The Good Life
Aristotle wrote the Nichomachean Ethics for his father and his son. This text thus intends to bring together the generations for the theoretical inspection of the praxis of the good life.
Indeed how theoria and praxis relate is the main question of this foundational work.
The Nicomachean Ethics is at once the foundational text of European ethics as well as a guide to the good life that holds true for us today still.
In fact, Aristotle's question here is whether the Platonic "Idea of the Good" is not too abstract, too removed from life and praxis and whether and how we can ground the theoretical in the practical by leading a good life.
"Nothing that belongs to happiness can be incomplete"
Ethics With Virtue
Reading the Nicomachean Ethics, this most fundamental text, invites us to return to the grounding of Ethics with Virtue, which was gutted by the Enlightenment.
While we will refrain from simply reading into Aristotle modern versions of "virtue ethics", we will consider what arete, the Greek word for "virtue" really entails and how new translations of the word can help to open us up to the dimension of ethos, the very grounding of the human being and thus his essence.
Therefore, learning how to think like a Greek and also gaining some understanding of the Ancient Greek language is one of the main focuses of this course.
We wish to get a sense of what Greek philosophy and thinking genuinely entail.
For ethos means first and foremost the dwelling ground which supports the human being and is thus his essence.
The trouble with so-called "Virtue Ethics" is precisely that it shies away from the divine which is fundamental however to Aristotle's eudaimonia and the good life. Without divine nous we cannot achieve the highest life.
Course Overview
Week 1: How to think like a Greek and pivotal Ancient Greek words: arete, scholé, ethos, phronesis, nous.
Week 2: Aristotle and the Question of the Good (Book I)
Week 3: Virtue, Character, and The Mean (Book II)
Week 4: Proairesis, how to make a good choice (Book III)
Week 5: What is justice for Aristotle? (Book V)
Week 6: Phronesis, practical insight and theory combined (Book VI)
Week 7: Akrasia, what happens when we are unrestraint? (Book VII)
Week 8: How can we be a good friend? (Book VIII & IX)
Week 9: Leisure and the Good Life (Book X)
Week 10: Symposium — Student Presentations (only for students enrolled in group seminars, enrolment now closed for 2024)
In this course we will ask:
What does it mean to lead a good life?
How can we reach eudaimonia?
How can we find real friendship and actively be good friends?
Who could you be if you realised your essential nature and full potential?
How can we be good?
What is the relationship between theoria and praxis?
How does the good life relate to leisure?
How can you form and edge your character so that you are as well as act good?
How can you be courageous but nor reckless?
What can virtue ethics teach after the Enlightenment?
How can this text invite us to learn to think like a Greek?
How does the good life and the divine belong together?
The Spirit of Athens
I spared no expenses for this course. I travelled to Athens and recorded all lectures with a view of the Acropolis and on the ground at Aristotle's Lyceum as well as in the Ancient Agora of Athens.
I breathed in the genius loci, the spirit of Athens, as I was reading and recording my lectures for this course.
I invite you to join me
What our students say
Dr. James Simpkin
“I want to get across what the impact of studying these great thinkers via your courses has been. It's beyond instrumentalism and certainly beyond self-help. It's more a change in mental outlook which then changes the way one lives. For example, my outlook towards work has changed a lot. I am now much more about seeing work as right livelihood and trying to reserve my energy for the enjoyable creative projects I'm engaged with.” –
Nathan McCullough
"Johannes is an excellent teacher, in the best sense of the word. And the Halkyon Academy is what university once was. Regardless if you are a Ph.D student or just a lover of wisdom with no formal academic training this is the place to come and explore important thinkers and ideals that are relevant today!
Halkyon is a wonderful mixture of lecture, self-study, and productive dialogue that results in an environment of personal growth and mature philosophical thinking. I have enrolled in 5 courses so far and they have reignited the passion for philosophical discourse and study that I had as a master's student - present to the transformational power of genuine philosophical inquriy.
In a world of internet "Gurus" Johannes is a real teacher with an actual Ph.D. and a book published on Heidegger and Death. He is a humble, careful thinker, who is not afraid to challenge your thoughts with a twist of wit and generosity. I have found a philosophical home again. Thanks, Johannes, and to all the other Halkyon members on the path. It has been a joy, and I look forward to more to come!"
~ founder of Rising Phoenix Wellness
Melanie Dunne
"I have had the pleasure of partaking in 3 of Johannes' courses to date. Having an MA in Contemporary European Philosophy, the Halkyon Guild courses enrich my own philosophical journey immensely because of both the fascinating content and delivery styles. Firstly, the information is giving in a number of ways, written, audio and video lectures before the course commencement. Lectures offer an opportunity to discuss the philosophies and this really helps to broaden concepts and lines of inquiry. Halkyon Guild courses encourage my own creative exploration in my writing. At the end of each course there is an opportunity to present your philosophical ideas and musings in a short and varied format. Secondly, Halkyon Guild’s online forum is a place to further engage in dialogue on course materials, to read the work presented by other participants, or to present a longer version of your working ideas.
