Classical Education is concerned, as a matter of first importance, with the cultivation of the virtues in our students. But we cannot have a reliable grip on what the virtues of a human being are without an accurate philosophical account of the nature of the human person, i.e. without a solid understanding of what it means to be human, a concept known as philosophical anthropology. This subject is especially important now, given the widespread confusion about human nature and personal identity in our contemporary culture, including in our schools. In this workshop, I will seek to do two things.

To support his argument, Dr. Forrest begins with the Natural Law tradition and then outlines a philosophical account of humans as essentially conscious embodied creatures. Then, Dr. Forrest draws out practical implications of this account for classical educators in general and teachers in the classroom in particular.

Peter Forrest, Ph.D., received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford in 2015, after having previously received a B.Phil. in philosophy from Oxford in 2011, a M.A. in philosophical theology from Yale University Divinity School in 2009, and a B.A. in English from Yale University in 2005. Dr. Forrest’s primary area of research has been in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science, and he has spent the past five years teaching undergraduates in the philosophy department at Auburn University. He is married and is father to two young children, and in his spare time he enjoys coaching his son’s soccer team. He serves as the Dean of Humanities for Thales College.

This lecture was delivered live at the Fall Classical Summit, a regional classical conference held at Thales Academy Rolesville Junior High-High School on October 6, 2023.


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Theme music is Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" and the Wichita State University Chamber Players, available here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHUWnB10_4I&list=PLdqEepE4oj9Y277Dn6MBDIn2AktxD2WUo