Course · First cohort 2027
Philosophy 102: Reality and the Human Person
Aristotle on the nature of things. Aquinas on the nature of man. The first St Thomas More cohort begins in 2027.
What is a living thing? What is a soul, and why do we have a body? What does it mean to know, to choose, and to be free? And what, in the end, are we for?
Philosophy 102 takes up these questions with the two thinkers who answered them most completely. Aristotle gives the account of nature, change and life. St Thomas Aquinas, his greatest student, carries that account to its height in an understanding of the human person.
The course is taught by Dr John Cuddeback of Christendom College and made freely available by the Institute of Catholic Culture. In 2027 the St Thomas More Trust will gather its first Philosophy 102 cohort to work through it together.
The course
Aristotle and Aquinas on what we are
Philosophy 102 is an introduction to a philosophical understanding of reality, drawn above all from the wisdom of Aristotle. It culminates in an examination of human nature through St Thomas Aquinas.
The course centres on nature and purpose in the natural world, essence, form and matter, the powers of the soul, intellect and will, why we have a body, and the end of man. It closes by considering what all of this means for how we live today.
- Course
- Philosophy 102: Reality and the Human Person
- Provider
- Institute of Catholic Culture
- Lecturer
- John Cuddeback, PhD
- Format
- 18 recorded lessons and a final exam
- Study time
- Approximately 40 hours of lectures
- Cost of lectures
- Free (ICC offers its courses to the public at no charge)
- Primary texts
- Aristotle and the Summa Theologiae of St Thomas Aquinas
How the Trust runs it
Formation happens in company
The lectures are freely available to anyone. Very few people finish them alone.
Aristotle and Aquinas reward slow reading and patient conversation. A cohort supplies both. Someone catches what you missed. You must put into words what you only half understood, and in doing so you come to understand it. And you keep going because others are going with you.
The St Thomas More Trust provides the structure:
- A cohort of people working through the same course at the same time.
- A clear schedule, so you know what to cover each week.
- A study guide and prompts for your individual study weeks.
- Prepared discussion questions and a guiding framework for your group sessions.
- A small group of people who have done the same reading and are ready to talk about it.
The ICC supplies the lectures. The Trust supplies the company, the rhythm and the conversation in which formation takes place. The Trust runs a cohort of each philosophy course every year. Philosophy 102 joins the programme in 2027.
The weekly rhythm
Each week you will
- 01
Watch one or two ICC lectures in your own time.
- 02
Read the assigned primary text.
- 03
Complete the short test that follows each lecture.
- 04
Meet in person with your cohort to discuss what you have encountered.
Most participants give five to seven hours a week to the full pathway. Sessions are held in Christchurch; day, time and venue to be confirmed.
What you receive
Guidance at every stage
For individual study weeks
- A study guide to accompany each lecture.
- Questions that direct your attention to what matters in the text.
For group weeks
- Discussion questions prepared in advance.
- A framework that gives the conversation direction while leaving room to think.
- A cohort ready to engage.
On completion
- A grasp of the Aristotelian and Thomistic account of nature and the human person, read in the original texts, and the vocabulary to think with it for the rest of your life.
Course outline
Eighteen lessons and a final exam
The texts
Bring your own copy
- Aristotle, The Basic Works of Aristotle, edited by Richard McKeon (New York: Modern Library, 2001). ISBN 9780375757990.
All other readings, including the selections from St Thomas Aquinas, Aeterni Patris, Audubon and Hamlet, are provided with the course.
The lecturer
Dr John Cuddeback
Dr John Cuddeback has taught philosophy at Christendom College for thirty years. He lectures widely on virtue, fatherhood, friendship, homesteading and the household, and has published in academic journals and books. He is the author of True Friendship and The Intentional Household (Ignatius Press). Through LifeCraft he offers podcasts, writing and free courses applying perennial wisdom to ordinary life.
About the Institute of Catholic Culture
The Institute of Catholic Culture is an adult faith formation organisation in the United States dedicated to the re-evangelisation of society through education and culture. Its courses are offered to the public at no charge. Participants create a free ICC account to access the lectures. Course page: instituteofcatholicculture.org.
Who it is for
For those who want to understand what a human being is
Philosophy 102 is for adults who want to understand what a human being is. You may have finished Philosophy 101 and want to go further. You may have met Aquinas in a homily or a book by Chesterton and wanted to read him properly. You may simply be tired of hearing that we are only matter, and want to know why the tradition says otherwise.
Philosophy 101 is the natural preparation, as it introduces the questions Aristotle sets out to answer. It is strongly recommended, though not required.
The course is Catholic in its setting and open to anyone willing to read carefully and think seriously.
The 2027 cohort
The first cohort
Philosophy 102 runs as a St Thomas More cohort for the first time in 2027.
- Start date
- To be confirmed
- Length
- To be confirmed
- Sessions
- To be confirmed
- Venue
- Christchurch, venue to be confirmed
- Fee
- To be confirmed
The ICC lectures are free. The cohort fee covers the Trust's study materials, scheduling and in person sessions. A modest fee is asked deliberately: commitment is part of formation. If cost is a barrier, please tell us on the form. The Trust exists to make this education available regardless of means.
Register your interest below and we will contact you as soon as dates are confirmed.
Questions
Before you register
Register
Register your interest in the 2027 cohort
Leave your details and we will be in touch when dates are confirmed. The first step is a conversation.