Moral Life and the Classical Tradition Seminar
June 19-25 (Women) and June 26-July 2 (Men)
The Moral Life and the Classical Tradition Seminar is a week-long program for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in the ancient philosophical tradition and its influence in the Christian moral life. The seminar is offered to both young men and young women, although their seminars take place separately (see dates above).
Classical Moral Philosophy. This course explores Plato’s Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Euthyphro, and Meno as well as selections from Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Politics.
Contemporary Issues in Moral Thought. This course consists of discussions and readings on the foundations of Judeo-Christian moral tradition, including the relationship of faith and reason, the Judeo-Christian tradition and scientific inquiry, sexual ethics, marriage and family, and biomedical ethics.
Both courses will consist of a great deal of discussion and interaction between the students and the teacher; therefore, students are expected to be well prepared by reading and understanding beforehand the assigned readings. Readings for the seminar will be provided about one month in advance of the seminar. Classes will be supplemented with quiet time for study and with extracurricular activities such as sports, cultural outings, and opportunities for spiritual reflection.
The Moral Life and the Classical Tradition Seminar is a challenging intellectual experience that brings high school students into direct contact with serious scholars of the humanities. As one student wrote,
I write this e-mail to express my gratitude to you for teaching the seminar. Your teaching of the Socratic Method and the various philosophies of Socrates has truly opened my eyes. I am thinking about things I never even considered before, and for the first time in far too long I feel wholly intellectually stimulated. What is more, I am now so interested in Plato and Socrates that I am actually pursuing the subject outside of class, which is something that – I will admit! – I have not done in a long time.
Students live for the week in the dormitories of Princeton University under the supervision of Residential Advisors (RAs). Various recreational activities are organized in the Princeton area after seminar sessions.
Women’s Faculty
Ana Samuel, The Witherspoon Institute
Janice Chik Breidenbach, Ave Maria University
Men’s Faculty
Micah Watson, Calvin College
John Rose, PhD Candidate, Princeton Theological Seminary
Eligibility
Those who will be juniors or seniors in high school in the fall of 2016 may apply to the seminar.
Application Process
Please submit the following forms and documents via e-mail to MLCT@winst.org by April 1, 2016:
1. Résumé, including your full name, date of birth, mailing address, email address, phone number, and your parents’ names and emergency contact information. Please list all high schools attended, your expected graduation date, and any extracurricular activities.
2. One letter of recommendation from a high school teacher or private tutor.
3. A 500-word essay answering the following question posed by Socrates, Plato’s teacher, in the Meno: “Is virtue something that can be taught? Or does it come by practice? Or is it neither teaching nor practice that gives it to a man, but natural aptitude or something else?” (Meno, 70a)
4. Hard copy of official high school transcript mailed to:
MLCT Seminar Admissions
The Witherspoon Institute
16 Stockton Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
Registration Fee, Lodging, and Board
This seminar is hosted on the campus of Princeton University; men’s and women’s sessions are held separately. A non-refundable $400 registration fee will be required of all accepted applicants to reserve a place in the seminar. This fee covers tuition, room, board, and books. It does not include travel expenses.
Questions?
Email Felix Miller at fmiller@winst.org
