How do we know whether we know something? How do we know whether our son or student has apprehended a lesson?
Sometimes we hear the liberal arts discussed as a “beholding of great things.” But Catholic University professor Dr. Jonathan Buttaci reminds us they are liberal arts—implying a craft or adept handling of knowledge. In other words, a student coming to know something is not passive at all. It’s an act. And that act does not primarily belong to the teacher.
This week on HeightsCast, Dr. Buttaci talks epistemology and what the role of the teacher really is in bringing young people to knowledge.
Chapters:
3:59 Knowledge: active, not passive
12:56 Practical ends of knowledge
18:02 Contemplation: Buttaci v. Pieper
24:04 Liberal arts
30:16 Knowing bestows freedom
35:29 Where truth and creativity meet
42:27 The power of the teacher
43:52 How teachers can preserve the joy of discovery
57:59 Teaching rote, grindstone skills
01:05:08 A teacher’s job is joyful
Links:
Education Is Not about Content Transmission by Dr. Andrew Abela, notes on a presentation by Dr. Jonathan Buttaci
Magnifica Humanitas, papal encyclical by Pope Leo XIV
Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
The Idea of a University by John Henry Newman
Also on the Forum:
Teaching Sovereign Knowers Series by Michael Moynihan
Automaticity and Creativity by David Maxham
Automaticity: Where ‘Rote’ Fits into the Liberal Arts featuring David Maxham
The Teacher’s Voice featuring Tom Steenson
Featured Opportunities:
Headmaster’s Lecture at The Heights School (October 3, 2026) – link coming soon
Fall Open House at The Heights School (October 24, 2026)
Fatherhood Conference at The Heights School (early November 2026) – link coming soon
Convivium Conference for Teaching Men at The Heights School (November 11-13, 2026)