In this first part of the series, Mr. Moynihan examines the roots of our current cultural moment, diving into what he calls the “problem of agency”. In the essay, he first offers a historical analysis of how we arrived at our current intellectual and moral landscape. Next, he articulates how our culture informs our understanding of freedom. And, lastly, he ties his historical and philosophical arguments to the current state of students today–and why this matters for how teachers teach.

Having examined our current cultural moment, in this second installment Mr. Moynihan dives into two twin vices which, mutually feeding into each other, plague modern man: acedia and curiositas. He also considers studiousness, the virtue that combats these vices. And lest we, who love books both good and great, too quickly dismiss these vices as problems far from our own sensibilities, Mr. Moynihan’s essay challenges those who are classically-minded to consider the ways that even classical curricula and great books programs can fall prey to theses perennial vices. Drawing on Newman’s understanding of the philosophic outlook, Michael helps us to see that the great books, though good, are alone not good enough.

Having established a philosophical framework for understanding our current cultural moment, as well as the role of freedom in education, in this section Mr. Moynihan offers practical advice to teachers. He explains how teachers can accomplish the monumental task of teaching in a way that fosters agency and forms students into sovereign knowers. The section is broken into seven sections: narrative approach, memory, reading, reading guides, strategic teaching, textbooks, and open inquiry.

The fourth and final installment of this series brings the historical, philosophical, and pedagogical framework of the previous essays to the mundane, daily reality of living this great, though at times less than grand, professional vocation. In this essay, Mr. Moynihan runs through the first days and weeks of teaching, offering advice on how new (and old) teachers can build relationships with students, develop a realistic syllabus, engage parents constructively, seek feedback, and set the right goals and self-evaluations.

A video of Mr. Moynihan’s lecture, Teaching Sovereign Knowers, from the 2024 Teaching Vocation Conference. 

Further developing ideas presented in the written portion of this series, Mr. Michael Moynihan discusses freedom in education. Michael traces the development of our philosophical understanding of freedom through the centuries, starting with the Greeks and moving into the modern age. Next he presents the Christian ideal of freedom as a resolution and expansion of these conflicting understandings, along with some implications of this new freedom for our work in the classroom.