Classical Liberal Arts Academy Studium

HUM-301 World History Lesson 01 - Lecture

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. This lecture introduces students to the opening chapter of Myers’ General History for Colleges and Schools on Prehistoric Times, which serves as the foundation for the Academy’s World History course. In this lesson, William Michael, headmaster of the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, leads students through the origins of human civilization, exploring the long ages before written records and the remarkable achievements of humanity under divine providence.
The lecture follows the traditional Scholastic method, beginning with the Praelectio (introduction of the lesson), the Oratio (prayer before study), and the Lectio (reading), followed by a detailed Divisio (analysis), Interpretatio (explanation), Comprehensio (review), and Demonstratio (assessment and mastery). Students learn how human progress from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Metal Ages reveals both the rational nature of man and the providential guidance of God throughout history.
Topics include:
The distinction between prehistoric and historic ages
The Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Metal Ages
Major human achievements in prehistoric times: fire, domestication, agriculture, language, and writing
The legacy of prehistoric man and the beginnings of civilization
This lecture teaches students not only the facts of early human development but also the moral and philosophical meaning of human progress in light of divine wisdom.
For enrollment in the World History course or other classical studies, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com.
For academic support, visit https://classicalliberalarts.com/support.
Instructor: William MichaelCourse: HUM-301 World HistoryLesson: 01 – Prehistoric TimesText: Myers’ General History for Colleges and Schools (Chapter I)Institution: Classical Liberal Arts Academy

TRV-371 Classical Reasoning I, Lesson 01 - Lecture

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. In this lecture, Academy Headmaster William Michael presents Chapter 1 of Porphyry’s Introduction (Isagoge)—the classic opening to the study of logic that shaped Western philosophy and education for more than a thousand years.
Porphyry (c. 234–305 AD), a Greek philosopher and student of Plotinus, wrote the Introduction as a commentary on Aristotle’s Categories. In this first chapter, he explains the necessity of understanding the five predicables—Genus, Difference, Species, Peculiarity, and Accident—which are the essential tools of reasoning, definition, and demonstration. He also sets the boundaries of his study, choosing not to enter the profound metaphysical questions about the reality of universals, questions that later became central to medieval Scholastic debates.
Students will learn:
Why Porphyry begins with logic before metaphysics
The meaning and function of the five predicables
The distinction between logical and metaphysical inquiry
How the Isagoge prepared students for Aristotle and the Scholastic tradition
Course: TRV-371 Classical Reasoning IText: Porphyry, Introduction (Isagoge), Chapter 1Instructor: William Michael, Headmaster, Classical Liberal Arts AcademyLearn more or enroll: https://classicalliberalarts.com
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TRV-381 Classical Rhetoric, Lesson 02 - Lecture

This lecture in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy’s Classical Rhetoric course explores Chapter 2 of Book I of Aristotle’s Rhetoric. Presented by William Michael, headmaster of the Academy, this lesson examines Aristotle’s definition of rhetoric as the power of perceiving in every case the means of persuasion. Students will learn how Aristotle distinguishes rhetoric from other arts, defining it as a universal method applicable to all subjects. The lecture introduces the two kinds of proofs—non-artificial proofs that exist independently of the speaker, and artificial proofs that must be created through rhetorical skill—and develops the famous three modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos.
Through a careful reading and interpretation of the text, the lecture demonstrates how Aristotle links rhetoric to dialectic, ethics, and political science, showing that true rhetoric depends upon logical reasoning, virtuous character, and psychological understanding. Students will also explore Aristotle’s treatment of the enthymeme and example as the two forms of rhetorical argumentation, and the distinction between necessary and probable reasoning in persuasive speech.
This lesson provides essential insight into the foundations of classical rhetoric and its enduring influence on Catholic intellectual tradition, particularly through St. Thomas Aquinas’s integration of Aristotelian philosophy into moral theology. Students enrolled in the course are encouraged to review the text, memorize key principles, and complete the related assessments to demonstrate mastery of Aristotle’s teaching.
To study with the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, visit classicalliberalarts.com.

TRV-381 Classical Rhetoric, Lesson 01 - Lecture

Welcome to the Classical Liberal Arts Academy. In this lecture, Academy Headmaster William C. Michael leads a complete study of Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Book I, Chapter 1—the opening chapter of the greatest work ever written on the art of persuasion.
In this lesson, students will learn how Aristotle establishes rhetoric as a true rational art, not a tool of manipulation. Aristotle explains its relationship to dialectic (logic), its role in the pursuit of truth and justice, and its foundation in the enthymeme, or rhetorical syllogism. The lecture walks through Aristotle’s critique of emotional rhetoric, his four arguments for rhetoric’s usefulness, and his enduring insight that the purpose of rhetoric is not simply to persuade, but to discover the means by which truth may be communicated to all.
Whether you are a student of philosophy, logic, or communication, this lecture will help you understand how classical rhetoric was originally conceived—as a moral and intellectual discipline rooted in truth and virtue.
📘 Course: TRV-381 Classical Rhetoric📖 Text: Aristotle, Rhetoric, Book I, Chapter 1🎓 Instructor: William Michael, Headmaster, Classical Liberal Arts Academy🌐 Learn more or enroll: https://classicalliberalarts.com🙏 Need help? Visit: https://classicalliberalarts.com/support
#ClassicalEducation #Aristotle #Rhetoric #Philosophy #CatholicEducation #LiberalArts #WilliamMichael #ClassicalLiberalArtsAcademy