Eudaemonia: Report from the first three months of our trial seminars

The Cedars and Laurels Schools have been deliver a new weekly series of extra-curricular seminars as part of their commitment to the cultivation of intellectual and moral virtue in students. These seminars have been using materials from Eudaemonia, a core course under works by friends of the Thomas More Foundation, and by Roy Peachey in particular. I met with Joe Cook, a teacher at the Schools who has been leading the trials, to discuss how the seminars have been received by the students and whether he felt there were any weaknesses in the programme. 

Joe has reported to me the programme's effectiveness, despite him working with a much larger class than we would recommend the resources for. For this reason, he had to introduce some of his own materials beyond what he had originally been given to him, in part to extend the trial, in part to include materials for a longer term study of Hamlet which could keep the whole of the class (30 students) engaged. Nevertheless, it is clear that the resources Roy had devised stimulated much critical discussion amongst the students, to the extent that the students themselves applied to Joe to turn these weekly seminars into opportunities for them to present to the class themselves on their own research interests, upon which further socratic discussions could be had. Joe was impressed by his students’ initiative and the quality of their contributions here.

Students were also more open to being confronted with practical and ethical problems than we expected. It is common to approach these issues with students in relation to a text that contains these issues in a tacit or hidden manner; by contrast, it was found that students were eager to deal with the issues themselves, and we put this down to a serious lack of guidance and wisdom in today’s culture. In response to this, students will now be working with another teacher at the Schools who has developed resources exploring how the values which have come up in previous Eudaemonia seminars can come up more directly in their lives, such as in study, family life, or planning for their future beyond career considerations. (It’s worth noting that the incorporation of these kind of resources would open up more opportunities for Eudaemonia to supplant some curriculum obligations, such as PSHCE or equivalent courses.)

All this has clarified for both of us, first, that Eudaemonia cannot just be a set of resources which are given to teachers, but must be responsive to the specific needs of teachers and students, adaptable to different class sizes and student interests; second, that students are eager to contend with practical matters directly, vindicating our marketing approach of ‘practical wisdom’. Indeed, it was originally part of our vision for Eudaemonia that it should give teachers, not so much a set of materials, but rather a distinctive method or approach to teaching. Thus the materials we will provide them serve primarily to give teachers an idea of how they might strive to approach teaching in general, where this is feasible within the constraints of existing curriculums, and we would ultimately encourage teachers to add to these materials where they felt it was appropriate. But this requires that we support teachers in ways that cannot simply be drafted up and circulated in writing. Thus it is clear to us that we should prioritise regular in-person formation opportunities for those teachers which do take up our curriculum. 

I am presently in conversation with Joe and others about how we might do this. It looks as though we could begin running some seminars in June/July, as teachers begin to be freed up in their time whilst their Y11s and Y13s sit their exams, but before the Summer holidays actually commence. This would help us to garner interest in schools taking up our resources, which should by then be complete, and would dovetail nicely with our plan to invite students from other schools to participate in seminars from the programme over the Summer. We will design the resources so that they can commence in school from mid-October, to allow time for more intensive training sessions to be offered in September for those teachers who will be working with them. Andrew Tucker, a character education specialist based in London, is interested in delivering these workshops, as am I. We also think that teachers would be amenable to attending our workshops in place of the hours which they are expected to set aside for professional development. 

Report from our recent Postgraduate Certificate Consultation

In February the Foundation held a consultation to determine some practical steps towards a postgraduate certificate in the history of ideas. In light of a documented lack of core curriculum knowledge amongst teachers and the urgency of recovering a sense for the interdependence of the different subjects that comprise the curriculum and the unity of knowledge which this implies, a course that explores the foundations and history of the ideas which have come to shape the present discourse around education and the assumptions about the human person which underly this could be of considerable value to teachers. Similar graduate certificates have been produced by a number of universities; our aim would be to make this more accessible and affordable. You can read more about the results of the consultation here. 

We considered that teachers have different needs and vary in their availability. Many are under considerable pressure and so would not be able to commit to a posgraduate certificate. Furthermore, it will be a long and complex process to design a course which can be accredited. Taking these two factors into account, we decided upon a 'concentric circles' approach to this project: we will first aim to develop a basic video course that distils the core ideas which we feel teachers can benefit from, with careful attention given to their practical application in the classroom. Over time we can expand upon this basic course and work towards a comprehensive postgraduate certificate, perhaps one with opportunities for in-person retreats. 

Our plan presently is to repurpose an existing graduate certificate as an online video course. This requires us to draft a compelling business proposal for a university who would be willing to have us adapt one of their existing courses in this way. I am presently in conversation with the University of Notre Dame Australia, whose graduate certificate in Catholic Thought has reportedly been effective with teachers, making novel use of assessment opportunities relating content to the classroom. 

Collaboration with 'Beyond the Text': 'Great books' seminar experiences in London

Samuel Woodall (PHD candinate in Intellectual History at the University of Buckingham) and I have recently begun 'Beyond the Text', combining our shared interests in writing about and discussing the history of ideas with seminars that we have been running together in London for the public. Since both the Thomas More Foundation and Beyond the Text exist to promote the liberal education tradition, we felt there was an opportunity here to integrate the two to some extent. 

Thus we have decided to advertise these seminars for our teachers and also any parents who are interested in experiencing first-hand what liberal education is all about. We meet fortnightly, typically Thursdays, at 51 Gower Street to study great books together. The seminars are organised around themes: first we did a six-part series on liberty, and we are currently in the middle of a seven-part series on heritage. 

