The Great Books of the Western Canon are a spring of wisdom which constantly pours forth to those who seek to drink. And reading them is suddenly cool again.

From Aristotle to Shakespeare, Plato to Chaucer, and Homer to Augustine, these are the thinkers who built society and teach us even now. 

Want to take a train to the education station? Are you a homeschooling mom putting together a curriculum? Do you want to be a manlier man? You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a fancy degree. Simply open your browser and dive into these four free online resources for great books!

Hillsdale: Great Books 101 and 102

A beloved institution of higher learning, Hillsdale college was founded in 1844 and has been teaching its students the truth ever since. Not only that, but Hillsdale provides a multitude of online courses for everyone! Two of these, Great Books 101 and 102 provide a roadmap through some of the most beloved books in the western canon. Great Books 101 takes you from the Ancient to Medieval World, while Great Books 102 spans from the Renaissance to the Modern period. Sign up for your free courses now!

Ascend: The Great Books Podcast

Want to dive into the great epics but scared of doing it alone? Check out the Ascend podcast! This site provides podcasts, videos, and written guides which are meant to help you through some of the greatest works of the canon. With weekly podcasts and a large backlog to work through, you can discover the glories of Dante’s Inferno, Homer’s The Odyssey, Oedipus Rex, Antigone and so much more! Read along with Deacon Harrison Garlick and his series of guests as they unpack the Western canon for all to hear and enjoy! Click here to learn more! 

History of Philosophy Podcast

A major aspect of the great books? Philosophy. Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Plotinus, Origen, and more… all of these thinkers add something significant to the development of philosophy and thought in the Western world. Yet many of these works are dense and confusing. Enter, the History of Philosophy: Without Any Gaps. This podcast consists of twenty minute episodes on the development of Western and Eastern philosophy from Thales to Descartes. What did Aristotle believe about the soul? How does Descartes fit in? Learn all this and more from this extensive podcast!

Oxford Podcasts 

Who knows more about British literature than the British themselves? The Oxford University podcast provides many interesting lecture series, several of the great books. One series focuses on Chaucer, another on almost all of the works of Shakespeare. With a few books, you can have your own class schedule and learn from the best and brightest at one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Click here to explore what Oxford has to offer!