Four-Year Cycle Homeschooling

Four Year Cycle Utilizing Homeschool Connections

with UNLIMITED ACCESS

If you follow a four-year cycle, such as that used with Story of Civilization by Phillip Campbell, you can use recorded, independent-learning courses with Homeschool Connections for your 5th through 12th grade curriculum.

Here is a list of recorded courses through our Unlimited Access program that are currently available to you ...

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Ancient 

• Literature: Greek Mythology with Emily Henry (10 weeks)
• History: Dawn of History: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Persia with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: The Glory of Ancient Greece with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: Res Publica Romana with Alison Stanley (10 weeks)
• Language: Middle School Latin, with Emily Henry Parts One and Two (12 weeks each)
• Language: Intermediate Middle School Latin Parts One and Two with Emily Henry (12 weeks each)
• Language: Biblical Greek, Parts One and Two with Dan Egan (13 and 14 weeks)

Medieval

• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: Medieval History 1: Big John’s Secret with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks)
• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: Medieval History 2: The Door in the Wall with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks)
• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: Medieval History 3 Saint Joan, The Girl Soldier with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks) (available 7/15/19)
• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: Medieval History 4: Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks) (available 7/15/19)
• History: The Crusades: On A Quest for Christendom with Alison Stanley (10 weeks)

Renaissance through Modern 

• History: The French Revolution: “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death” with Alison Stanley (10 weeks)
• History: The Life and Legacy of St. John Paul II with Kevin O'Brien (6 weeks)
• Literature: Anne of Green Gables, Part One with Emily Henry (12 weeks)
• Literature: Anne of Green Gables, Part Two with Emily Henry (12 weeks)
• Literature: Anne of Avonlea with Mrs. Henry (12 weeks)

American

• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: American History 1: Kat Finds a Friend with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks)
• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: American History 2 Thomas Finds a Treasure, a Saint John Neumann Story with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks)
• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: American History 3 The Orphans Find a Home, A St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Story with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks) (available 7/15/19)
• Literature/History: Living History Through Literature: American History 4 Willy Finds Victory, A Blessed Francis Seelos Story with Jackie de Laveaga (6 weeks) (available 7/15/19)
• History: Middle School U.S. History: Part 1 (1492-1847) with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: Middle School U.S. History Part 2 (1847-1990) with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: The American Revolution; Liberty! with Alison Stanley (10 weeks)
• History: History: The Civil War with Alison Stanley (10 weeks)
• History: World War I; What Price Glory with Alison Stanley (9 weeks)
• History: World War II; Allies vs. Axis with Alison Stanley (10 weeks)
• History: U.S. History: The Age of Exploration to Modernity, Parts One and Two with Christopher Martin (14 weeks each)
• History: The Rise and Fall of the Missions of Alta California, Parts One and Two with Christopher Zehnder (12 weeks each)

HIGH SCHOOL
Ancient 

• History: Dawn of History: Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Persia with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: The Glory of Ancient Greece with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: The Life and Times of the Ancient Romans with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: Ancient Rome: Republic, Empire and Collapse with Christopher Martin (14 weeks)
• History/Archaeology: Archaeology of the Ancient World with Phillip Campbell (13 weeks)
• History/Archaeology: An Archaeological Survey of the Old and New Testaments with Phillip Campbell (10 weeks)
• Language: wide variety of Latin courses with Emily Henry (12 to 14 weeks each)
• Language: Biblical Greek, Parts One and Two (14 weeks each)
• Literature: The Iliad by Homer with Joseph Pearce (6 weeks)
• Literature: The Odyssey by Homer with Joseph Pearce (6 weeks)
• Literature: Sophocles and Tragedy with Henry Russell (6 weeks)
• Literature: Virgil’s Aeneid; The Founding of Nations in the Will of God with Henry Russell (7 weeks)

