WHAT IS A CLASSICAL PURSUITS SEMINAR?
The heart of Classical Pursuits is our small, skilfully led seminar discussions, whether online or in person. In these discussions we help one another better understand a book, essay, painting, or piece of music, and, ultimately, make personal meaning from what we have read, seen, heard, and discussed.
Classical Pursuits is one of the few places we know of where we can have meaningful conversations about things that matter—about the big questions and ideas that confront us as we go through life—about things like love, duty, faith, justice, beauty, work, and death.
There are many ways to lead a seminar, but at Classical Pursuits we generally follow the model of Shared Inquiry™. You can find more info on how we use Shared Inquiry at Classical Pursuits here.
WHAT IS SHARED INQUIRY?
Through the Shared Inquiry method developed by the Great Books Foundation, participants help one another think through possible answers to the fundamental questions raised by a work. Participants bring their unique ways of viewing the selection, which they’ve formed through careful reading and preparation. In discussion we build on each other’s view’s, supporting observations and ideas with evidence. Thus the success of a Shared Inquiry discussion is determined in large part by the skill with which participants listen to one another.
Different leaders have different styles within the Shared Inquiry model, and depending on the leader and the work(s) being discussed, the balance between active discussion and leader-provided commentary will vary across seminars. In the months before Toronto Pursuits, or in the weeks before your online seminar, you will receive more detailed information from your seminar leader about what you can expect. Regardless of style, the leader’s goal is not to reach consensus on a single “correct” understanding. The works we examine are compelling precisely because they continue to afford multiple conflicting and ambiguous meanings.
WHO LEADS THE SEMINAR DISCUSSIONS?
Leaders come from various backgrounds and disciplines. Some are professors or work year-round in liberal arts education at organizations such as the Great Books Foundation, but others are architects, lawyers and musicians.
All leaders undergo training in Shared Inquiry, and they are chosen for both their knowledge of a subject and their ability to guide through questions. Our leaders do not “profess” the meaning of a book, painting, or opera. Their principal role is to help participants discover for themselves its deeper meanings.
HOW DO I PREPARE FOR MY SEMINAR?
If this is your first time at a Classical Pursuits program, you may be worried that the texts will be too difficult or that you will be surrounded by a bunch of PhDs who are experts in the seminar topic. Not so! Participants, like leaders, come from all kinds of backgrounds. Everyone is there to learn from each other, think critically, and have fun, not to show off what they know.
The only prerequisites are to read/prepare carefully before your seminar starts, and come with a true sense of curiosity. Here are more tips to help you get the most out of your seminar discussions.
Reading
You are encouraged to read in what may be a new way for you.
- Give yourself time to read the assigned texts carefully, taking notes and forming questions as you read. A second reading is even better.
- During your first reading, just concentrate on the overall scope of the work.
- During your second reading, concentrate on specific portions of the work that interest or puzzle you, analyzing and relating them to the argument or story as a whole.
- For a work of fiction, ask yourself why characters act as they do and why events or conclusions follow one another.
- For a work of nonfiction, sort out the terms and structure of the author’s argument.
- Locate passages that sum up the author’s argument or eloquently express an idea that seems central to the text.
- Jot down your insights, questions, and arguments with the author.
Learning about Shared Inquiry
The Great Books Foundation has many resources available to you, whether you are new to Shared Inquiry or you just want to brush up. We encourage you to visit the Great Books Foundation webpage on Shared Inquiry and watch the series of short videos about how discussions work, particularly the videos on the importance of evidence to support your points and the role of collaboration.