Know thyself” is a motto of philosophical inquiry not only in the West but in many traditions. What does it mean to know oneself? There are different types of self-knowledge, revealing different aspects of the self. One important aspect of the self is how our thoughts, feelings, and values are shaped by the culture and tradition in which we were raised. Another important aspect of the self is how we are capable of critically reflecting on and creatively developing our culture and tradition in dialogue with others. Our selves are both shaped by and shape our cultures and traditions.