Medieval

• Philosophy: An Introduction to The Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas, Parts One and Two with Dave Palmer (12 weeks each)
• Philosophy: St. Thomas on the Human Person with Jean Rioux (12 weeks)
• History: The Crusades: Defending Christendom with Alison Stanley (12 weeks)
• History: Catholic Middle Ages with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: The Rending of Christendom (1415-1648) with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• Literature: Anglo-Saxon England: Bede and Beowulf with Joseph Pearce (6 weeks)
• Literature: Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer; Trust God and Tradition with Henry Russell (4 weeks)
• Literature: Medieval Literature for Modern Catholics with Henry Russell (12 weeks)
• Literature: St. Francis, Asceticism and Mysticism with G.K. Chesterton with Dale Ahlquist (6 weeks)
• Literature: Dante’s Inferno; Purgatorio; and Paradiso with Henry Russell (11-12 weeks each)

Renaissance through Modern 

• Philosophy: Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy with Jean Rioux (12 weeks)
• Philosophy: Revolution: The Progress of Liberalism with Phillip Campbell (14 weeks)
• Psychology: Modern Psychology with Julian Ahlquist (12 weeks)
• History: Early Modern Europe: 1648-1789 with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: Modern European History; 1789-1991 with Phillip Campbell (14 weeks)
• History: Understanding the Second Vatican Council with Phillip Campbell (4 weeks)
• History: Totalitarianism in the 20th Century: Nazis and Soviets with Christopher Martin (14 weeks)
• Literature: A wide variety of Shakespeare courses
• Literature: Dracula by Bram Stoker with Eleanor Nicholson (6 weeks)
• Literature: The Victorian Detective with Eleanor Nicholson (12 weeks)
• Literature: Frankenstein: Misunderstood Monster with Joseph Pearce (6 weeks)
• Literature: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte with Eleanor Nicholson (6 weeks)
• Literature: The Nineteenth-Century Novel with Eleanor Nicholson (12 weeks)
• Literature: The Picture of Dorian Gray with Joseph Pearce (6 weeks)

American

• History: Early American History (1492 to 1763); Discovery to the Dawn of Revolution with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: US History: Revolution, Republic, and Union (1763-1865) with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: Modern American History; 1865 - 2000 with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks) (with optional Honors)
• History: Contemporary U.S. History (1988-2016) with Phillip Campbell (12 weeks)
• History: The Great Depression with Phillip Campbell (4 weeks)
• History: U.S. History: The Age of Exploration to Modernity, Part One with Christopher Martin (14 weeks)
• History: U.S. History: The Age of Exploration to Modernity, Part Two with Christopher Martin (14 weeks)
• History: The American South: "To Live and Die in Dixie" with Christopher Martin (14 weeks)
• History: A Nation Made by Conflict: America's Wars with Christopher Martin (14 weeks)
• History: Civil Rights in America, 1863-1968: Setbacks, Struggles, and Shockwaves with Christopher Martin (14 weeks)
• History: American History: Lands of Hope and Promise, Part One with Christopher Zehnder (12 weeks)
• History: American History: Lands of Hope and Promise, Part Two with Christopher Zehnder (12 weeks)
• History: American History, Part One: Age of Exploration through the Civil War and Reconstruction with John C. "Chuck" Chalberg (12 weeks)
• History: American History, Part Two: Reconstruction through Present Day with John C. "Chuck" Chalberg. (12 weeks)
• History: The History of Latin America with Phillip Campbell (13 weeks)
• History/Government: A History of Government in Europe and America, Parts One and Two with Christopher Zehnder (11 and 12 weeks)
• Government: American Elections: Democracy in Action with Ed Rivet (6 weeks)
• Government: Government, Democracy, and Citizenship with Ed Rivet (9 weeks)
• Government: American Democracy and Government with Ed Rivet (12 weeks)
• Government: The Federalist Papers with Alison Stanley (12 weeks)
• Government: Advanced American Government with Ed Rivet (9 weeks)
• Government: U.S. Citizenship and Civics with Jason Negri (12 weeks)
• Government: U.S. Government and Politics, Parts One and Two with Alison Stanley (12 weeks each)
• Literature: Scarlet Letter with Henry Russell (7 weeks)
• Literature: Death Comes for the Archbishop with Henry Russell (6 weeks)
• Literature: The Stories and Letters of Flannery O’Connor with Kevin O'Brien (8 weeks)
• Literature: American Literature, Part One: Age of Exploration through Reconstruction with Jackie de Laveaga (12 weeks)
• Literature: American Literature, Part Two: Reconstruction through Present Day with Jackie de Laveaga (12 weeks)

We are currently creating new grade school (3rd through 6th grade) courses based on TAN Books Story of Civilization and will be available in the future.

