No.838: New Ideas for Mother Academia

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This will hopefully become a monthly series where I share five ideas for women to dig deeper into their continued education.  I hope you’ll share what you’ve been reading and learning too!

1 // A DEEP DIVE INTO PARADISE LOST

John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost, is a classic that looks at the cosmological, moral and spiritual origins of man’s existence.  The Antrim Literature Project can help unpack this poem and give you a deeper understanding with their twelve lecture series.  They call it reading “in slow motion” and I love that.

2 // MEMORIZE THE PRESIDENTS

Want to work on your memorization skills?  This video can help!  Memorize Academy uses visual memory techniques and says: “Focus on seeing each image in your head, and you’ll be amazed how easily you can recall everything.”

3 // INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY

Politics is an integral part of our society.  You can start at the beginning with the Introduction to Political Philosophy course from Open Yale Courses.  This is a completely free introduction to political philosophy “as seen through an examination of some of the major texts and thinkers of the Western political tradition.”  The booklist includes:

• Trial and Death of Socrates by Plato
• Republic by Plato
• Politics by Aristotle
• The Prince by Machiavelli
• Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes
• Second Treatise of Government by John Locke
• Political Writings by Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

There are 24 lectures to watch and a syllabus to follow.

4 // A SURVEY OF CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE 

This is a four part lecture series hosted by University of Notre Dame professor and The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA) Board Member Richard Economakis.  The series starts with the architecture of Ancient Greece and proceeds all the way to present day.  Sounds fascinating!

5 // A DEEP DIVE INTO THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

Last but not least, let’s dive deep into a classic children’s novel from 1908 called The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame.  As you read, you can follow along with commentary from The Literary Life Podcast’s four part series.