SUMMER SEMINARS
First Principles
June 14 – 27, 2026
This two-week seminar explores the philosophical foundations of the university and of human relationships. Through readings in metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophical anthropology, participants study what it means to be a person who knows, acts, and loves. Guided by thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, and Newman, students pursue a deeper understanding of truth, friendship, and the human good.
Open to rising undergraduate juniors and seniors and recent college graduates.
Natural Law and Public Affairs
July 8 – 10, 2026
Engaging with the Aristotelian–Thomistic tradition alongside contemporary moral and legal philosophy, this seminar considers how natural law reasoning can illuminate today’s most pressing public questions. Participants engage classic and modern authors to explore topics such as justice, human rights, religious liberty, and the moral foundations of political life.
Open to rising undergraduate juniors and seniors and recent college graduates.
Moral Life and the Classical Tradition (Men)
July 12 – 18, 2026
Designed for advanced high-school students, this week-long seminar introduces participants to the moral wisdom of the ancient world and its influence on the Western tradition. Through lively discussions of Plato, Aristotle, and related texts, students examine the nature of virtue, friendship, and the good life, while also reflecting on questions of faith, science, and ethics in the modern age.
Open to rising juniors and seniors in high school.
Moral Life and the Classical Tradition (Women)
July 12 – 18, 2026
Designed for advanced high-school students, this week-long seminar introduces participants to the moral wisdom of the ancient world and its influence on the Western tradition. Through lively discussions of Plato, Aristotle, and related texts, students examine the nature of virtue, friendship, and the good life, while also reflecting on questions of faith, science, and ethics in the modern age.
Open to rising juniors and seniors in high school.
Thomistic Seminar
July 26 – August 1, 2026
An advanced colloquium on the thought of Thomas Aquinas and his interlocutors. Readings in Aquinas, alongside various modern theorists, invite participants to consider how Thomistic insights can inform our understanding of reason, the common good, and human flourishing.
Open to graduate students in philosophy and related fields.
MORAL FOUNDATIONS OF LAW
For twelve years, from 2008 to 2019, the Witherspoon Institute hosted a summer seminar in Princeton entitled Moral Foundations of Law, featuring Professors John Finnis, Gerard Bradley, Robert P. George, and others. That seminar is now hosted by our friends at the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. More information on the Moral Foundations of Law seminar, including how to apply, can be found here.
