The Academy offers instruction in a wide range of scientific and philosophic subjects, including astronomy, biology, mathematics, and political science. Our aim is to increase your ability to live a life of contemplation, not to train you for a career. However, we recently introduced a practical course in rhetoric for those students who wish to obtain a position in public life.

Faculty

Our teachers are all distinguished scholars. Our founder, Plato, has written and recited several groundbreaking philosophical dialogues, or treatises told in dramatic form, for the Athenian philosophical community. In addition, we are honored to have some of the most renowned thinkers in the region. These include the philosopher and mathematician Speusippus, who has made important contributions to geometry, and Eudoxus of Cnidus, a mathematician and astronomer who is currently studying the movement of the sun, moon, and other planets.

Some advanced students conduct their own classes. The most notable in this regard is Aristotle, who is called "the reader" because of his voracious appetite for knowledge.

Method of Instruction

Students learn in one of two ways: Teachers may lecture on a topic or teach using the Socratic method. This method consists of asking the class a question, such as "What is courage?" It is then up to the students to debate and discuss the question, thereby discovering the answer for themselves. Teachers may guide the students by asking additional questions. The use of the Socratic method is a unique element of the Academy experience.

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