Developing Classical Thinkers

Developing Classical Thinkers
  • 4.7 (23)
  • EDUCATION
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Developing Classical Thinkers

Developing Classical Thinkers is a classical podcast for classical thinkers, created and supported by the teachers at Thales Academy, a classical school in Raleigh, North Carolina. A Thales Press podcast.

  1. "Teachers and The Moral Imagination" from Zach Palmer

    11H AGO

    "Teachers and The Moral Imagination" from Zach Palmer

    At the root of classical education is a noble challenge championed by master teachers throughout the Western heritage: teaching is the process of soul-craft—by which educators cultivate virtue within other human beings so that they might live good lives. This challenge inherently elevates the role of teachers beyond mere transmitters of knowledge to shapers of innate potential— people with the power and influence to build up or undermine the lives and willpower of students. In this presentation, Mr. Palmer explored the tragic landscape of contemporary American education, explicated the nuances of soul-craft in theory and practice, and revealed why this kind of soul-craft possesses ultimate significance for human flourishing. Zach Palmer received a B.A. in History from Hillsdale College and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction: History from Liberty University. Mr. Palmer teaches American History, Western Civilization, and Civics.

    20 min
  2. "Schooling as a Moral Endeavor in a Pluralistic Society" from Patrick Halbrook

    1D AGO

    "Schooling as a Moral Endeavor in a Pluralistic Society" from Patrick Halbrook

    What is the telos of education? In a free society, is it desirable or practical to attempt to design a single system of schooling that is ideal for everyone? Can schools hold a neutral position regarding morality and values, or is education a fundamentally ethical enterprise that inevitably adopts a new moral framework when an old one is removed? In this presentation, Patrick Halbrook considered these questions in a historical framework as they have been applied to American education in the twenty-first century. Patrick Halbrook is a teacher, graphic designer, and writer—as well as a passionate advocate for classical Christian education. Over the years he has written for various publications including The Imaginative Conservative, FORMA Journal, The Classical Difference, and Cary Christian School’s blog, The Forum. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal and Biblical Studies from Florida College and a Masters of Art in History from North Carolina State University.

    16 min
  3. "Life after the Department of Education" from Ray Nothstine

    2D AGO

    "Life after the Department of Education" from Ray Nothstine

    The current education system in the United States is increasingly misaligned with the needs of many Americans. This paper explores the shortcomings of our “federalist” approach to education, emphasizing how federal overreach and bureaucratic stagnation have hindered progress and outcomes. While federal involvement was intended to promote equity and accountability, it has often devolved into inflexible mandates and uniform policies that erode local autonomy and fail to address the unique needs of communities. These dynamics not only limit the ability of families to govern themselves but also weaken the cultivation of moral character, which is vital for personal and societal growth. Ray Nothstine is a Future of Freedom Fellow and senior editor and writer for State Policy Network, where he primarily helps to shepherd the American Habits publication. He previously worked as opinion editor at Carolina Journal and as a Second Amendment research fellow at the John Locke Foundation in Raleigh, North Carolina. Nothstine graduated with a Master of Divinity (M.Div) degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He also holds a B.A. in political science from The University of Mississippi in Oxford. He currently lives in North Carolina with his wife and three sons.

    18 min
  4. "Virtue and School Leadership" from Robert Luddy | Liberty & Literacy Forum

    APR 10

    "Virtue and School Leadership" from Robert Luddy | Liberty & Literacy Forum

    In this presentation, Robert Luddy walked through Thales Academy’s mission—to offer the highest quality education at the lowest possible price—and the real, practical steps that educational entrepreneurs can take to establish similar schools and educational institutions. Robert "Bob" Luddy is the Founder and Chairman of Thales Academy, Thales College, Franklin Academy, and St. Thomas More Academy, and is the Founder and President of CaptiveAire Systems, North America's leading manufacturer of commercial kitchen ventilation equipment and a quickly growing manufacturer of commercial and industrial HVAC systems.

