Great Books Tutorial

"Fritz Hinrichs is very knowledgeable in the great texts of our intellectual history. He loves to teach them and has an infectious delight in the material as well as a mature Christian viewpoint of them. "
John Frame
Professor- Reformed Theological Seminary

"In the Great Books Tutorial, our son has been given a basis for looking at Western thought through Biblical spectacles. The enthusiasm and expertise which ETS offers is unsurpassed."
Dr. and Mrs. Jim Newheiser, Jr.
Pastor- Grace Bible Church

"I've been looking for something like this for years! Fritz Hinrichs' Great Books Tutorial is giving our teenaged sons a great start on the intellectual life. Reading and discussing truly great books (as opposed to faddish lists of "modern classics") is not only great preparation for college, but for life itself. An excellent teacher and excellent, uplifting content -- what more could you ask? I highly recommend this course to every homeschool family"
Mary Pride
Editor- Practical Homeschooling Magazine

"Fritz Hinrichs offers a remarkable opportunity to homeschoolers, that being the tutorial relationship as the means for the study of the great works of Western Civilization. Drawing on his undergraduate background in the Classics and his seminary training in theology and apologetics, he carefully guides his students through the readings to an understanding of the interplay between the Christian and non-Christian ideas that have molded the thinking of our culture. It has been immensely rewarding to me as a parent to see my childrens' minds kindled with interest as they are drawn into dialogue with their tutor and fellow students. This is learning at its best!
Margaret Ahern
Mother of three GBT students

Common Questions on the Great Books Tutorial

At what age should my child enter the Great Books Tutorial?
This is a common question but it does not have an easy answer. GBT is oriented towards students between 13 and 20. If a student is planning to go to a four year college immediately after high school, it would be good to complete the five your sequence before graduating from high school. However, to begin so young requires a very good reader. Many students start later knowing that they will be spending a couple of years in community college and are able to continue in GBT while in community college. Some college students have even been able to get credit for GBT by applying for directed study credits through their college.

I encourage students to augment their time in GBT by taking courses such as Shakespeare, Greek and Euclid that deepen their understanding of the conversation of ideas contained in the Great Books. This deepened understanding allows them to participate in our discussions at a more college level. I require my GBT students to finish Euclid by the end of GBT II. I encourage them to take Shakespeare along with GBT IV. I also encourage Greek during GBT I or II.

I recommend that parents who are considering GBT purchase some of the books we read and see for themselves whether their student's reading abilities are adequate for the readings required. Students may not begin before they are 12 years old.

How can I prepare my child for the Great Books Tutorial?
I recommend the Famous Men of Greece series from Greenleaf Press, as well as the D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths (Ingrid and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire; Published by Delacorte Press; ISBN 0-385-01583-6 Trade, ISBN 0-385-15787-8 Paperback). Of course, whatever study in Greek and Latin you can manage will be a great aid. The vocabulary required in the readings really stretches most readers and their vocabulary acquisition will greatly enhanced if they are able to draw on the the etymological skills that the study of the ancient language provides. If you will not study both Greek and Latin, I would recommend that you study Greek.

It is sad that Greek always seems to be seen as that "other" classical language. Studying both Greek and Latin is the ideal of course; however, if you must study only one, I would recommend that you make that language Greek. The advantages I see are the following; 1) Greek is the language of the New Testament, 2) Greek study provides the same advantages to vocabulary acquisition as Latin and, 3) the great classical works that demand close linguistic study are more often Greek than Roman. Let me state once again though, for the classicist, there is only one right answer to the question, "How many languages should I learn?" It is "more."

Does Mr. Hinrichs ever miss class?
Yes. Of the 35 weeks in the year, I miss 4 on average. Reasons for missing are typically: birth of a child, leading a Europe trip, jury service and illness. I will attempt to arrange a substitute when absent, however, if this is not possible, the student may need to listen to the class recording that week or work on his own. There will not be any pro-rated refund of tuition for missed tutorials; however, I will endeavor to keep absences to a minimum.

Does Mr. Hinrichs grade all papers?
Yes, except for the GBTI papers. Sometimes these paper graded by Mrs. Cindy Marsch, who specializes in guiding students in basic writing skills, grades most of those papers. You can learn more about her at: http://writingassessment.com

Why must students take the five years in sequence and why is the study of Euclid's Elements required?

The great books are read chronologically because authors tend to reference authors in the past rather than the future. Literary fame and influence have rarely been bestowed upon writers who have not yet existed. Seriously... important themes are developed and deepened through time as various authors touch upon them from differing perspectives. In order to understand this conversation, we need to follow it in the historical progress in which it developed. Thus, students are not allowed to take any of the years of GBT without completing all of the previous years' tutorials.

The conversation of western history is not limited to just literature, but involves mathematics, science, philosophy, literature, theology and many other fields. In order to grasp this development, it would be best to study mathematics and science in a historical fashion along with the great books as is done at St. John's College. However, fitting this into a high school curriculum is perhaps even beyond the capabilities of a home-school mother. Yet, a good understanding of western literature cannot be had without at least reading the Homer of mathematics- Euclid. Thus, my students must study Euclid's Elements before completing GBT II.

After going through the Great Books Tutorial is college necessary?
This is a difficult question. Certainly their are certain prudential considerations that push one towards getting a degree; however, prospective GBT students should be warned that after going through the tutorial some college classes may seem a little rudimentary.

Does Mr. Hinrichs confront plagiarism?
Gladly! Please see http://www.sparknotes.com/help/plagiarism.html for helpful guidelines to help you diagnose this particular malady. Plagiarism is best understood with the following analogy; adultery/marriage = plagiarism/writing.

