2021 Autumn Pod & Specialty Courses

New Sessions Starting in Autumn 2021!

Great Books Online is offering a truly unique array of special programs for every interest this fall including philosphy, poetry, sci-fi, debate, ethics, and more. These enrichment programs are live and fun!

Pod classes are limited to 6 students for a deeply enriching academic experience.
Specialty courses explore areas of individual interest, development, and growth with a community of inspired learners.

To learn more about classes that will spark your child’s interest, contact us via email info@greatbookssummer.com, or call/text 203-612-9470.

Previous Pod & Specialty Classes:

For Middle School Students

Philosophy of Politics

Political structures and how we operate within them are among the oldest subjects of philosophical inquiry. The communities we build and live in are fundamental to the human experience, and as social conditions change over time, new systems of government continuously rise and fall. In this course, we will embark on a historical study of the most influential works of political philosophy, including those of Plato, John Locke, Karl Marx, and Hannah Arendt. From the foundations of political philosophy in Ancient Greece, to the challenges posed by the rise of 20th century autocrats, we will engage with utopian visions of ideal government, established systems of power, and the social developments that unsettle and occasionally topple them. The course will conclude with an exercise where each student will propose their own form of government based on the texts we engage with.

4 Weeks
Limited to 10 students

Debate II

There has never been a more important time to make sure you are able to make your voice be heard. For those who have already gone through our introductory course or those who have pre-existing experience of debating (of any format), Great Books Online is pleased to offer an intermediate debating course. This program will offer direct head-to-head debating on a variety of different contemporary issues. The course instructor is a graduate of Cambridge University & the University of Glasgow with degrees in law and philosophy and a World Universities Debating Championship finalist. Learn more.