Basic Program of Liberal Education at the University of Chicago

08/24/2025

Some vacationers pine for naps on a beach, or thrill to ever-expanding hotel amenities. For Don Phillips, excitement about coming travel ramps up when he receives the reading list.

“It’s nerdy, I admit it,” says the 63-year-old Phillips.

In recent years, Phillips has traveled to England’s University of Oxford to study Dickens and Celtic literature, and to Athens and Thessaloniki to study classic Greek texts. He is currently diving into the works of James Joyce in preparation for a weeklong Joyce course in Dublin.

Modern tourism with its crowds and commercialism can be a turnoff for some travelers—enter scholarly travel courses.

Here is a sampling of programs that offer travel for the academically curious: https://on.wsj.com/41QmaKJ

05/13/2025

Hello Basic Program community! We’d love to stay connected with you. To keep up with our latest news and updates, please follow us on the Graham School’s social media page: https://www.facebook.com/grahamschool. Thank you!

03/27/2025

Join us this Saturday, March 29th at 3:00PM for a discussion with Ada Palmer on "Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age" out from University of Chicago Press. She will be joined in conversation by Gary K. Wolfe.

RSVP Here: https://tinyurl.com/4mayxfdh

01/24/2025

Save the Date!
The Trial of Themistocles
The NHM Trial Series Returns
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
At the Harris Theater,
205 East Randolph, Chicago, IL 60601

Themistocles was one of Athens’ most celebrated citizens: a visionary leader, architect of Athenian naval supremacy, and hero of Salamis. But he was also accused of betraying Athens to its greatest rival Persia. Now the National Hellenic Museum Trial Series asks:

Hero or traitor? You decide.

Sponsorship Opportunities and Tickets Coming Soon.

05/11/2024

𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗕𝗦!

We extend our heartfelt thanks to PBS for conducting the insightful interview about this captivating production. Tune in tonight to witness this extraordinary event unfold!

The Trial of Socrates delves into the life of the renowned philosopher, exploring his legacy and impact on Western philosophy. This thought-provoking production features acclaimed actor John Kapelos in the role of Socrates.

Join us as we delve into ancient Greek history and philosophy, examining the enduring relevance of Socrates' teachings.

Date: Friday, May 10, 2024
Time: 9:00 pm
Channel: Lakeshore PBS

For more information and to view Lakeshore PBS' full schedule, visit their website: https://www.lakeshorepublicmedia.org/

04/25/2024

"We can find wisdom, peace, contentment, quality – which is the key word – quality of life. It's all right here now, if we better understand ourselves and the world around us.”

Adam Rose, instructor at the UChicago Graham School, was recently quoted in USA Today’s article on 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.' Intrigued? Dive deeper by taking his course on Pirsig this summer at Graham.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/04/11/zen-and-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance-robert-pirsig-bike-museum/72836292007/

04/09/2024

03/28/2024

For Press Contact 205 E. Randolph Chicago, IL, 60601 Box Office: 312.334.7777 [email protected] Non-Performance Days Monday – Friday: Noon to 5PM Saturday – Sunday: Closed Performance Days Monday – Friday: Noon to Curtain Saturday – Sunday: Two hours prior to performance until Cu...

03/09/2024

What a new life stage can teach the rest of us about how to find meaning and purpose—before it’s too late

02/07/2024

Amazing news about reading papyri from Herculaneum!

Nature - Researchers used artificial intelligence to decipher the text of 2,000-year-old charred papyrus scripts, revealing musings on music and capers.

01/09/2024

Come discuss with Basic Program Instructor Stephen Walker at Kibbitznest!