20th Century: The Crisis of Tonality: Music at an Impasse 20th Century: The Crisis of Tonality: Music at an Impasse
We will look at some of the momentous innovations in classical music in the twentieth century, specifically in respect to tonality and problems of “form”: in the seminar, as viewed by three major...
A Republic If You Can Keep It A Republic If You Can Keep It
Thus was Ben Franklin’s quip in response to a query from a curious citizen as to what the Constitutional Convention had come up with. The American Founders were very cognizant of the poor track record...
Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo
Definitely a page-turner and one of the most popular of the blockbuster 19th century French novels, The Count of Monte Cristo is also a surprisingly complex and rich piece of literature. Exploring a...
Alumni Sequence: The Asian Classics Autumn Year 1 Alumni Sequence: The Asian Classics Autumn Year 1
Autumn Seminar:
This course introduces Basic Program alumni to three ancient Indian classics: the Rigveda, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. The Rigveda introduces readers to a world rich with...
Alumni Sequence: The Romans II Alumni Sequence: The Romans II
Corrupt politicians, scandalous celebrities, aggressive foreign policy, upheavals in cultural ideas about sexuality and marriage, income inequality, immigration problems, concerns about the...
An Introduction to Maimonides An Introduction to Maimonides
This course will provide an introduction to the medieval Jewish philosopher Rabbi Moses ben Maimun (Maimonides) and his major philosophical work, The Guide of the Perplexed. Through close reading of...
Basic Program Year 1 Makeup Course Basic Program Year 1 Makeup Course
This course is for students who need to make up the Year 1 Autumn Quarter of the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults to complete the certificate.
We recommend that new students to the Basic...
Basic Program Year Four: Autumn Basic Program Year Four: Autumn
The Year 4 Seminar texts cover a wide range time periods and genres, including philosophy, biography, satire, and romance, which connect through the themes of love, character, and humor as they...
Basic Program Year One: Autumn Basic Program Year One: Autumn
Since 1946, the Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults has engaged lifelong learners in reading, discussing, and building community around the foundational texts of literature, philosophy, and...
Photograph © Andrew Dunn.
Basic Program Year Three: Autumn Basic Program Year Three: Autumn
In the Seminar, we read two classics texts seeking the ungrounded ground of reason. In the Tutorial we will engage in a close reading of a classic novel. The novel for 2024 is War and Peace, by Leo...