Liberal Learning Consultations for Life – “Office Hours”
Duration of session: 1.00 hoursFrequency: Once per month, voluntary
Cost: Free for subscribers to the slow reading program (grants access to all courses, plus liberal arts consultations). What is slow reading?
Facilitator: Jason Happel, Reynaldo Miranda, or Jeff Johnston
Description:
I. The Nature of Great Books Seminars
A great books seminar creates a collaborative learning space where participants engage in shared inquiry. This approach often differs from traditional educational experiences many have encountered previously. Participants may find the seminar format challenging at first, raising questions like: How do we handle the multitude of questions that arise? What constitutes a valid answer? How do we navigate differing viewpoints? What are effective ways to participate and maintain meaningful discourse? What goals guide our discussions? What principles or techniques facilitate productive conversation?
II. Approaching Great Books
The magnificent works we study can appear formidable. Our methodology emphasizes direct engagement with primary texts, reflecting on them through our collective human experience rather than relying on secondary sources. This raises important questions: How do we approach these profound works without external commentary? What defines a great book’s greatness? What reading and thinking practices serve us best? How should one prepare for meaningful discussion? What if the text seems unclear before our gathering?
III. The Journey of Liberal Learning
The path of liberal learning follows a winding, sometimes challenging course. Dürer’s *Melancholia Prima I* illustrates this journey’s complexities perfectly.
We glimpse the brilliant “star” of learning—recognizing that engaging with great books and liberal arts throughout life offers transformative potential. Yet, like following a distant star, the path forward often seems obscured or blocked.
For those pursuing knowledge outside traditional academic structures, a crucial challenge emerges: how to nurture and sustain intellectual growth beyond formal education. What shape might this learning journey take for you personally?
To address these challenges, Symposium Great Books Institute provides Liberal Learning Consultation support sessions for all community members.
Subscribers can decide which avenue they want to explore. Would they like to talk more one-on-one about a particular book they are reading in seminar? Or discuss the nature of Socratic seminar and find some questioning strategies? Are they interested in developing a reading plan for their own private reading?
These consultation sessions serve multiple practical purposes:
* Exploring your current readings and long-term intellectual interests
* Developing personalized reading plans
* Identifying and improving habits of reading, thinking, and discourse
* Uncovering and articulating genuine learning aspirations
* Identifying core questions and studying them collaboratively
* Understanding and addressing the challenges of sustained liberal learning
* Developing reflective writing practices that enhance learning
* Mastering close reading techniques for great books
* Maximizing benefits from seminar participation
* Addressing any other needs that arise in supporting your learning journey
* Discussing our methodological approach and answering questions about great books pedagogy
Use the sign-up form below to schedule your consultation session. Please specify who you would like to book for a conversation, and what you would like to use your time for. All sessions are complimentary for current subscribers.
Sign up for Liberal Learning Consultations
