The Classical Caveman | A Project of Andrew Elizalde © 2018
Great Books and Questions
In the spring of 2018, at the suggestion of my headmaster, I began a reading plan that will have me reading 210 selections from The Great Books of the Western World series. This ten-year plan is described in the appendix of a book titled The Great Conversation by Robert M. Hutchins. I am attempting to complete the plan in a span of five years by reading approximately 14 selections each trimester (fall, spring, summer). As I read through these selections I am collecting quotes and composing questions to discuss. Therefore this section of the website will grow as I move through the reading plan. I invite you to read along with me. You might even ask a few colleagues to do the same so that you can discuss the quotes and questions I am posing.
Consider Reading with your Colleagues
For each book that I read, I will post a corresponding blog post of prompts and questions (the same questions that can be accessed via the trimester headings below) for group discussion. The blog format allows teachers to respond online with their own answers and reflections. Teachers are encouraged to gather a group of colleagues to complete each reading together and post comments on the blog along with others in the Classical Caveman community. Click on the "BOOKS" category in the Classical Caveman blog and search works by title and author.
Works listed in blue text represent selections that I have read in their entirety. Click on a trimester heading below to view the corresponding discussion questions.
PLATO | APOLOGY
PLATO | CRITO
ARISTOPHANES | LYSISTRATA
ARISTOPHANES | THE CLOUDS
PLATO | THE REPUBLIC
ARISTOTLE | NICHOMACHEAN ETHICS
ARISTOTLE | POLITICS
PLUTARCH | THE LIVES OF THE NOBLE GRECIANS AND ROMANS
THE NEW TESTAMENT | MATTHEW
THE NEW TESTAMENT | ACTS
SAINT AUGUSTINE | THE CONFESSIONS
MACHIAVELLI | THE PRINCE
RABELAIS | GARGANTUA AND PANTAGRUEL
MONTAIGNE | ESSAYS
SHAKESPEARE | HAMLET
LOCKE | CONCERNING CIVIL GOVERNMENT (THE SECOND TREATISE)
ROUSSEAU | THE SOCIAL CONTRACT
GIBBON | THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (CH. 15-16)
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
THE FEDERALIST | NUMBERS 1-10, 15, 31, 47, 51, 68-71
SMITH | THE WEALTH OF NATIONS (INTRO - BOOK I, CH. 9)
TOCQUEVILLE | DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA (VOL I, PART II, CH. 6-8)
MARX-ENGELS | MANIFESTO OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
IBSEN | THE MASTER BUILDER
SCHRODINGER | WHAT IS LIFE?
HOMER | THE ILLIAD
AESCHYLUS | AGAMEMNON, THE LIBATION BEARERS, THE EUMENIDES
SOPHOCLES | OEDIPUS THE KING, ANTIGONE
HERODOTUS | THE HISTORY (BOOKS I-II)
PLATO | MENO
ARISTOTLE | ON POETICS
ARISTOTLE | NICOMACHEAN ETHICS
NICOMACHUS | INTRODUCTION TO ARITHMETIC
LUCRETIUS | THE WAY THINGS ARE (BOOKS I-IV)
MARCUS AURELIUS | THE MEDITATIONS
HOBBES | LEVIATHAN (PART I)
MILTON | AREOPAGITICA
PASCAL | PENSEES
PASCAL | TREATISE ON THE ARITHMETICAL TRIANGLE
SWIFT | GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