Please let us know in the comments if you have any questions. We also invite you to call or email us: CONTACT.

4-Year Cycle: Ancient History

ANNOUNCING Homeschool Connections' new four-year cycle for live, interactive courses ...

In response to requests from students and their parents, Homeschool Connections has organized a four-year cycle of coordinated courses for all students in your family, third through twelfth grade. This is so your entire family can learn about the same era at the same time, making life easier for parents and making school more fun for children. (We also offer alternate courses, not in the cycle.)

The four-year cycle includes:

• Grade-school unit studies (3rd through 6th grade)
• Middle-school history and literature courses (6th through 8th grade)
• High-school history, literature, and philosophy courses (9th through 12th grade)

The four eras in the cycle are:

• Ancient (starting Fall 2019)
• Medieval (starting Fall 2020)
• Renaissance through Modern (starting Fall 2021)
• American (starting Fall 2022)

NOTE: This is already available through our Unlimited Access program. We have recorded, independent-learning courses available for fifth through twelfth grade for all eras.

For the 2019/2020 school year, here are the live, interactive courses that are available utilizing the new four-year cycle ...

-- Grade School. Homeschool Connections has developed a brand new, online grade school unit study program based on Story of Civilization by Phillip Campbell (TAN Books). The unit study is geared for third through sixth grade and will include religion, history, language arts, and science. Taught by Jackie deLaveaga. Registration is open HERE.

-- Middle School. Click on the course title to learn more or register:

• History: The Ancient World, Part One. Fall 2019 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• History: The Ancient World, Part Two. Spring 2020 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• Literature: The Golden Goblet: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 1). Fall 2019 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).
• Literature: Black Ships Before Troy: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 2). Fall 2019 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).
• Literature: Victory on the Walls: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 3). Spring 2020 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).
• Literature: The Bronze Bow: Living History Through Literature (Ancient Era 4). Spring 2020 taught by Jackie deLaveaga (6 weeks).

-- High School. Click on the course title to learn more or register:

• Philosophy: Early Greek Philosophy. Fall 2019 taught by Julian Ahlquist (15 weeks).
• Philosophy: Virtue and Vice: Ancient Philosophy for Modern Catholics. Spring 2020 taught by Sam Nicholson (12 weeks).
• History: The Dawn of History: The Ancient World. Fall 2019 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• History: Christ and Caesar: The Ancient World and the Founding of Christendom. Spring 2020 taught by Phillip Campbell (12 weeks).
• Literature: The Theban Plays of Sophocles. Fall 2019 taught by Joseph Pearce (6 weeks).
• Literature: Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Spring 2020 taught by Joseph Pearce (6 weeks).
• Literature: Iliad: The Glory and the Will of God. Fall 2019 taught by Henry Russell (12 weeks).
• Literature: Odyssey: The World Without Fathers. Spring 2020 taught by Henry Russell (12 weeks).

We also offer all levels of Latin. Search our registration page to find the right course for you or email us for a free Latin placement test.

ADDENDUM: Make sure to include your pre-k to 2nd grade children too! Here is a great picture book list for the Ancients (and accompanying podcast) from Sarah Mackenzie of Read-Aloud Revival, https://readaloudrevival.com/108/. Have your older children read aloud to your littles for a win-win homeschool day (lessons reinforced for the bigs, littles are included, Mom gets a break).

Why Teach Formal Logic in Your Homeschool?

Note: Dr. Gotcher offers several outstanding logic and literature courses through Homeschool Connections' Unlimited Access program. 

This article is an excerpt from the book Why Should I Learn This. To order click here:
Paperback
eBook

Why Should I Learn Formal Logic?
Robert F. Gotcher, Ph.D.

Introduction
My seven-year old and his friend from next door are really into knights and dragons and other medieval “stuff.” They are always making shields and swords and playing with their zillions of medieval Playmobils. So imagine how surprised I was when my son came up to me and asked, “Know what my favorite weapon is?  LOGIC!” Would that more people would avail themselves of this weapon!

