Classical Liberal Arts Archives

The Day I Met Dante

A lifelong perfectionist, I had struggled all semester with trying to accomplish each and every task in an increasingly difficult workload—until I got some much-needed advice from Dante’s Paradiso.

Physics, Philosophy, and Sci-Fi

A class that united science with cinema and discussion highlighted Hillsdale’s liberal arts mission for me.

Studying Virtue in Painting and Poetry

Each year, millions flock to Vatican City to view the art that defined the Italian Renaissance—including the Raphael Rooms in the Vatican Museums. While marveling at the artistry of these works, we may ask what we can learn from these frescoes, particularly about teaching students the virtue of prudence. Like Raphael’s frescoes, poetry also offers […]

The Misconception of the English Major

Provost David Whalen and graduates Mark Naida and Chandler Ryd reflect on the benefits of majoring in English at Hillsdale College.

Heidegger, Pathways, and Phenomenology

The study of calculus, poetry, economics, sociology, music, theater, and biology certainly have the good of mastering the subject in itself, but each subject is just another pathway to understanding and articulating human experience.

Liberal Arts in the Lab

Sitting in science class and learning about the interactions between molecules, cells, and forces is one thing. Getting your hands gloved up and making these discoveries yourself is a whole different ball game.

Dr. Gaebler in front of a blackboard, teaching class.

Recognizing a lion by its claws: Poetry and Creativity in Mathematics

If someone asked you to list the authors of great books within the Western tradition, chances are high that Shakespeare, Homer, and Dante would be among the first authors suggested. But if you ask Dr. David Gaebler, assistant professor of mathematics at Hillsdale College, he would make the case that Euclid, the “father of geometry,” should also be included on this prestigious list.

Innovation and The Liberal Arts

Though a liberal arts education may not appear to deliver immediate value to an organization, it does have timeless value. The classics remain classic; the human spirit remains what it is.

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Giannina Imperial

Throughout my time here, I’ve discovered what higher learning is meant to entail: growth, struggle, the tearing down and building up of mindsets and concepts, developing a love for learning, discovering how to learn well, discarding the junk from my life, and a thirst for knowledge that I didn’t realize I was capable of.

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Noah Weinrich

Hillsdale opened my eyes to what education could be. Not just a step to better my career, but a step toward knowledge for its own sake. And my time at Hillsdale has proved that I made the right choice. I have found a community that values me, not just for my grades, scores, or for being Very Smart, but as an individual.

How the Liberal Arts Relate to Us

When my little brother, a senior in high school, asked what he ought to expect from his first week on a college campus, I told him to get ready to answer the same questions over and over again: “What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” “How did you end up here?”

Philosophers in Athens painting by Raphael

Intellectual Humility and the Liberal Arts

Philosophy encourages intellectual humility, and intellectual humility is centrally important to a viable liberal arts education.