Educating Humans

In this talk from the Education for Human Flourishing Conference in 2025, Difff discusses the ways that artificial intelligence offers a false promise of restoring the logos, which has been systematically eroded and dismissed over the past millennium. Drawing on history, philosophy, and literature, including C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Difff suggests that classical education in the liberal arts is by definition the introduction of students to reality, an...

Joseph Pearce, the critically acclaimed Catholic author and biographer, addressed the community of St John Henry Newman College and the Brisbane Oratory in Formation in May 2025. His topic of 'Shakespeare and Tolkien: Literary Giants and Why the Great Books Matter' spoke to the centrality of the great works of literature in a classical education in the Liberal Arts. You can find out more about Joseph Pearce and his publications here. With thanks to Hartford College for organising Joseph Pea...

In the final episode about Josef Pieper's Leisure the Basis of Culture, we discuss the connection between leisure and worship and why secular holidays don't cut it. We also compare the totally consuming world of work to the one ring to rule them all. Please support St John Henry Newman College by donating at www.newmancollege.qld.edu.au Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane. Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by...

In Part 3 of the series on Leisure the Basis of Culture, the discussion is all about acedia and restlessness as the opposite to leisure. Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane. Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

Schole is an alien concept for those new to classical education. In the first episode in our mini-series on the book Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper we discuss what it means to contemplate, and the difference between two ways of knowing that were described in the Middle Ages as ratio and intellectus. Pieper's Leisure is one of the foundational books for classical liberal arts education, and it provides a helpful corrective for a modern education that has become obsessed with ana...

James interviews Dr Scott Crider, Professor of English at the University of Dallas where he has taught for thirty years. His book, The Office of Assertion: An Art of Rhetoric for Academic Essay, is one of James' favourites for teaching academic writing. James and Scott discuss the value of rhetoric, how to teach writing, the power of language, and the way that poetry communicates truth. Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent cl...

In this interview, Difff speaks to Dr Hugh Chilton from The Scots College, Sydney. They discuss ways that Scots is rediscovering elements of classical and liberal arts education through reclaiming the reality of teachers as scholars and academics and the positive impact that can have on a school. Hugh then explains the Scots X program that he leads at the college and how it incorporates elements of classical education to think deeply about the best kind of education specifically for boys in j...

For our fiftieth episode, and the last for 2024, we interview Andrew Kern, president of the CIRCE Institute. Answering the question of what are the essential components for a classical education, Andrew discusses the four pillars of coherence, the logos, piety and humanity. Please consider becoming a founding donor for St John Henry Newman College, a new independent classical school in South Brisbane. Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Creative Commo...