We hear all kinds of arguments on the radio and on the internet. For instance, we might hear the following: “Carl, who says he’s a Republican, voted for the bill I don’t like. Democrats supported the same bill. Carl must be a RINO, a closet Democrat.” While it may be true that Carl has sympathies with the Democrats, his vote does not demonstrate it. He may have a completely different reason for voting for the bill.  Such “arguments” are rhetorically effective in no small part because our society has ceased to study and understand the rules of basic logic. This has been noted by many observers. As Fr. John Zuhlsdorf points out, for instance, in discussing the divisions in the Church since Vatican II, “The division is made more complicated by the fact that many Catholics a) don’t know their Faith and b) can’t reason well anymore” (http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/04/fr-scalon-on-the-unfinished-business-of-vatican-ii/, emphasis mine). Fewer and fewer people are able to take up the core weapon of good reasoning: logic.

What is Logic?
What is logic? Logic, simply put, is the art of thinking accurately. It is the systematic use of reason to discover new truths from old ones. There are several types of logic: formal, material, and symbolic. The type we are discussing is the classic formal logic of Aristotle.  The heart of formal logic is the deductive inference, which is the act by which the mind establishes a connection between premises and a conclusion. The double value of formal logic is that it brings about new truths and certainty. If the premises in an argument are true and you follow the rules of logic, the conclusion must be true. The tasks of formal logic are the construction and detection of valid syllogism (formal arguments) and the detection of formal and informal fallacies (false reasoning). A formal fallacy fails to follow the rules of formal logic; an informal fallacy argues falsely by some form of distraction or distortion.

The three parts of logic are understanding, judgments, and arguments. Understanding is the ability to know what a thing is, its essence or nature—to have and create clear concepts. Since a concept is neither true nor false, we need to put them together in propositions or statements that make judgments. To make a judgment is to affirm or deny a certain relationship between two things. A judgment is either true or false. Argumentation is the process by which we come with certainty to new truths from already established truths or judgments.

Let us look at a couple of examples. First, what if someone says, “Since there was so much anti-Irish prejudice in Boston in the 19th century, when Paddy was denied a job by Wadsworth Kensington III, it must have been because he was Irish!” The fallacy in this argument is a formal one; it is called “the undistributed middle term,” as can be seen more clearly if the statement is made into a formal syllogism and illustrated by a diagram.

Some Boston Irishmen were persons who were denied work because they were Irish.
Paddy was one of the (some) Boston Irishman.
Paddy was a person who was denied work because he was Irish.
The use of “some” in a statement makes a term undistributed. Here is an illustration of the argument:

As we can see, Paddy may or may not be among those denied a job because they are Irish unless ALL Irishmen were denied jobs because they were Irish.

Formal logic also tells us that if we add “only” to the word “some,” it modifies the opposition between statements. For instance, there is a difference between the three statements “All pro-lifers are violent.” “Some pro-lifers are violent,” and “Only some pro-lifers are violent.” Only the last one necessarily includes the contradictory statement “Some pro-lifers are not violent.” If you are discussing pro-life violence, you will want to include the “only” in your argument!

What Good Is Logic? 
1. Logic’s most important value is that it can help us acquire and verify the truth. When properly used, it gives certainty. Logic, and especially dialectic (a discipline of argumentation that uses logic), is associated with debate, and therefore with winning an argument. Peter Kreeft points out, however, that the value of logic is not in winning an argument, but in knowing the truth. The weapon is used primarily against falsehood, not persons (Peter Kreeft, Socratic Logic, (South Bend, IN: St. Augustine’s Press, 2005), p. 348).

2. Logic helps us study philosophy, one of the essential activities of the human mind. Traditional formal logic is the logic of the perennial philosophy of the great thinkers, which is consistent with the Catholic world view. Traditional logic is grounded in a belief that things are real, that the world has meaning and order, that our ideas of things correspond to reality, and that we can communicate real truths to each other, even if imperfectly. Modern forms of philosophy and logic deny that we can know the truth about reality. Symbolic logic, which is the dominant form of logic taught for the past century, is mathematical logic. Its only mental act is calculation. “The very nature of reason itself is understood differently by the new symbolic logic than it was by the traditional Aristotelian logic…” (Kreeft, p. 22). Symbolic logic when applied to anything beyond mathematics leads to relativistic ethics and the denial of a divinely established order in the universe.