VOLTAIRE | CANDIDE
ROUSSEAU | A DISCOURSE ON THE ORIGIN OF INEQUALITY
KANT | FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF THE METAPHYSICS OF MORALS
MILL | ON LIBERTY
NIETZSCHE | BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL
WHITEHEAD | SCIENCE AND THE MODERN WORLD
AESCHYLUS | PROMETHEUS BOUND
HERODOTUS | THE HISTORY (BOOKS VII-IX)
THUCYDIDES | THE HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR (BOOKS I, II, V)
PLATO | STATESMAN
ARISTOTLE | ON INTERPRETATION
ARISTOTLE | POLITICS (BOOK III-V)
EUCLID | ELEMENTS (BOOK I)
TACITUS | THE ANNALS
ST THOMAS AQUINAS | SUMMA THEOLOGICA (PARTS I-II, QQ 90-97)
CHAUCER | TROILUS CRISEYDE
SHAKESPEARE | MACBETH
MILTON | PARADISE LOST
LOCKE | AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING (BOOK III, Ch. 1-3, 9-11)
KANT | THE SCIENCE OF RIGHT
MILL | REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT (CH. 1-6)
LAVOSIER | ELEMENTS OF CHEMISTRY (PART I)
TWAIN | ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
DOSTOEVSKY | THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (PARTS I-II)
FREUD | THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHO-ANALYSIS
LEVI-STRAUSS | STRUCTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY (SELECTIONS)
POINCARE | SCIENCE AND HYPOTHESIS (PARTS I-II)
EURIPIDES | THE MEDEA, HIPPOLYTUS, THE TROJAN WOMEN, THE BACCHAE
PLATO | THE REPUBLIC (BOOK VI-VII)
PLATO | THEAETETUS
ARISTOTLE | PHYSICS (BOOK IV, Ch. 1-5, 10-14)
ARISTOTLE | METAPHYSICS (BOOK I, Ch.1-2; BOOK IV; BOOK VI, Ch.1; BOOK XI, Ch.1-4)
ST AUGUSTINE | THE CONFESSIONS (BOOK IX-XIII)
ST THOMAS AQUINAS | SUMMA THEOLOGICA (PART I, QQ 16-17, 84-88)
CALVIN | INSTITUES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION (BOOK III)
MONTAIGNE | APOLOGY FOR RAYMOND SEBOND
GALILEO | TWO NEW SCIENCES (THIRD DAY, THROUGH SCHOLIUM OF THEOREM II)
BACON | NOVUM ORGANUM (PREFACE, BOOK I)
DESCARTES | DISCOURSE ON THE METHOD
NEWTON | PRINCIPIA (PREFACES, DEFINITIONS, AXIOMS, GENERAL SCHOLIUM)
LOCKE | AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING (BOOK II)
HUME | AN ENQUIRY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
KANT | THE CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON (PREFACES, INTRO, TRANSCENDENTAL AESTHETIC)
MELVILLE | MOBY DICK
DOSTOEVSKY | THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV (PARTS III-IV)
WILLIAM JAMES | THE PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY (Ch. XV, XX)
FRAZER | THE GOLDEN BOUGH (SELECTIONS)
HEISENBERG | PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY (Ch. 1-6)
PLATO | PHAEDO
ARISTOTLE | CATEGORIES
ARISTOTLE | ON THE SOUL (BOOKS II - III)
HIPPOCRATES | THE OATH; ON ANCIENT MEDICINE; ON AIRS, WATERS AND PLACES; THE BOOK OF PROGNOSTICS; OF THE EPIDEMICS; THE LAW; ON THE SACRED DISEASE
GALEN | ON THE NATURAL FACULTIES
VIRGIL | AENEID
PTOLEMY | THE ALMAGEST (BOOK I)
COPERNICUS | ON THE REVOLUTIONS OF THE HEAVENLY SPHERES (INTRO - BOOK I)
KEPLER | EPITOME OF COPERNICAN ASTRONOMY
PLOTINUS | SIXTH ENNEAD