    15 min
  5. "School Choice: A Vehicle for Constructive and Meaningful Citizenship" from Professor Amy Wax | Liberty & Literacy Forum

    APR 9

    "School Choice: A Vehicle for Constructive and Meaningful Citizenship" from Professor Amy Wax | Liberty & Literacy Forum

    If values like respecting proper parental authority and discretion, promoting awareness and admiration for American and Western culture, preparing students for constructive and knowledgeable citizenship, and conveying an accurate sense of American history in world context, once again became priorities, as there were in the past, what would K-12 education look like? In this presentation, Professor Amy Wax examined the debate on education to go beyond advocacy for school choice and how expanded school choice policies can produce desirable substantive reforms in K-12 educational practice.  Professor Wax addressed these issues in her keynote address at the Liberty & Literacy Forum.  Amy Wax’s work addresses issues in social welfare law and policy as well as the relationship of the family, the workplace, and labor markets. By bringing to bear her training in biomedical sciences and appellate practice as well as her interest in economic analysis, Wax has developed a uniquely insightful approach to problems in her areas of expertise. Wax has published widely in law journals, addressing liberal theory and welfare work requirements as well as the economics of federal disability laws. Current works in progress include articles on same-sex marriage, disparate impact theory and group demographics, rational choice and family structure, and the law and neuroscience of deprivation. Her most recent book is "Race, Wrongs, and Remedies: Group Justice in the 21st Century" (Hoover Institution Press/Rowman & Littlefield, 2009). Wax has received the A. Leo Levin Award for Excellence in an Introductory Course and the Harvey Levin Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence. As an Assistant to the Solicitor General in the Office of the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Wax argued 15 cases before the United States Supreme Court.

    26 min
  6. Opening Remarks on 'Liberty & Literacy' from Winston Brady | Liberty & Literacy Forum

    APR 8

    Opening Remarks on 'Liberty & Literacy' from Winston Brady | Liberty & Literacy Forum

    Winston Brady offers opening remarks at the 2025 Liberty & Literacy Forum in Wake Forest North Carolina. The word "liberal" comes from the Latin "libertas," and within the word "libertas" is the word "liber," meaning “book." The Romans never separated "liberty" from a sound, content-rich education, and neither should we.  The ways of grammar, logic, and rhetoric taught students how to think and write, while the quadrivium helped students comprehend truth and study everything from simple shapes to the highest heavens. These arts were called liberal arts because, in reality, they liberate students. They free an individual from ignorance and help that person learn how to think. As a result, it is a civilization-ending tragedy that American students are increasingly incapable of reading simple books and even completing simple math. To promote sound, content-rich education, Thales Press hosted the Liberty & Literacy Forum on March 21, 2025. These papers addressed literacy, classical wisdom, and virtue and offer positive steps to advance the cause of freedom and human flourishing in our K-12 schools and across the United States today.

    11 min
  7. The Luddy Industrial Arts Program with Kim Tully

    APR 7

    The Luddy Industrial Arts Program with Kim Tully

    Kim Tully serves as the lead for the Luddy Industrial and Vocational Arts program and the Luddy Institute of Technology at Thales Academy. These programs guide students through the fundamental skills and topics and through rigorous hands-on activities and experiments, all of which are explained in detail and with photos throughout the books Kim Tully and her team have designed. In this episode, Kim Tully and Winston Brady talk about these courses, the skills students will learn, and the goals they have for the program: a well-educated student capable of working with electronics and power tools as they are intellectually curious and virtuous.

    50 min
  8. "The Anxious Generation" with Ashley Bahor & Olivia Holliday

    MAR 18

    "The Anxious Generation" with Ashley Bahor & Olivia Holliday

    Social media and smartphones present unprecedented challenges for educators and parents. Parents and teachers often recognize that smartphones and social media do not help students, but they have not had data to confirm this belief. In this episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, Ashley Bahor and Olivia Holliday discuss Jonathan Haidt's 2024 book "The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness," and the evidence of social media usage's negative effects. In "The Anxious Generation," Haidt argues that social media apps hamper a teenager's normal social and emotional development. In this episode, Ashley Bahor and Olivia Holliday discuss "The Anxious Generation" and its claims, as well as strategies for parents to help their students avoid these kinds of technology. More information about Jonathan Haidt's "The Anxious Generation" can be found here: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book Mrs. Bahor received a B.S. in Child Development from Meredith College and a M.S.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mrs. Holliday received a B.A. in Psychology from Bryan College and an M.A. in Counseling with an emphasis in School Counseling from Marshall University Graduate College. Mrs. Holliday serves as Thales Academy's Guidance Counselor and is a helpful resource for every student.

    48 min
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    4.7
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    About

    Developing Classical Thinkers is a classical podcast for classical thinkers, created and supported by the teachers at Thales Academy, a classical school in Raleigh, North Carolina. A Thales Press podcast.

    Information

    • Creator
      Developing Classical Thinkers
    • Years Active
      2018 - 2025
    • Episodes
      274
    • Rating
      Explicit
    • Copyright
      © Copyright Developing Classical Thinkers
    • Show Website
      Developing Classical Thinkers

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