3. Logic can help us discover some of the fallacies in our own reason and that of others. For instance, a recent Facebook post said the following: “You mean to tell me humans have energy resources such as solar power, hydroelectricity, biofuels, wind power, and geothermal energy and they kill each other over oil?” The presumption is that if we relied on other sources of energy besides oil there would be less war. This presumes that human beings wouldn’t find reasons to fight wars of solar power, hydroelectricity and biofuels. Making this into a series of formal syllogisms allows us to identify this assumption and thus call it into question.

4. Logic helps us avoid being taken in by emotionally charged rhetoric such as jargon, slogans, cant, and sound bites. The emphasis on feelings and de-emphasis on proper, logical thinking has left many Americans prey to advertisers and demagogues. Training in formal logic can help a reader or listener see the truth and falsehood of emotionally charged statements made on the editorial page, on talk radio shows, in history books, in bull sessions, and in advertisements, so he can make proper judgments about important matters.

5. Finally and most importantly, traditional formal logic can help us know and share Christ better. It is more than a coincidence that Christ is called the Logos in the Gospel of St. John. “In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1, RSV). The order in the universe reflects the Word himself because “all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made” (Jn 1:3) and “for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible” (Col. 1:16). Any tool that can help us discern more clearly the traces of the Logos in the universe, what St. Justin Martyr called the logoi spermatikoi or “seeds of the Word” (Second Apology Ch. 8), can help us understand Christ better. When we understand Christ better as He can be known in the universe and in human nature, we can help others see Him as well. Logic becomes a tool of evangelization.

Conclusion
In a world in which so many people seem to deny the most basic truths about God, man, nature, and morality, the most powerful weapon for the truth is the Word of God as interpreted by the teachings of the Catholic Church. Yet, understanding and defending those teachings can best be done with a mind armed with the tool of natural human reason sharpened by traditional, formal logic. With logic we can gain clearer understanding of both natural and supernatural truths and thus lead others to the Truth. And, as we know, “the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:32).

Homeschool Connections offers four courses in formal logic, Introduction to Logic, Classical Syllogistic Logic, Advanced Logic, and Fallacies and Paradoxes. Additionally, Homeschool Connections’ apologetics courses, taught by Gary Michuta, introduce formal logic to students to help them learn and defend their Catholic faith.

Top-5 List: Why Study Philosophy

The Five Top Reason to Study Philosophy
by Jean Rioux

Philosophy is inevitable.
If you do not philosophize carefully and intentionally, you’re likely to pick up whatever conclusions suggest themselves to you. Most commonly, these will come from whomever you happen to associate with or what is in vogue in the culture or community in which you live.

Philosophy has a real impact upon life. 
Not all philosophizing works itself out in patterns of living, but much of it does. In fact, the world is still grappling with the consequences of some very bad philosophizing from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Philosophy is able to bring reason to bear upon matters of Faith. 
Most intellectual endeavors do not concern themselves with the Faith. In particular, the human and natural sciences use methods which require us to remain silent on the most important matters of our lives. Not so philosophy. Philosophers have been asking and answering questions about human freedom, the immortality of the soul, and God since they first began thinking about them over 2500 years ago.

Philosophizing ennobles us.
One of the most insidious philosophical ideas from the last century is the notion that human reason is only there to serve our human needs. This has the effect of reducing us to our lower functions, whether animal or even merely living. In fact, the exercise of reason in its highest form, contemplating God and the world He made, is among the best things we can do with our time. This is philosophy at its very best.

Philosophizing in high school prepares one for college-level classes.
Many students will end up taking philosophy classes as part of their undergraduate education. If they are fortunate enough to be taking sound classes, an early exposure to philosophical thought will serve them in good stead. If they are unfortunate enough to be taking poorly-done classes, philosophizing well in high school will help them to see those flaws and to correct them.

Note: Dr. Jean Rioux teaches live, interactive Philosophy courses for Homeschool Connections. See Homeschool Connections Registration and click on Subject / Philosophy. He also offers several outstanding philosophy and logic courses through our Unlimited Access program. 

Suggested Book: Why Should I Learn This. To learn more or order click here:

Paperback

eBook

Why Should My Homeschooled Child Learn Philosophy in High School?

