The Freshman Year

Freshman Fall

	ST		1010		Government I (3 credits)
	ST		1020		Government II (3 credits)
	LD		1010		Personal Leadership (2 credits)
	LT		1010		Literature I: English and American (2 credits)
	WR		1010		World Religions I (2 credits)
	MS		1010		Mathematics I (3 credits)
	FL		1010		Introduction to Philology & Etymology (3 credits)

 

ST1010 Government I (3 credits)

The study of government is much more than learning how bills become laws. Principles of governing self, family, business, community and nation are all similar, and knowing and understanding these principles is fundamental to citizenship in a free society. From the 28 principles of freedom found in The 5,000-Year Leap, to the keen insights regarding democracy over aristocracy by Fredric Bastiat, John Locke and John Adams, this course is designed to introduce you to some of the most important ideas that are necessary to Freedom, Liberty and Security.

• The 5000 Year Leap: The Miracle That Changed the World, by Cleon Skousen
• The Proper Role of Government, by Ezra T. Benson
• The Law, by Frederick Bastiat
• Thoughts on Government, by John Adams
• Second Treatise on Government, by John Locke
• "Magna Charta"
• "Virginia Articles"
• "Mayflower Compact"

 

ST1020 Government II (3 Credits)

Building upon the foundation set in Government I, this course will help you further your understanding principles upon which free republics must be built if they are to survive. Answers to questions specifically related to the the unique nature of the US Constitution are explained by three of the original American Founders. The insights into why democracies almost always digress into aristocracies will be explained by Alexis de Tocquville. And the very roots of western civilization are closely analyzed in Roots of American Order, as well as a close study of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. The principles discussed in this course are applicable to people of every nation, but more importantly they are critical to the governing and strengthening of individuals, families, businesses and communities.

• The Federalist Papers 1, 2, 10, 14-15, 18-22, 38, 51, 68, 84-85
• Democracy in America v II, by Alexis de Tocqueville
• Roots of American Order, by Russell Kirk
• "The Declaration of Independence"
• "The U.S. Constitution"

 

LD1010 Personal Leadership (2 Credits)

The greatest leaders in history were effective first in their ability to lead themselves and then in their capacity to influence others. This course introduces students to key elements of leadership, both by precept and practical application. Students will also be introduced to diplomacy, or the art of building bridges. Together these skills empower leaders to inspire others, and to meet the challenges history warns are inevitable.

• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
• The Weight of Glory, by C. S. Lewis
• Leadership Education, Part III, by Oliver and Rachel DeMille

 

 

LT1010 Literature I: English and American (2 Credits)

The study of literature, like most disciplines of statesmanship education, is the study of humanity, of ourselves and of the human experience. Is it always wrong to kill? Is it always right to grant mercy? How do people react in times of peace or chaos? What skills and attributes are necessary to step up and lead out during times of confusion and turmoil? What makes a real man and a real woman? These are some of the questions students will consider and discuss in this course. Throughout this course, students will be wise to consider the words of Daniel Taylor. "...you are the product of all the stories you have heard and lived—and of many that you have never heard. They have shaped how you see yourself, the world, and your place in it . . . If we discern a plot to our lives, we are more likely to take ourselves and our lives seriously. If nothing is connected, then nothing matters. Stories are the single best way humans have for accounting for our experience. They help us see how choices and events are tied together, why things are and how things could be.”

• The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare
• The Taming of the Shrew, by William Shakespeare
• The Virginian, by Owen Wister
• Alas Babylon, by Pat Frank

 

 

WR1010 World Religions I (2 Credits)

Understanding what men and women have hoped for, feared, and believed throughout history is essential to understanding human nature. This course focuses on studying the scriptures of the world’s religions and their various stories—of the creation and the interactions of gods, devils, heroes and ordinary people—as well as their direction for everyday living. The insight students will gain by serious consideration of these readings will aid them as they continue to cultivate virtue, wisdom, diplomacy, and courage. World Religions I begins with a careful look at the Gospels of the New Testament of Christianity.

• New Testament: The Gospels

 

 

MS1010 Mathematics I (3 Credits)

Nearly 2500 years ago, Plato taught that the very best way to train the future rulers of his city-state was to teach them arithmetic and geometry. Mathematics is an integral part of a statesman’s education. Whether it is applied mathematics or its philosophical side, statesmen learn to solve problems and think logically and orderly when they set their minds and hearts to the study of mathematics.