ST THOMAS AQUINAS | SUMMA THEOLOGICA (PART I QQ 75-76, 78-79))
DANTE | THE DIVINE COMEDY (INFERNO)
HARVEY | ON THE MOTION OF THE HEART AND BLOOD
CERVANTES | DON QUIXOTE (PART I)
SPINOZA | ETHICS (PART II)
BERKELEY | THE PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
KANT | THE CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON (TRANSCENDENTAL ANALYTIC)
DARWIN | THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES (INTRO, CHAPTER 6, CHAPTER 15)
TOLSTOY | WAR AND PEACE (BOOKS I - VIII)
WILLIAM JAMES | THE PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY (CHAPTER XXVIII)
DEWEY | EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION
WADDINGTON | THE NATURE OF LIFE
ORWELL | ANIMAL FARM
OLD TESTAMENT | GENESIS, EXODUS, DEUTERONOMY
HOMER | THE ODYSSEY
PLATO | LAWS (BOOK X)
ARISTOTLE | METAPHYSICS (BOOK XII)
TACITUS | THE HISTORIES
PLOTINUS | FIFTH ENNEAD
SAINT AUGUSTINE | THE CITY OF GOD (BOOKS XV - XVIII)
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS | SUMMA THEOLOGICA (PART I, QQ 1-13)
DANTE | THE DIVINE COMEDY (PURGATORIO)
SHAKESPEARE | THE COMDEY OF ERRORS; THE TAMING OF THE SHREW; AS YOU LIKE IT; TWELFTH NIGHT
SPINOZA | ETHICS (PART I)
MILTON | SAMSON AGONISTES
PASCAL | THE PROVINCIAL LETTERS
LOCKE | AN ESSAY CONCERNING HUMAN UNDERSTANDING (BOOK IV)
GIBBON | THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (CHAPTERS 1-5, GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE IN THE WEST)
KANT | THE CRITIQUE OF PURE REASON (TRANSCENDENTAL DIALECTIC)
HEGEL | THE PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY (INTRODUCTION)
KIERKEGAARD | FEAR AND TREMBLING
TOLSTOY | WAR AND PEACE (BOOKS IX - XV, EPILOGUES)
HUIZINGA | THE WANING OF THE MIDDLE AGES (I - X)
SHAW | SAINT JOAN
OLD TESTAMENT | JOB, ISAIAH, AMOS
PLATO | SYMPOSIUM
PLATO | PHILEBUS
ARISTOTLE | NICOMACHEAN ETHICS (BOOKS VIII - X)
ARCHIMEDES | MEASUREMENT OF A CIRCLE; THE EQUILIBRIUM OF PLANES (BOOK I), THE SAND-RECKONER; ON FLOATING BODIES (BOOK I)
EPICTETUS | THE DISCOURSES
PLOTINUS | FIRST ENNEAD
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS | SUMMA THEOLOGICA (PART I-II, QQ 1-5)
DANTE | THE DIVINE COMEDY (PARADISO)
RABELAIS | GARGANTUA AND PANTAGRUEL (BOOKS III-IV)
SHAKESPEARE | JULIUS CAESAR; ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA; CORIOLANUS
GALILEO | TWO NEW SCIENCES (FIRST DAY)
SPINOZA | ETHICS (PART IV-V)
NEWTON | MATHEMATICAL PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL PHILOSOPHY (BOOK III, RULES)
NEWTON | OPTICS (BOOK I, PART I; BOOK III, QUERIES)
HUYGENS | TREATISE ON LIGHT
KANT | THE CRITIQUE OF PRACTICAL REASON
KANT | THE CRITIQUE OF JUDGMENT (CRITIQUE OF AESTHETIC JUDGMENT)
MILL | UTILITARIANISM
WEBER | ESSAYS IN SOCIOLOGY (PART III)
PROUST | SWANN IN LOVE
BRECTH | MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN
ARISTOPHANES | THE POET AND THE WOMEN; THE ASSEMBLYWOMEN, WEALTH
PLATO | GORGIAS
ARISTOTLE | NICOMACHEAN ETHICS (BOOK V)
ARISTOTLE | RHETORIC (BOOKS I-III)