Note: Dr. Rioux is teaching ST. THOMAS ON THE HUMAN PERSON for Homeschool Connections in the Fall 2016 semester. Dr. Rioux also offers several outstanding philosophy and logic courses through our Unlimited Access program. 

This article is an excerpt from the book Why Should I Learn This. To order click here:

Paperback

eBook

Why Should I Learn Philosophy? 

Jean Rioux, Ph.D. 

Aristotle once observed that philosophy is inevitable. Absent a conscious and deliberate reflection upon the larger questions in life, one will invariably come to some sort of conclusion about them. A sound conclusion? Nothing guarantees that, and much harm has come from bad philosophizing. The point is that unless we take it upon ourselves to philosophize well, we will definitely end up doing it poorly. 

This same sentiment is echoed by Pope St. John Paul II in his encyclical, Fides et Ratio1. He notes that we cannot avoid coming to the world with questions; we are natural wonderers. Some of these questions have only a small impact upon our loves and our lives if they remain unanswered. Others, however, end up defining who we are and how we live. Is there a God? Is there a life following the present one? How ought I to live? What does being fully and authentically human require of me? This is a perilous prospect. If the Pope is right, then we will all confront such questions at some point; how we answer them determines whether we shall be happy or not, good folk or bad, hopeful or despairing, pious or impious. 

Granted that these are questions we all must face, why do we need to study philosophy to address them? Why can’t we take our answers from the society in which we live? 

The first thing to note is that society’s answers did not themselves spring from the void. They are the inevitable result of philosophical principles defended and embraced by thinkers of the past. Some (for example, don’t do unto others as you would not have them do unto you) are nearly universal and have stood the test of time. Others (for example, we can know an action is good by observing its outcomes) are highly questionable, though many people live by them. It takes discernment to distinguish among them, and there we are, philosophizing. 

Another, and obvious, problem is that the there is not just one such norm; societies and their guiding principles vary from here to there and from then to now. Whose answers will you choose to guide you? To answer that question itself requires thoughtful reflection, and there we are again, philosophizing. 

Further, some norms and values, when measured against the standard for life set out by the Christian faith, run counter to Christian hopes and beliefs; indeed, they often flat out contradict one another. Apart from separating the wheat from the chaff through philosophizing, surely part of an authentic Christian life includes helping those who have followed the wayward paths set out for them by the world, and this begins with an understanding of the origins of such views. And there we are, again, philosophizing. 

Aristotle’s point, then, is pretty clear: either one will end up unconsciously embracing faulty philosophical principles (given our fallen nature—of which Aristotle seems to have had some faint inkling—this seems to be the default), or one must rise to a deliberate consideration of these same questions, working them out, as St. Thomas More was to have said, “in the tangle of his mind.”2 

On the other hand, beyond reason, we hold, there’s faith. Surely it provides sound answers to all these foundational questions. What need is there for philosophy? 

Faith is a sure guide. And there are many whose simple faith leads them with sure steps to a blessed life here and in the life to come. 

Still, as Pope St. John Paul II is sometimes quoted, following the ages-old tradition of the Church, faith seeks to understand, and with such knowledge comes a deeper love—for God and for neighbor. There is a good reason why the Catholic Church educates its priests, not only in theology but in philosophy. Its greatest theologians, St. Augustine, St. Anselm, and St. Thomas Aquinas were also students of philosophy and philosophers themselves. If a properly philosophical account of God, our neighbor, and one’s self is the inevitable framework with which the human person comes to a life of faith, then not just any philosophy will do. Some philosophical views present principles or conclusions which conflict with authentic faith, and a life lived by two different, conflicting sets of guidelines ends up neither here nor there. 

For all these reasons, then, one ought to study philosophy. It is, without a doubt, the most ancient of human studies. It is also time well spent, and most closely fitted to us as rational beings, made in the image of an omniscient God. 

About the Author 

Dr. Jean Rioux received his BA from Thomas Aquinas College, and the commencement speaker was Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Jean received both his MA in Philosophy and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He is currently the Philosophy Chair at Benedictine College in Kansas, where he received the Distinguished Educator of the Year award. Additionally, he teaches philosophy to high school students for Homeschool Connections. Jean has published books on logic and natural philosophy, including Nature, the Soul, and God: An Introduction to Natural Philosophy. His articles have appeared in The Thomist, Aquinas Review, Review of Metaphysics, and International Philosophical Quarterly. 