Can students start the tutorial in any year?
No. In odd years, GBT I, III & V are available. In even years, GBT II & IV are available as well as Shakespeare and Greek. Thus, students are only able to start the tutorial in odd years. If you would like to start in a even year, please see one of our affiliated tutorial services- http://www.gbt.org/tut.html

What recommendations do you have for the study of math and science for a Great Books student?
I do not often get this question, but I wish I did, so here is my answer.

The Great Books tutorial provides a very fine survey of the ideas that have shaped our culture in philosophy, literature, theology and political science. One of the great advantages of the Great Books approach is that we attempt to understand all these fields by seeing how they developed in relation to one another as we read through the great texts chronologically. However, there is a conspicuous absence in that we do not substantially address the connections between science and mathematics and the other fields. There are many connections with the history of science and mathematics that help to make the issues discussed in philosophy, literature, theology and political science more understandable and meaningful.

I have always wished that I could teach the history of science and mathematics in conjunction with the Great Books tutorial to bring out these connections in more detail; however, a serious lack of discipline on my part dissuades me from that path. St. John's College has a program wherein one spends four years going through the great books of mathematics and science to experience this story firsthand. However, for those with less Olympian-sized budgets, I recommend the lectures in mathematics and science provided by The Teaching Company- History of Science: Antiquity to 1700 and History of Science: 1700-1900. The videos are fairly expensive- the sets usually list around $350 a piece, however, they often go on sale for around $70 and if you are Ebay savvy you can find them at further discount there. If you do not want to purchase them on Ebay, contact www.teach12.com so that you can get their catalog and watch for them to go on sale. If you are a local student and would like to borrow my copies, please contact me.

Part 1 of History of Science: Antiquity to 1700 begins with the Babylonian and Egyptians, but focuses primarily on the contributions of the Greeks. In order to provide context to the overview of Greek science, Dr. Principe provides a wonderful survey of the main themes of Greek philosophy. Parts 2 and 3 cover science in the Christian West during the Middle Ages, the substantial contributions of the Islamic scholars, the rise of Scholasticism, the Copernican Revolution, Isaac Newton and the rise of chemistry. History of Science: 1700-1900 continues the story by discussing the rise of science in the Enlightenment and modern age. You can see full details on the topics covered at History of Science: Antiquity to 1700 and History of Science: 1700-1900. These lectures work particularly well with GBT as they continually discuss how theology and philosophy effect and are effected by the development of science. This perspective encourages students who tend to think of learning as simply mastering distinct subjects to consider how everything they are learning is simply working towards a human understanding of the world- what we might simply call wisdom.

I do not know if the professors are Christians, but they should be understood as descriptive historians and not prescriptive polemicists. They do discuss the relation of Christianity to many scientific issues, but often it is not in order to promote a particular understanding of how faith and science should relate, but most often simply to survey the various approaches that have been given throughout history.

The best schedule for integrating the lectures with GBT would be the following. Keep in mind that each of the parts listed contains twelve thirty-minute lectures.

GBT I History of Science: Antiquity to 1700 Part 1
GBT II History of Science: Antiquity to 1700 Part 2
GBT III History of Science: Antiquity to 1700 Part 3
GBT IV History of Science: 1700-1900 Part 1&2
GBT V History of Science: 1700-1900 Part 3

The Teaching Company also has a set of lectures on the history of mathematics which covers much of the same material as the history of science set does, however, with much more mathematical detail that students who have studied Pre-Calculus will be able to appreciate- A History of Mathematics. I also recommend their set Great Authors of the Western Literary Tradition, 2nd Edition for those who would like to have further commentary on their Great Books readings. I also recommend; Joy of Science, Joy of Mathematics, Dutch Masters: The Age of Rembrandt, Classical Mythology, Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, The Aeneid of Virgil, and Herodotus: The Father of History

How would I fit the Great Books Tutorial into a traditional high school curriculum?
One of the advantages of the GBT is that it does not compartmentalize knowledge by breaking it down into a myriad of subjects. I heartily agree with C.S.Lewis when he said, "We ought to teach far fewer subjects and all of them much better." GBT draws together subject matter from History, Philosophy, Theology, Literature and Political Science. All of these subjects are presented as they worked themselves out in our culture's development- as a complex battle of ideas.

To see how to structure a curriculum around the Great Books Tutorial, please see our curriculum guide.

Each year could be broken down into traditional subjects in the following manner.

	*Monday*	*Tuesday*	*Wednesday*	*Thursday*	*Friday*
*8:00-10:00*	*Geometry*	*Geometry*	*GBT II*	Shakespeare (free)	GBT II Local Only
*10:00-12:00*	*Geometry*	*GBT II*	GBT IV	Classical Greek (free)	GBT IV Local Only

	*Monday*	*Tuesday*	*Wednesday*	*Thursday*	*Friday*
*8:00-10:00*	*Geometry*	Classical Greek II (free)	*GBT III*	*GBT I*	GBT I Local Only
*10:00-12:00*	GBT I	GBT III Unconfirmed	GBT V Local/Online	GBT I Local Only	GBT III Local Only

Great Books Tutorial

First Year Great Books Tutorial Reading List

GBT I Paper guides

GBT I weekly questions

All evaluations will be written by June 7. All work to be considered must be turned in by that time.

Specific editions used.

Second year Great Books Tutorial reading list

Papers

GBT II weekly questions These questions are to be done for your own preparation, but are not to be handed in.

All work to be considered must be turned in within one week of the due date.

Specific editions used.

GBT III weekly questions

Specific editions used.

GBT IV weekly questions

Specific editions used.

Specific editions used.

Good Words about the Great Books Tutorial

Common Questions on the Great Books Tutorial

Great Books Tutorial I

Great Books Tutorial II

Great Books Tutorial III

Great Books Tutorial IV

Great Books Tutorial V