Posts about virtue

Digital Technology and the Malformation of the Human Soul

Dr. Brian Kemple of the Lyceum Institute joins Anthony Alberino for a discussion on digital technology and its relation to the human soul. Together they reflect philosophically on: This is the third installment in Dr. Alberino’s “Dangers of the Digital Age” series, which can be found here.

Humility: Wellspring of Virtue, or Cowardice in Disguise?

A Philosophical Happy Hour on the nature of humility and its status in contemporary society. What is Humility? For reasons personal, professional, and perhaps preposterous, I’m attempting to learn French. However, I must confess: I am having a rough go of it. Though I’ve a bit of a knack for picking up languages, I nonetheless […]

Lecutre: Self-Sufficiency of Happiness in the Nicomachean Ethics

In 2024, the Lyceum Institute this thoughtful interpretation of a perennial difficulty in interpreting Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, presented by Joseph M. Cherny, PhD Candidate at the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX. Mr. Cherny asks: how is happiness self-sufficient? Does it find fulfillment in one good, or a […]

Lecture: The Centrality of Noble Goods for Human Flourishing

Last year, the Lyceum Institute hosted Dr. Daniel De Haan (Frederick Copleston Senior Research Fellow & Lecturer in Philosophy & Theology in the Catholic Tradition Blackfriars and Campion Hall / Research Fellow, Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford) for a colloquium presentation on “The Centrality of […]

A Reflection on Magnificence

When I thanked a donor for making a generous contribution to our Endowment Fund, he sent a simple reply—one I was not expecting. “I’m glad to help and want to thank you for guiding us towards truth and good in a world sorely lacking in both.” I’m probably not the guide the world needs (or the […]

On the Renaissance and Human Dignity

A Philosophical Happy Hour on the notion of human dignity as conveyed through thinkers of the Renaissance. The philosophy of the Renaissance—a somewhat deceptive but now inescapably common name for the movement, occurring roughly (with some notable outliers) between 1350–1650, to retrieve Platonic thinking, emphasize the arts of grammar and rhetoric over that of logic, […]

On Contemporary Atheism

A Philosophical Happy Hour centered around a reading of Jacques Maritain’s essay, “The Meaning of Contemporary Atheism”. Included in a collection of essays under the title, The Range of Reason, we find Jacques Maritain’s, “The Meaning of Contemporary Atheism”.  We will gather this Wednesday (2/26/25) to discuss this essay’s primary intention—explaining what it means and […]

On Habits of Speaking Well

A Philosophical Happy Hour on the use of language to convey thinking: from daily conversation, to professional presentation, let us ask after the habits of speaking well. How does one learn to speak well?  Many courses are offered with proposed solutions—from the WikiHow to MasterClasses and entire college majors.  Yet it seems, upon brief reflection, […]

Ethics: The Good Life [Winter 2025]

Description This is an introductory seminar which provides an entryway into the practice of philosophical reflection. Participants should be able to dedicate a minimum of one hour per day to its study. Details All Lyceum Institute seminars include weekly readings, lectures, and live discussion sessions. The discussion sessions are recorded. This seminar includes a range […]

Jefferson, Natural Rights, and the Sources of the Declaration of Independence

Presenting the fifth in our Colloquium series for the year 2024, Dr. John Pinheiro (PhD in History, Director of Research at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty), challenges the common narrative that reduces Thomas Jefferson’s thought in writing the Declaration to the philosophy of John Locke.  Dr. Pinheiro was previously professor […]

Beyond the University

Twelve people: that is how many faculty teach for the Lyceum Institute. In a world of billions, it is a very small number. But as history attests, twelve people can make profound and lasting changes in the world. Our faculty teach philosophy, languages, the Trivium, and more. They guide students in asking questions that matter, preserve the things worth remembering, and demonstrate the order of an intellectual life. In every seminar and every course, they show that education is not just preparation for life, but rather a fuller way of living.

This fall (from October 15 through 31 December), we are seeking to raise $48,000—enough to provide each of our faculty with a modest stipend of $4,000. These stipends are not salaries (which we hope to provide through our Endowment, which you can learn about here), but signs of gratitude and support for the dedication that makes the Lyceum Institute possible. Your gift does not prop up buildings or bureaucracy but sustains our people in the noble task of educating.

By giving today, you share in their work. Your contribution helps build a community where habits of thinking are not only taught, but lived.

Join us in bringing new life to education!

Donors who give $4,000+ will receive a special gift.

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