• Introduction to Arithmetic, Nicomachus
• Applied Algebra I

 

FL1010 Introduction to Philology & Etymology (3 Credits)

 

 

Freshman Winter

	ST		1130		American History: Biographies (3 Credits)
	ST		1140		American History: Surveys and Original Documents (3 Credits)
	LD		1120		Organizational Leadership (2 Credits)
	LT		1120		Literature II: English and American (2 Credits)
	WR		1120		World Religions II (2 Credits)
	MS		1120		Mathematics II (3 Credits)
	FL				Foreign Language Elective (3 Credits)

 

ST1130 American History: Biographies (3 Credits)

A comprehensive study of U.S. History is essential to Statesmen of any nation, because the American journey has been such a powerful story in the quest for freedom, the power of personal responsibility, the importance of governmental forms. Likewise, the American story is wrought with mistakes and foibles that, once again, place the freedom of mankind teetering on the precipice. Whether a student is from the U.S. or Canada, South America or South Africa, or even the near or far East, the study of American History is a critical study that no statesman should neglect. And seeing many of these things through the biographical lives of some of its foremost leaders has proven time and again to be a powerful and effective approach.

• Choose 4 biographies from the approved list.

 

 

ST1140 American History: Surveys and Original Documents (3 Credits)

A comprehensive study of U.S. History is essential to Statesmen of any nation, because the American journey has been such a powerful story in the quest for freedom, the power of personal responsibility, the importance of governmental forms. Likewise, the American story is wrought with mistakes and foibles that, once again, place the freedom of mankind teetering on the precipice. Whether a student is from the U.S. or Canada, South America or South Africa, or even the near or far East, the study of American History is a critical study that no statesman should neglect. And looking closely at two general surveys, as well as some of the nation's original documents is a smart way to get into the essence of what made America great, and where some of her weaknesses are most glaring.

• A History of the American People, by Paul Johnson
• America: The Last Best Hope, by William J. Bennett (optional)
• The American Nation, by Bruce Frohnen
• The American Republic, by Bruce Frohen

 

 

LD1120 Organizational Leadership (2 Credits)

The greatest leaders in history were effective first in their ability to lead themselves and their capacity to influence others. This course will introduce the student to the key elements of leadership, both by precept and practical application. The student will also be introduced to diplomacy, the art of building bridges. Together these skills empower leaders to inspire others and to meet the challenges history warns are inevitable.

• The Choice, by The Arbinger Institute
• The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber
• Endurance, Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing

 

LT1120 Literature II: English and American (2 Credits)

The study of literature, like most disciplines of statesmanship education, is the study of humanity, of ourselves and of the human experience. How aware are we of the deceitfulness of our own pride? Why is trust a critical element of marriage and family. What is true devotion and discipleship? How do our choices, good or ill, affect others? Why are so many people afraid, and how does this fear affect the way they treat other people? These are some of the questions students will consider and discuss in this course. Throughout this course, students will be wise to consider the words of Daniel Taylor. "...you are the product of all the stories you have heard and lived—and of many that you have never heard. They have shaped how you see yourself, the world, and your place in it . . . If we discern a plot to our lives, we are more likely to take ourselves and our lives seriously. If nothing is connected, then nothing matters. Stories are the single best way humans have for accounting for our experience. They help us see how choices and events are tied together, why things are and how things could be.”

• Othello, by William Shakespeare
• The Winter's Tale, by William Shakespeare
• Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

 

WR1120 World Religions II (2 Credits)

Understanding what men and women have hoped for, feared, and believed throughout history is essential to understanding human nature. This course focuses on studying the scriptures of the world’s religions and their various stories—of the creation and the interactions of gods, devils, heroes and ordinary people—as well as their direction for everyday living. The insight students will gain by serious consideration of these readings will aid them as they continue to cultivate virtue, wisdom, diplomacy, and courage. World Religions II builds on World Religions I by allowing students to look closely at the epistles and revelations of the New Testament found in the books of Acts through Revelations.

• New Testament: Acts through Revelation

 

MS1120 Mathematics II (3 Credits)

Nearly 2500 years ago, Plato taught that the very best way to train the future rulers of his city-state was to teach them arithmetic and geometry. Mathematics is an integral part of a statesman’s education. Whether it is applied mathematics or its philosophical side, statesmen learn to solve problems and think logically and orderly when they set their minds and hearts to the study of mathematics.

• The Elements, by Euclid
• Applied Geometry

 

 

Foreign Language Elective (3 Credits)