Great Hearts plants itself squarely within the classical tradition of Western philosophy: following the example of thinkers like Plato and Aristotle, we posit the knowability of the cosmos, the power of human reason to know not just itself and its works, but a reality outside of itself, and the ability of reason to cut through limitations of culture, history, and social conditioning to know truth.

We prefer this classical tradition of thought in opposition to what we might call the “sophistic” or “skeptical” tradition, which goes all the way back to ancient Athens, and which is alive and well today. The skeptic holds, generally speaking, that “man is the measure of all things;” that “truth” is relative or even non-existent; that notions of good and evil are mere social conventions, and that ethics are non-rational; that beauty is just a question of taste or preference; that reason is merely the power to make infinite distinctions.

Adapted from “Great Hearts: The Six Loves” by Andrew Ellison, Director of the St. Ambrose Center at the University of Dallas and former Executive Director of San Antonio Academies for Great Hearts Texas.

The Six Loves