“My work is to seek after truth.”
– Algernon Sidney
The ability to think independently,
recognize patterns, communicate one’s ideas
effectively and clearly are skills that we practice
every day and that will no doubt serve us
very well in the future. Our goal is to be versatile
and effective members of society, leaving the world
behind with all the good that we have to offer.
~ Ariella N.
What are you looking for in a college education?
We offer:
- High-quality, principle-based education at a reasonable cost.
- A life-long appreciation for knowledge and faith.
- An understanding and appreciation of wisdom and beauty that are common to the human experience.
- An understanding of the unique founding of the United States and a chance to join that great conversation.
- Preparation for further study and entrepreneurial pursuits.
- A college degree required for today’s professional world, and the type of education and leadership skills needed to build tomorrow.
- Education within a wholesome religious environment.
Mount Liberty College currently offers only one undergraduate degree, a BA in Classical Liberal Arts.
Students enroll in related companion seminars each semester. Each set of courses has been developed as a unit to work together and is taught as an interdisciplinary search for true foundational principles and an understanding of the world in which we live. These courses include the following subjects:
- American History
- Communications
- Current Events
- Ethics
- Fine Arts
- Government
- Language
- Literature
- Logic
- Math and Physics Classics
- Political Economy
- Philosophy
- Religions of the World
- Speaking
- World History
- Writing
A sample of our Freshmen and Sophomore Courses:
Defense against the Dark Arts
This is a classical logic course in which students will not only study argument and logical fallacies but also examine them in connection with real disputes, such as the historic debates between Lincoln and Douglas and Cicero’s Philippics. We will delve into the writings of Paine, Aristotle, Nibley, and dissect current uses of persuasive and forensic language.
Development of Civilization I
CLA 1010. This course is the first of a four-semester exploration of the events, ideas, and documents that have shaped our world-wide civilization from prehistory up to the present day. CLA 1010 will survey this development up to approximately the Fall of Rome in 476 AD. Students will read and discuss original documents. Throughout the semester, students will analyze the issues of family, social class, political legitimacy, and beauty in light of the works read.
Development of Civilization II
In this second semester, the course will cover the period from the Fall of Rome to the discovery of the New World, looking at the medieval struggle between secular and religious authority, the beginnings of capitalism, and the geopolitical events resulting in the shift in the center of cultural gravity from East to West. Throughout the semester, students will continue to track and analyze the issues of family, social class, political legitimacy, and beauty in light of the works read.
Outline of Philosophy
From ethics to epistemology and empiricism to rationalism, this philosophical survey course will take you from the Pre-Socratics up through postmodernism. Who was Socrates? How did we get from there to Kant and even Derrida and what can we learn from them? Understanding philosophy and how it has evolved will help you have a better grasp of the world today.
Principles of American Founding I
This course is an in-depth look at the founding and development of the American republic with an appreciation of the uniqueness of that founding. Students will begin a study of the Constitution using the method advocated by Thomas Jefferson, which includes a study of such authors as Locke and Sidney, not overlooking their classical antecedents.
Principles of American Founding II
A continuation of CON 1010, this course will explore the structure raised by Washington, Madison, Jay, Hamilton, and other Founders, including the Anti-Federalists and will also explore the principles from which they drew.
Thinking and Writing
This is the first course in a two-part series applying classical principles to modern society. It will feature close examination of the thinking of influential figures in world history, and explore the connection between their modes of written expression and that influence. A significant aspect of the class will be the cultivation of the great writing skills that are a critical aspect of relationships.
Thinking and Speaking
This is the second course in a two-part series applying classical principles to the modern managerial society. As a follow-on to Writing and Thinking, this course will examine the thinking of influential figures in world history, and explore the connection between their modes of oral expression and that influence. A significant aspect of the class will be an emphasis on great speaking and will include discussing great historical speeches by Lincoln, Churchill, Demosthenes, Socrates, Washington, Cicero, Gandhi, and many others.
Science or Science Fiction
This class will focus on applying research methodology to real-world issues and how knowledge and understanding are gained and defined. Topics will include the scientific method, reason, facts vs. feelings, empiricism vs. a priori reasoning, relativism, and universal truth vs. the idea of individual truth in postmodernism. Authors read will include selections from the writings of Descartes, Locke, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume, Hugo, Karl Popper, Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley, (and perhaps a few more at the professor’s whim).
Development of Civilization III
This course is the third semester of a four-semester exploration of the events, ideas, and documents that have shaped our world-wide civilization from pre-history up to the present day. CLA 2010 will take up the period from the discovery of the New World to the establishment of the American Republic (1800). Writings from this period will be drawn from the Reformation and Counter-reformation, the Enlightenment, the emergence of modern mathematics and science, the rediscovery of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, and the shift from feudal arrangements to the modern nation-state.
Political Economy I
Political Economy, much more than just economics, is an interdisciplinary course which focuses on the interrelationships among individuals, the community, the nation, and even the world. In short, it is the study of human action in all levels of society. This first course combines basic principles of economics with the works of the great economic thinkers from the 1770s through the mid-1800s. It includes micro and macroeconomics discussed in their historical context. We will read Locke, Adam Smith, Bastiat, John Stuart Mill, as well as Marx, Engels, and more.
Classical Liberal Arts Applied
This course bridges the gap between a liberal arts education and career development. We will explore the competitive advantage of broad and deep educational training in the marketplace today, how it prepares students for the coming social landscape, and what desirable and profitable solutions it provides for companies today. Each student will develop the mindset, skillset, and toolset to leverage their training to create a unique career plan. We will interact with individuals that have successful careers and that provide unique value through their focus on the humanities.
Latin
Latin in the basis of many languages today. Learning a language, especially Latin, helps students to understand and gain a deeper appreciation for how we communicate with each other. These courses are designed to prepare a student to read authentic Latin texts with help. A discussion of culture and the age will also be part of the discussion.