Phronēsis, the Honors Minor and Program in Politics & Ethics, aims to cultivate practical intelligence. Students in this program develop their capacities to engage difficult moral and political issues confronting our world today. The name of the Minor is derived from the ancient Greek word for prudence, or practical wisdom (phronēsis). Aristotle defined this virtue as the distinctive characteristic of political leaders and citizens in reflecting on the ethical and political issues that affect their individual good and the common good. 

Building upon the Honors College’s signature course, “The Human Situation,” the curriculum of Phronēsis introduces students to major works in philosophy, ethics, political theory, classics, and intellectual history. In their courses, students discuss fundamental questions and problems of political and moral concern from a wide range of perspectives. Students who choose the Phronēsis Minor participate in an intellectually rigorous and strong community fostered by interdisciplinary faculty and are encouraged to consider the importance of cultivating practical wisdom in order to grapple with contemporary ethical and political problems. 

Phronēsis also hosts an array of co-curricular events each semester for students in the Program, such as seminar discussions, panels on contemporary issues, student and faculty research presentations, and guest lectures by national scholars. In our Great Books seminar series, we pursue conversations outside of the classroom with student-led discussions of selected readings from classic texts in ethics, literature, and political philosophy.

While anchored firmly in ancient and American traditions of civic prudence and constitutionalism, Phronēsis also offers students in the Minor the opportunity to engaged in the study of the foundational principles and free institutions which sustain our democratic republic. The Lyceum Curriculum, in particular, dedicated to the perpetuation of our political order, deepens an understanding of how civic virtue and prudent leadership uphold constitutional government. 

Through this focus upon politics, ethics, and civic education, Phronēsis cultivates informed and thoughtful citizens who, knowing both their rights and their duties, are equipped to contribute meaningfully to their community - beginning with the Honors College, which strives to educate agile thinkers, life-long learners, ethical leaders, and engaged citizens.