Description and Objectives

“It’s not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves.” –Sir Edmund Hillary

According to Kevin Majeres, Harvard professor and founder of Optimal Work,  human flourishing is an ongoing process of growing in self mastery, which is the ability to shape yourself according to your ideals in any situation.

This course is designed to help students identify those ideals and to encourage them to match their actions accordingly. In this class we will combine scientific inquiry with growth in virtue through the study of OptimalWork, Aristotle’s Classical Virtue Theory, and Neuroscience. We will identify areas that are integral to flourishing in order to facilitate growth toward honorable manhood.

Students will receive college credit upon successful completion of this course, through Catholic University’s dual enrollment program.

The year will be divided thematically as follows:  

• Man and Sacrifice
• Man and Work/Study/Exercise 
• Man and Prayer
• Man and Vocation
• Man and Politics
• Man and Technology
• Man and Friendship

Additionally, boys will be able to meet and interact with professionals in various fields who will speak to the topics covered.

 

Textbooks

Texts that will be studied include:

• Fearless by Eric Blehm
• The Meaning of Your Life by Arthur Brooks
• So Good they Cant Ignore You, Slow Productivity, How To Become a High School Superstar by Cal Newport
• Excerpts from Super Habits by Andrew Abela
• Excerpts from Love and Responsibility and Jeweler’s Shop  by Karol Wojtila
• Pure Manhood by Jason Evret
• Excerpts from Irresistible by Adam Alter
• How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
• The Apostolate of Courtesy by Robert Greving
• Never Finished by David Goggins
  
  

Course Requirements

Final grade will be based on reading checks, quizzes, in-class writing assignments, seminar discussions, presentations, tests, mid-term and final exams.

Successful Students

To get the most out of this course, come to class having completed the required reading, be ready to present engaging questions/passages, and put to practice the ideas and concepts that we will be covering during the year.