What does it mean to be human?

In our frenzied age of materialism, unbridled technological advancement, and moral upheaval, this perennial question is more important than ever. High school students who have finished their sophomore or junior years are invited to participate in a highly-interactive, week-long seminar that plumbs the depths of the human person.

Each day, we will address a different aspect of what it means to be human.

Daily topics will include:

A human person is an embodied soul.

A human person changes over time, and not always for the better.

A human person has a conscience and a moral sense.

A human person strives toward a specific goal, happiness.

A human person must discriminate between competing claims.

Questions over what it means to be human will be examined through both classical philosophical texts and literary works selected to put some flesh on the philosophical concepts we discuss. We will end each day with a concrete application of the concepts we have studied to some contemporary moral issue. For example, the day we discuss the human person as an embodied soul, we will wrestle with contemporary competing claims that the human person is nothing but matter and that the human person is primarily a soul whose material body doesn’t really matter that much. Armed with the wisdom of classic texts, students will leave better prepared to face the world – and more immediately, college.

Classroom instruction will be supplemented with outdoor activities, cultural outings, film viewings, and all the best that Austin has to offer, so students can expect a generous dose of fun mixed in with their study.

Eligibility

Rising high school juniors and seniors may apply.

Faculty

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Dr. Donald Bungum, Philosophy, University of Mary

Dr. DeAnn Stuart, English, Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture

Registration Fee, Lodging, and Board

This seminar is hosted on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Men and women will be housed in separate wings at a private dorm. Resident Advisors will stay in the same wings as students to advise and assist them. A non-refundable $300 registration fee will be required of all accepted applicants to reserve a place in the seminar. This fee covers tuition, room, board, and books. It does not include travel expenses. Scholarships are available for those with financial need.