Dr. Rioux offers several philosophy and logic courses at Homeschool Connections including Ethics, Paradoxes and Fallacies, What Do Philosophers Do and How Do They Do It, Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy, and more. Dr. Rioux has a gift of making philosophy understandable and enjoyable to the average teenager, and his classes provide an excellent foundation for college and beyond.  

Dr. Rioux lives in northeast Kansas with his wife, Maria, and their eight unmarried children. One married daughter lives just a half mile from their renovated farmhouse. The Riouxs have been developing their own curriculum and educating their children at home for over twenty-five years. 

Homeschool Philosophy High School

"Aristotle once observed that philosophy is inevitable. Absent a conscious and deliberate reflection upon the larger questions in life, one will invariably come to some sort of conclusion about them. A sound conclusion? Nothing guarantees that, and much harm has come from bad philosophizing; the point is that, unless we take it upon ourselves to philosophize well, we will definitely end up doing it poorly."

Dr. Jean Rioux, excerpt from Why Should I Learn Philosophy 

This quote demonstrates why Homeschool Connections is dedicated to providing the best philosophy professors for your and your family.

Dr. Jean Rioux, Chair of Philosophy at Benedictine College, will be teaching the Thomistic philosophy course in the fall. It is highly recommended for every high school student. See below for all the details.

REGISTRATION PAGE
WEBSITE

St. Thomas on the Human Person *New

Total classes: 12
Class dates: Thursdays, 8 September to 15 December, no class 13 October, 24 November, or December 8.

Starting time: 4:00 PM Eastern (3:00 Central; 2:00 Mountain; 1:00 Pacific)

Duration: 55 minutes
Prerequisite: none
Suggested grade level: 11^th to 12^th grade.
Suggested credit: 1 full semester Philosophy
Fee: $175 if you register on or before July 15, 2016. $195 after July 15 for all 12 classes. ($215 after Aug. 31)
Instructor: Jean Rioux, Ph.D.
Course description: St. Thomas' account of the human person expounds upon what philosophers and theologians from ancient times to his day have said about ourselves and our unique place in God's universe. While Thomas discusses and references his views on human nature in nearly all his works, his ex professo treatment of the question can be found in questions 75 through 89 of the first part of his Summa Theologiae. While the context of this treatise is theological, Thomas' consideration includes an extended and integrated philosophical account of what we are, what we can expect of life, and why. Addressing issues as wide-ranging as whether and to what degree we can really know the world about us, upon what basis we can stake our claim to free action, and whether we can certainly know, as Socrates is to have said, that "our souls will truly exist in another world!", Thomas brings his brilliance to bear upon a discussion and resolution of life's most important questions.
Course materials: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Prima Pars, questions 75-89 (selections) | materials will be provided by the instructor as a freely-downloadable PDF file.
Homework: Homework for each session will consist, first, of a close reading of the assigned materials, using online class preparation software designed by Dr. Rioux. Written assignments will consist of students' careful, short-essay responses to two or three prompts covering the last class' material, graded by Dr. Rioux. Students should expect to spend 3 to 4 hours outside of class time on the reading and assignments each week.

About the Instructor

Dr. Rioux is an award-winning professor and chair of the philosophy department at Benedictine College, where he has taught for almost 30 years. A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College, he earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from the Center for Thomistic Studies in Houston. Specializing in the thought of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, he has published textbooks in logic and natural philosophy, and articles in the philosophy of mathematics; a book on Thomas Aquinas' philosophy of mathematics is in the works. He and Benedictine's chair of theology regularly offer great books classes in philosophy and theology. Dr. Rioux and his wife, Maria, raise their children in a farmhouse in rural Kansas. They have been designing their own curricula and educating their children at home for over 25 years.

Student testimonials: 

"Dr. Rioux is a great teacher." 

"Dr Rioux presented the subject matter with great intensity and joy. These qualities were contagious and I even looked forward to doing the homework" 

"Thank you so much for offering this course it was a great opportunity for me as I prepare for college this fall."

SaveSave