You can sign up on eventbrite; or check out the full upcoming series on the dedicated website. 

Friends of the Foundation: Launch of Bedrock Magazine

Last month saw the launch of Bedrock Magazine, a 'magazine for the modern mind' that is working out a practical synthesis of the best of tradition and of modernity. Their debut edition saw reflections on a range of themes, including the practice of medicine, mortality, the beauty of forgiveness, and an introduction to character education from one of the Friends of the Foundation, Andrew Tucker. Bedrock puts their mission thus: 

'At Bedrock Magazine we believe that modern life is generally good. Nevertheless, we recognise that modern society has forgotten much of what earlier generations knew about living meaningful and purposeful lives. We aim to guide people towards more fulfilled lives by encouraging deeper reflection on life’s most important questions. We do this by offering fresh modern insights that help readers examine their own lives and broader societal issues, while also rediscovering the best of what has been thought and said across various disciplines — to share lessons from the past to inform how to live well in the present. Founded by individuals hoping to deepen their own understanding of these issues, much like our readers, our magazine hopes to help a diverse audience find meaning and purpose amid the complexities of the modern world.'

The magazine hosted a highly successful launch event on the 28th March, off the back of which they launched their Youtube channel. You can see how it went here. 

Bedrock are currently receiving contributions for articles. If their mission resonates with you, they'd love to hear from you!

The Thomas More Foundation is incredibly excited to be collaborating with Bedrock Magazine. I've gotten to know their team over many months. We definitely share a common vision for education; their editor, Alex Norris, who I first met last year in Rome, has already contributed one article to the Foundation on the importance of teaching the humanities. Off the back of our advertisement through their debut edition, I can already report that two individuals have reached out of us expressing their interest in contributing to the Foundation's work. 

Recent articles

We have just in time for this edition received a stellar article from Anton Balint, a financial consultant based in Oxford who, dissatisfied with his undergraduate studies in law, embarked upon a remarkable journey discovering the ideas which have animated the development of our history and culture, from the Ancient Greeks through to the present day. It all began when Anton picked up Immanuel Kant's Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals, a seminal text which attempted to demonstrate the possibility of a purely rational foundation for ethics in the face of mounting scepticism. From there he was led sporadically from text to text, before resolving to start at the beginning. Over ten years, he studied what he calls the 'history of ideas' through various courses available on Youtube offering a broad overview of the history of philosophy and theology, plus his own reading. He has written for us to distill what he has learned to be the importance of philosophy, not just in relation to our present times, but for the kind of beings we are. 

I have recently published a defence of the relevance of theology to education, building upon my previous article which reflected on a lecture I had attended in Leiden about the purpose of a university. I draw attention to the fact/value dichotomy that is characteristic of modern living and which was originally the basis for discrediting the pedagogical value of theology. I argue that there is no such dichotomy: that science itself presupposes values, and that a basic conception of theology is as the science of values. I discuss the practicalities of such a science and suggest that patristical writers such as St Maximus the Confessor and St John of the Cross present a theology that attends most explicitly to this need than, say, Scholasticism. 

I have also written an article for Bedrock Magazine on the uses and limits of memorisation for intellectual formation, forthcoming in their June edition. The article considers the strategies available for better navigating our data-driven age. We are presented with a situation where there are too many facts, the facts are constantly being updated to reflect rapidly changing economies, societies, and technologies, and we need to be able to judge which of these facts are worth our attention. Fortunately, intellectual formation is a much richer concept than the mere memorisation of facts, and whilst memorisation is the start of intellectual formation, it is by no means its end. I consider what it means to perceive patterns or analogies within and across subjects and how this radically simplifies the problem of processing disconnected facts. I also discuss the importance of being able to ask good questions as a means to learn from others and turn our ignorance into a strength. 

Finally, I am also writing for 'Beyond the Text' and co-hosting the Beyond the Text podcast with my colleague Samuel Woodall. As mentioned above, Beyond the Text is another avenue we are exploring for offering the public some exposure to liberal education. 

Other advertisements

We were contacted a short while ago by Mrs Holly Lee from the United States who has recently published an illustrated biography on the life and work of G. K. Chesterton designed for use with children and students aged 10 and above. The book presents his life and ideas in an engaging, age-appropriate way, making it a perfect addition to any curriculum, literature studies, or integrated humanities program: 

✔ Literature Studies – Deepens students’ understanding of Chesterton’s life and the context behind his writings.

✔ Historical & Philosophical Inquiry – Helps students see the world from Chesterton’s perspective during a time of cultural and ideological change.

✔ Theological Studies – Invites students to explore Chesterton’s faith journey.

✔ Classical & Integrated Humanities – Demonstrates how his ideas pull from multiple disciplines, enriching discussions across subjects.

Schools can purchase books at a discounted bulk rate by emailing sales@blueskydaisies.net (please allow 4–6 weeks for shipping). Books can also be purchased individually through Amazon or Christianbook.com.

*The Thomas More Foundation does not take any commission for this or any other advertisement. 

Next Steps

We will release information about our upcoming Eudaemonia workshops for teachers and also our Summer Eudaemonia seminars for students in the coming month. 

Please contact j.thomson@thomasmorefoundation if you would like to support us with our projects or would like to be featured on our website as a ‘friend of the Foundation’. 

Jack Thomson, Project coordinator of the Thomas More Foundation

30/4/25.