Anthony Esolen, a distinguished professor of humanities and advocate for the Western canon, passionately defends the importance of teaching our cultural heritage. He presents five compelling reasons for embracing the Western tradition, emphasizing its vital role in shaping modern education. Esolen explores the roots of democracy and cultural interconnectedness, highlighting the invaluable lessons from ancient Greece and Dante. He also critiques the decline of religious sentiment and its impact on political polarization, urging a return to shared values for societal unity.

Today, many schools disconnect the teaching of science and the scientific process from ideas of design, natural order, and natural law.As a result, students lose sight of the purpose and limits of the scientific process and lack the habits of intellectual curiosity and academic rigor that lie at the heart of science education in grades kindergarten through twelve grade.In this lecture from the Conference of Miletus, Robert Luddy, founder of Thales Academy and Thales College, addresses the unique approach to science education within the classical tradition. Teachers may explain relatively simple concepts but with the right resources and methodology, they can do it in such a way that the students discover this concept for themselves and develop the habits of inquiry needed for future discoveries. Robert "Bob" Luddy is the Founder and Chairman of Thales Academy, Thales College, Franklin Academy, and St. Thomas More Academy, and is the Founder and President of CaptiveAire Systems, North America's leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment and a quickly growing manufacturer of commercial and industrial HVAC systems. Bob Luddy delivered this presentation at the Conference of Miletus on July 10, 2023. The Conference of Miletus was a series of short, informative lectures given by members of the Thales Academy leadership team on ideas relating to classical education. Interested in teaching at Thales Academy? Please check out our website if you are interested in pursuing a career at Thales Academy and learning about needs across our network. Find out more at https://www.thalesacademy.org/contact/careers.

Each year, Thales Academy and Thales Press hosts the Conference of Miletus, a series of short lectures on topics related to classical education and practical teaching tips. This year, the theme of the conference was "First Principles for Classical Educators." In this episode, Winston Brady and Matt Ogle discuss each of these four principles.  A first principle is an assumption beyond which one may go no further and provides the foundation for a school to shape its culture and practices.These principles include the principle of natural order, the idea of teaching students to recognize the beauty in the natural world, addressed by Mr. Robert Luddy, founder of Thales Academy, founder of Thales College, and president of CaptiveAire Systems.Second is the principle of our intellectual inheritance, or the literary and historical treasures of the Western canon, presented by Dr. Anthony Esolen, Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Thales College.Third is the principle of moral philosophy, the idea of encouraging students to cultivate practical wisdom (prudence) in line with the Judeo-Christian and Aristotelian traditions, addressed by Mr. Matt Ogle, head of classical education at Thales Academy.And last but not least is the principle of human dignity, the principle of teaching students to preserve the uniqueness of every individual in alignment with the imago dei and the concept of natural law.

In case you didn’t know, summer vacation largely came about for two reasons. The first was to free up children to help with important farm chores as the time for harvesting came close. The second reason was the lack of air conditioning. Since more and more Americans are out of farming, and the invention known as air conditioning has made it possible to live in even the hottest states (North Carolina, where Thales Academy is largely located, being one of them) during the summer, many schools have set up a year-round schedule. That is, they do not offer the typical two to three-month summer vacation but instead go back to school in July or early August. Thales Academy is one of those schools, and next Monday, July 15, we will have our first day of school. To help get the school year started off right, Winston Brady speaks with Matt Ogle, head of classical education at Thales Academy, about what teachers need to focus on during those first few important days of school. During our conversation, Matt and Winston recommended some of the following tips. Begin the school year by making a positive connection with students while outlining your classroom expectations and procedures. How should they enter a room? What are your rules for classroom behavior (be sure to keep them simple) What should students do when they start class?That way, students know what to expect when they come to class, where the boundaries are during class, and how they can be successful. Spend time building in the kinds of habits you want students to practice during class for the rest of the year since this will free up class time later on. Good luck to all the teachers and students getting ready for their first day of school! We look forward to a wonderful year in 2024-2025 with you all. 

In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Matthew Young, Site Manager of the CSS Neuse and Governor Richard Caswell Memorial Museum in Kinston, North Carolina, part of a collection of North Carolina Historic Sites. In the episode, they discuss the history behind this Civil War-era ironclad, the battles in which it took place, and how such a massive ship became the focal point of a museum in nearby Kinston, North Carolina.Most importantly, Mr. Young provides tips for listeners who want to visit the museum as part of a field trip including the museum's attractions, parking, and nearby places to eat. Find out more about the CSS Neuse and Governor Richard Caswell Memorial Museum at their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CSSNeuse

In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Lauren Spier about the Fort Raleigh historical site, better known as the "Lost Colony." They discuss the history of the site--who founded the colony and how the site became "lost"--as well as suggestions for parking and food options for teachers and parents planning a field trip to visit the site. The park is located at 1401 National Park Dr, Manteo, NC 27954 and they can be reached at (252) 473-2111. More information can be found at https://www.nps.gov/fora/index.htm

Dr. Gary Hartenburg, Director of the Honors College at Houston Christian University and Associate Professor of Philosophy, discusses the dialogues of Plato, Socrates' questioning habits, and the nature of truth, goodness, and reality. They explore Socrates' obsession with questions, Plato's philosophy of Forms, and the importance of keeping classical thinkers in the curriculum for promoting a continuous search for truth.

This week, we are reposting this episode in honor of Memorial Day, a holiday that honors those who have given their lives in service to our country and in preserving our freedom.In this episode, we look at the beginnings of Memorial Day, why we celebrate the holiday and how long we have done so. Then, we draw out the significance of the day by looking at the life and education of Abraham Lincoln. Thank you to everyone who serves or has served in our military for your time, support, and sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy each day.

In this webinar, Dr. Anthony Esolen examined three seminal works art: Raphael's "The School of Athens" and two paintings from John Singer Sargent's "The Triumph of Religion" with "The Israelites Oppressed" and "The Messianic Era." The beauty we see, hear, or touch has the power to enter our minds and memories more powerfully than do philosophical or political abstractions expressed in words.As teachers, we must remember this, especially when we want to introduce our students to ways of life embodied in another culture. A painting--even the decorated hilt of a sword--can work wonders. Dr. Anthony Esolen received his A.B. in English Literature from Princeton University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Renaissance English Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Esolen has been a professor of literature and humanities for 35 years and is the author or translator of more than 30 books, which include a range of English translations, analyses of culture, literary and Biblical criticisms, meditations on modern education, meditations on the Christian life, and original poetry.Dr. Esolen is a senior editor and regular writer at Touchstone magazine and has published well over 1000 articles in a wide variety of journals. With his wife, Debra, he writes a daily a web magazine, Word & Song, dedicated to language, music, poetry, and classic film.

In this episode, Winston Brady speaks with Heather Bakogiannias, Brittney Massey, and Katherine Greco-Fortney about their recent trip to the National Symposium for Classical Education held in March of 2024 in Phoenix Arizona. The National Symposium for Classical Education is hosted by the Great Hearts Institute and this year, focused on the theme of "Renewing the Great Conversation." For these classical educators, their highlights from the trip included leadership insights from former prime minister of Australia Tony Abbott, the need for more Socrates and more classical wisdom from Roosevelt Montás, and wisdom on how to deal with (or avoid) social media usage from Jane Austen. For classical educators, stay tuned to the Great Hearts Institute for more information about next year's conference: https://classicaleducationsymposium.org/