I find the encouragement here is fantastic and makes being a modern day philosopher a joy.
The platform, content, and delivery of each course has fulfilled my learning styles and I am confident in the knowledge I am acquiring.
I look forward to attending more courses in the near future." —
Jack Krasuski, MD
"Why study philosophy? To learn the complex systems of thought of the world’s great thinkers and to learn how to think more precisely, deeply, and creatively.
And the way to learn well is by reading the primary texts and secondary literature, developing a writing praxis to reflect upon and create from what has been learned, having a teacher who himself has thought and written deeply, and participating in a community of peers who taking the learning as seriously as you do.
With this in mind, I’m here to say – testify – that Johannes Niederhauser Ph.D is the real deal.
Since the internet is an unregulated marketplace, it offers thinkers who are but a step or two ahead of you but who pretend to levels of understandings they have not yet achieved.
Johannes has the depth of thought crucial to avoiding philosophical missteps and misunderstandings as evidenced by his years of teaching at university and writing a careful and creative treatise on Heideggerian thought.
The community that Johannes has built, the Halkyon Guild, is a community I have become part of and cherish. I am now taking my fourth course at the Halkyon Guild and I have loved them all. I am grateful to Johannes for building what he has built and for the courses he offers, and I encourage you to join us."
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Curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Do I need to know Ancient Greek?
A: Not all. But you will walk away from this course knowing some key terms but most importantly understanding Greek thinking in a way rarely taught anywhere.
Q: Do you have a reading list or pre-requisites for the course?
A: There are no pre-requisites to join the course. Since 2020 we’ve had students who had already read a lot on their own and others who came with almost no or really no background knowledge at all. And in our experience this only results in even more engaging discussions because coming innocently, as it were, allows for a particular openness which benefits all involved, also those who may have been studying philosophy for years - and that includes me personally, too!
Q: Will we read "Secondary Literature"?
A: No. Our approach is a different one than standard modern day Academia. We only read the original text and we will especially attempt to translate the text in such a way that we draw out meaning from it hitherto concealed. If you want to read secondary literature, you should enrol at a university.
Q: I won't have time for the seminars. Can I study on my own time?
A: Yes, indeed. If you choose the first tier you get access to all course materials (lectures in audio and video format) and you can follow along at your own pace. Be that 3 weeks or 6 months or more. But if you can make it to at least 3 seminars, then you should join us.
Q: Will you record the seminars?
A: Yes, we record all seminars and make them available for the group indefinitely.
Q: "Will I have access to the course materials after the course?"
A: Yes. In fact, you will not only have access to the course materials as they are now but by enrolling once you also gain access to any future edits and additions to the course.
Q: "What are the seminars like?"
A: As one of our students has put it: "The seminars are all that university should have been, but wasn't." We meet as a group of peers in a trusting and open environment to discuss and experiment with the readings and with the thoughts and ideas that emerge during the course. The idea is not to turn you into "Aristotle scholars" (whatever that's supposed to be) but to liberate you to your own way of thinking — a path only you can walk.
Q: Are your courses accredited?
A: No. We intentionally do not seek accreditation because we believe that hunting for "credit points" is one of the root causes of the desertification of the modern university. Education and especially higher Bildung is not at all about examination and test results or credit points or degree levels, but rather about opening within you the possibility of your own becoming-human.
Q: "I have my own writing/creative project involving Heidegger. What would you recommend?"
A: If you are serious about your writing project or similar creative endeavour, I would recommend you sign up for the highest tier which includes private 1-1 tutorials with me. We can read Aristotle together and I will also provide you with comments on up to three essays you are working on during this time.
Your Teacher:
Dr. Johannes A. Niederhauser
Johannes is founder and spiritus rector of Halkyon Guild & Academy. After more than five years as a teacher of philosophy at UK universities he decided to embark on a new journey at the frontier of digital learning and teaching.
At the heart of Johannes' contributions stands the Halkyon Philosophy Academy, an institution he has founded to embody and promote the classical Bildungs-ideal— where we aspire to sculpt and cultivate the soul, spirit, and character in the crucible of thought and dialogue. This pursuit aligns harmoniously with his teaching of philosophy, fostering an environment wherein intellectual life is not merely studied but authentically lived and passionately shared with his students.
His research and thinking is devoted to deep memory and delivering over that memory into the future. He has been reading Greek philosophy for more than two decades in the original Greek.
Photo by Adam Toth