SAINT AUGUSTINE | ON CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE / TEACHING
HOBBES | LEVIATHAN (PART II)
SHAKESPEARE | OTHELLO; KING LEAR
BACON | ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING (BOOKS I-II)
DESCARTES | MEDITATIONS ON FIRST PHILOSOPHY
SPINOZA | ETHICS (PART III)
LOCKE | A LETTER CONCERNING TOLERATION
ROUSSEAU | A DISCOURSE ON POLITICAL ECONOMY
ADAM SMITH | THE WEALTH OF NATIONS (BOOK II)
BOSWELL | THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON
MARX | CAPITAL (PREFACES, PART I-II)
GOETHE | FAUST (PART I)
WILLIAM JAMES | THE PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY (CHAPTERS VIII-X)
BARTH | THE WORD OF GOD AND THE WORD OF MAN (I-IV)
BERGSON | AN INTRODUCTION TO METAPHYSICS
HARDY | A MATHEMATICIAN'S APOLOGY
KAFKA | THE METAMORPHOSIS
PLATO | SOPHIST
THUCYDIDES | THE HISTORY OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR (BOOKS VII-VIII)
ARISTOTLE | POLITICS (BOOKS VII-VIII)
NEW TESTAMENT | JOHN, ROMANS, 1 CORINTHIANS)
SAINT AUGUSTINE | THE CITY OF GOD (BOOKS V, XIX)
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS | SUMMA THEOLOGICA (PART II - II, QQ 1-7)
GILBERT | ON THE LOADSTONE
DESCARTES | RULES FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND
DESCARTES | GEOMETRY
PASCAL | THE GREAT EXPERIMENT CONCERNING THE EQUILIBRIUM OF FLUIDS; ON GEOMETRICAL DEMONSTRATION
MOLIERE | TARTUFFE
MONTESQUIEU | THE SPIRIT OF LAWS (BOOKS I - V, VIII, XI - XII)
FARADAY | EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCHES IN ELECTRICITY (SERIES I - II); A SPECULATION TOUCHING ELECTRIC CONDUCTION AND THE NATURE OF MATTER)
HEGEL | THE PHILOSOPHY OF RIGHT (PART III)
AUSTEN | EMMA
MARX | CAPITAL (PART III - IV)
FREUD | CIVILIZATION AND ITS DISCONTENTS
PLANCK | SCIENTIFIC AUTOBIOGRAPHY
VEBLEN | THE THEORY OF THE LEISURE CLASS
JOYCE | A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN
HEMINGWAY | THE SHORT HAPPY LIFE OF FRANCIS MACOMBER
SOPHOCLES | AJAX; ELECTRA
PLATO | TIMAEUS
ARISTOTLE | ON THE PARTS OF ANIMALS (BOOKS I - II); ON THE GENERATION OF ANIMALS (BOOK I, CHAPTERS 1, 17-18, 20-23)
LUCRETIUS | THE WAY THINGS ARE (BOOKS V - VI)
VIRGIL | THE ECLOGUES; THE GEORGICS
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS | SUMMA THEOLOGICA (PART I, QQ 65-74, 90-102)
CHAUCER | CANTERBURY TALES
ERASMUS | PRAISE OF FOLLY
SHAKESPEARE | THE TRAGEDY OF KING RICHARD II; THE FIRST PART OF KING HENRY IV; THE SECOND PART OF KING HENRY IV; THE LIFE OF KING HENRY V
HARVEY | ON THE GENERATION OF ANIMALS (INTRO - EXERCISE 62)
CERVANTES | DON QUIXOTE (PART II)
KANT | THE CRITIQUE OF JUDGMENT (CRITIQUE OF TELEOLOGICAL JUDGMENT)
GOETHE | FAUST (PART II)
DARWIN | THE DESCENT OF MAN (PART I; PART III, CHAPTER 21)
MARX | CAPITAL (PART VII - VIII)
WILLIAM JAMES | THE PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY (CHAPTERS I, V - VII)
FREUD | A GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOO-ANALYSIS
HUIZINGA | THE WANING OF THE MIDDLE AGES (XI - XXIII)
EDDINGTON | THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
T. S. ELIOT | THE WASTE LAND