Hillsdale CollegeOnline Courses

The Greeks transformed mathematics by moving from trial and error to abstract reasoning. This turn in mathematics is best represented by Euclid’s Elements, which stands as one of the central texts of Western civilization. This course examines the fundamentals of logic and deductive reasoning, the axiomatic system of Euclid, and the development of non-Euclidean geometry.

In 1776, America was founded on the principle that “all men are created equal.” This course examines the Founders’ understanding of equality, natural rights, and civil rights; the quest for justice in America through the Civil War, during Reconstruction, and in the 20th century; and the danger posed to freedom and civil rights today by identity politics.

This course explores the history of America as a land of hope founded on high principles. In presenting the great triumphs and achievements of our nation’s past, as well as the shortcomings and failures, it offers a broad and unbiased study of the kind essential to the cultivation of intelligent patriotism.

The Constitution established a limited government, but a government with sufficient powers to protect Americans’ God-given rights to “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” This course examines the design and purpose of the Constitution, the challenges it faced during the Civil War, how it has been undermined for over a century by progressivism and post-1960s liberalism, and how limited government under the Constitution might be revived.