School

Kenneth Clark in his work, Civilisation, argues that great civilizations like Greece and Rome fell because they were "bored." In other words, they lost their purpose and became disillusioned. Many of the values, virtues, and beliefs which built up these civilizations became neglected or weakened. Clark then adds that we "can destroy ourselves by cynicism and disillusion, just as effectively as by bombs." Agree or not, it is worth considering.

The subtitle for this class is "The Exodion." The Greek word exodos means "the road out," or "way out," or "departure." Through Latin translations, we know the word as Exodus. Exodus is also an intentional element in a Greek tragedy: as the concluding section, it brings the story to a cathartic close by providing resolution of the plot and reinforcing the play's moral and philosophical themes.

This class will meditate on and discuss insights from the themes and ideas of our readings, drawing out ancient wisdom to consider what it means to truly live out human freedom (exodus). As a grounding narrative we will use the film The Matrix (1999) to achieve this end.

Grounding the course in the idea of the trial of the century is our conduit to evaluate the unique values of Western culture — Freedom, Reason, and the Individual — and how they played out over the last 250 years. After our historical and current analysis, students will then consider an area to address and resolve.

In order to analyze critically, we will take a wild yet galvanizing event from 1994 and 1995 as our grounding story. This story allows us to evaluate Western culture from a time just prior to our "Information Age." It is filled with key themes that get played out for us in reality, ripe enough to explore in their historical context. We will also view the themes from an evaluative position in our current culture and future — three historical touch points to evaluate from. The structure of the class is more seminar and discussion than lecture.

Most university students have been optimizing since middle school: GPA, extracurriculars, internships, the right signals to the right gatekeepers. But optimization can only answer "how" — as in, "how can I get what I want, or get this done?" It never asks "why," or "to what end?" You can build an impressive life and still feel like it isn't fully yours. That isn't a personal failing; it is how it is designed.

For most of history, economics meant the management of a household so that everyone in it flourishes. In other words, economics was embedded with the questions of why, and to what end. Over the last 250 years, economics started being redefined as the science of allocating scarce resources for maximum output. People went from being the point of the economy to being fuel for it. Economics as a discipline pragmatically distanced itself from moral philosophy and replaced judgment, wisdom, and care with more tangible personal preference and satisfaction. Choosing well was superseded by choosing efficiently, and along with it came reorganized corporate definitions of education, work, leisure, identity, and ambition.

This course rebuilds the connection between economics and the questions economics abandoned: what wealth is for, and what it means to steward a life rather than optimize one. This is not an economic history course — rather a reinstallation of the humanities in economics. The practical aim is students developing a parallel economy. Not a replacement, disdain, or an alternative for the economic world you already navigate, but a second foundation alongside it. You still work, earn, create, and compete, but from a position grounded enough that you can engage the Economy virtuously and with more agency.

Understanding and managing personal finances is crucial for future financial success. This course equips students with the tools needed to achieve both economic and financial literacy. By integrating concepts from economics and personal finance, the course helps students across all majors understand the implications of economic events and make informed financial decisions related to budgeting, investing, insurance, and retirement planning. Practical applications clarify the complexities of financial decision-making.

The course also addresses financial scams awareness, exploring various types of scams including investment fraud, identity theft, and online schemes. Students learn to identify common red flags and protect themselves from fraudulent activities. Upon completing the course, students will be able to evaluate the monetary value of further education, assess prospective projects, invest in and value financial securities, and plan effectively for their future.

An introduction to the fundamental business concepts of problem solving, data analysis, and reporting, targeting mastery of these concepts via office suite applications. Strong focus on data analysis and problem solving with Microsoft Excel and creating robust business reports with Microsoft Word. Students build strong bases for — and critical thinking about — these tools so that use of AI is precise, useful, and cost effective. AI amplifies your skill, so we will make sure your skill is compounded in the right direction.

Beyond the fundamentals, this class develops agency borrowing from two characters: Rowan in the short story "Message to Garcia," and Winston Wolf in Pulp Fiction. Taken together, this class will make you the type of person who knows there are tasks that need to get done, and there isn't time to ask whether you are doing every detail right. There will be times where you just need to think it through, do it, defend it — and if there is feedback to do it differently, take it in and use it next time. Similarly, there is massive value in the person with a reputation for solving problems. Like Mr. Wolf, you handle issues with grace under pressure, with tact and precision, and become the type of person people call on.