In this conversation, Dr. Matthew K. Minerd reflects on his intellectual journey, highlighting the influence of language and philosophy—the dance of νοῦς before our eyes—in shaping his understanding of the world and his habits of inquiry. Listen as he and Dr. Kemple discuss the discovery of meaningful study, the development of a global intellectual perspective, […]

In 2026, the Lyceum Institute will offer the first three of six courses in our core Trivium curriculum, providing an entryway into a truly “liberal” education: We are also aiming to introduce regular occasions throughout the year for practicing dialectical disputation and rhetorical presentation, though plans for this are still taking shape. The three core […]

John Boyer joins Brian Kemple to discuss the decline of traditional liberal education and its impact on university curricula, emphasizing the superficial engagement with important questions in contemporary society, particularly through social media. In place of these superficial approaches, we ought to recover the Aristotelian understanding of causality, developing habits of real inquiry, and discovery […]

In this conversation, Dr. Jacob Joseph Andrews discusses his journey into the intellectual life, emphasizing the importance of personal development, moral formation, and the role of classical education. He highlights the significance of language study, particularly Latin, in understanding culture and fostering intellectual habits. Andrews also reflects on the value of specialized study and the […]

A Philosophical Happy Hour contemplating the role of knowledge in the various vocations of life Lately—though, perhaps always, implicitly—we have found ourselves circling the topic of vocation.  What is the calling of the human person?  Does it fall into determinate categories—as husband or priest, mother or c-suite executive—or does it admit greater variability and complexity?  […]

A Philosophical Happy Hour concerning the present conditions, future prospects, and most promising directions for the pursuit of higher education Every reality which exists only in the concrete, corporeal world—and especially those that exist only or primarily within the socially-constructed realities of human interaction—has a natural lifespan.  They are born, they mature, and, eventually, they […]

A Philosophical Happy Hour on the relationship between self-awareness, morality, and machine technologies What is the relationship between self-awareness and our moral convictions?  How do our technologies affect this relationship?  This week’s Philosophical Happy Hour takes up these questions and more.  But let us set the stage for our conversation. A member brought this article […]

A Philosophical Happy Hour on the struggle to study unfamiliar topics, subjects, texts, and skills—and the necessity of that discomfort Atop my bookcases—visible just over my computer monitors, reminding me of its presence nearly every day—sits a nice four-volume hardcover set titled The World of Mathematics.  This set intimidates me.  Though I have a PhD […]

Today we continue highlighting some of our Columbanus Fellows, demonstrating the quality of our endeavors! These fellows are engaged in a rigorous and deep inquiry into the Western intellectual tradition, seeking both to retrieve lost wisdom and to further its presence in our society today. Joshua A. Streeter is a doctoral candidate in the Department of […]

Over the next several months we will highlight a few of our Columbanus Fellows, bringing to light the character of students engaged in our program! These fellows are engaged in a rigorous and deep inquiry into the Western intellectual tradition, seeking both to retrieve lost wisdom and to further its presence in our society today. Lance […]