Rather, they respond to great works in an interdisciplinary way, challenging the ideas expressed in the works and challenging their own ideas as well, thus joining in the great conversation of men and women through the ages about perennial issues of human life. Students who enroll in The Great Conversation are diverse in their aspirations. The knowledge and skills acquired through The Great Conversation apply to all disciplines, and are useful throughout adult life. The Great Conversation forces students to share ideas orally and in writing, to focus thoughts into constructive, organized patterns, to explore difficult ideas and themes through discussion with classmates, led by experienced instructors. Class discussion will very likely challenge beliefs, pique curiosity, and shatter preconceptions.
Students encounter great works of art.
They read epics, plays, essays, and philosophical, political, and religious documents. They become acquainted with works from Homer to Picasso, from Genesis to The Origin of Species . The Great Conversation is a program for those who like to read and who like to discuss and write about ideas. It is for those who believe that learning about the past is profoundly relevent to understanding the present, for those who want to examine the Western tradition in a unified way, and for those who believe that an education ought to cultivate discriminating minds, inquisitive spirits, and moral sensitivity.