Santa Fe Sophomore Seminar Readings

Below is the schedule of sophomore seminar readings for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters. Also see

Sophomore Seminar Readings Fall 2023

This list may be subject to change. Please always check with tutors or cross-reference with the paper reading list distributed by the dean’s office.

Sophomore Seminar Readings for Fall 2023
Date Reading
August 24 Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 1–11
August 28 Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 12–23
August 31 Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 24–50
September 4 Hebrew Bible, Exodus
September 7 Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy
September 11 Hebrew Bible, I Samuel 8–31; II Samuel; I Kings, 1–2;
II Chronicles, last chapter only
September 14 Hebrew Bible,
Psalms 8, 14, 19, 22, 23, 38, 39, 46, 51, 90, 91, 107, 110, 130, 137, 139
(as numbered in RSV/Jerusalem editions; other editions cross-check for correct selection)
September 18 Hebrew Bible, Jeremiah 1, 26–45; Jonah
September 21 Hebrew Bible, Job
September 25 Livy, The Early History of Rome (Penguin Classics); sections 1–2.33
September 28 Plutarch, Lives, Alexander (first paragraph), Cato the Younger, and Caesar
October 2 Plutarch, Lives, Antony and Brutus
October 5 Virgil, Aeneid, Books 1–4
October 9 Virgil, Aeneid, Books 5–8
October 12 Virgil, Aeneid, Books 9–12
October 16 Tacitus, Annals, I–II
October 19 Tacitus, Annals, III–VI
October 23 Epictetus, Discourses, Book I, Chapters 1, 2, 11, 16, 17, 18, 24;
Book II, Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 8
October 26 New Testament, Matthew
October 30 New Testament, John (Gospel); I John (Epistle)
November 2 New Testament, Acts
November 6 New Testament, Romans
November 9 New Testament, I Corinthians
November 13 Aristotle, On the Soul, II, 1–7, 11–12
November 16 Aristotle, On the Soul, III, 3–13; I, 4, 408a29–b30
November 20 Plotinus, Enneads
The Essential Plotinus (O’Brien), “Beauty” (I,6) pp. 33–43;
“Three Primal Hypostases” (V,1) pp. 90–104;
“Contemplation” (III,8) pp. 162–175
November 27 Augustine, Confessions, 1–6
November 30 Augustine, Confessions, 7–9
December 4 Augustine, Confessions, 10–11
December 7 Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed
Part I, Epistle Dedicatory, Introduction, Ch. 50 (pp. 3–20 of the Pines translation, University of Chicago Press, Volume I - photocopy);
Part II, Chs. 13–19, 23, 25
December 11 Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed, Part II, Chs. 32–40, 46–48, Volume II
December 14 Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed, Part III, Chs. 17–23, Volume II

Sophomore Seminar Readings Spring 2024

This list may be subject to change. Please always check with tutors or cross-reference with the paper reading list distributed by the dean’s office.

Sophomore Seminar Readings for Spring 2024
Date Reading
January 15 Anselm: Proslogium, Gaunilon’s Reply and Anselm’s Response
January 18 Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologiae
“Articles of Faith;” “Prologue;” Part I: q.1; q.2; q.3, arts. 3–4, 7
NB:  Aquinas selections are available in “St. Thomas Aquinas Sophomore Seminar Readings” photocopy.
January 22 Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologiae
Part I: q.4: “Perfection of God;” q.12, arts. 10 and 12–13; q.13, arts. 1–5 and 11–12; q. 14, art. 7
NB:  Aquinas selections are available in “St. Thomas Aquinas Sophomore Seminar Readings” photocopy.
January 25 Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologiae
“On the End of Man”
NB:  Aquinas selections are available in “St. Thomas Aquinas Sophomore Seminar Readings” photocopy.
January 29 Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologiae
Part II, Section 1: q.90; q.91; q.92: “Readings on Law: On the Effects of Law;” q.93, arts. 1–3
NB:  Aquinas selections are available in “St. Thomas Aquinas Sophomore Seminar Readings” photocopy.
February 1 Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologiae
Part II, Section 1: q.94, q.95, arts. 1–2; (photocopy, q.96: “Readings on Law: On the Power of Human Law;” q.97: “Readings on Law: On the Change in Laws”)
NB:  Aquinas selections are available in “St. Thomas Aquinas Sophomore Seminar Readings” photocopy.
February 5 Dante: Divine Comedy, Inferno, Cantos 1–17
February 8 Dante: Divine Comedy, Inferno, Cantos 18–end
February 12 Dante: Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Cantos 1–19
February 15 Dante: Divine Comedy, Purgatorio, Cantos 20–end
February 19 Dante: Divine Comedy, Paradiso, Cantos 1–14
February 22 Dante: Divine Comedy, Paradiso, Cantos 15–end
February 26 Chaucer: Canterbury Tales, General Prologue; “Knight’s Tale”
February 29 Chaucer: Canterbury Tales, “Miller’s Tale;” “Reeve’s Tale”
March 4 Chaucer: Canterbury Tales, “Wife of Bath’s Tale” and Prologue
March 7 Shakespeare: As You Like It
March 25 Machiavelli: The Prince, I–XIV
March 28 Machiavelli: The Prince, XV–-XXVI
April 1 Shakespeare: Midsummer Night’s Dream
April 4 Montaigne: Essays, “Education of Children,” “Of Cannibals”
April 8 Montaigne: Essays, “On Experience”
April 11 Shakespeare: Hamlet, Acts i–iii
April 15 Shakespeare: Hamlet, Acts iv–v
April 18 Bacon: New Organon, “Preface” I, 1–69, 129, 130; II, 1–25, 52
April 22 Bacon: New Atlantis; Great Instauration
April 25 Shakespeare: Richard II
April 29 Shakespeare: Henry IV, Part I
May 2 Shakespeare: Henry IV, Part II
May 6 Descartes: Discourse on Method, I–III
May 9 Descartes: Discourse on Method, IV–VI
May 13 Shakespeare: Othello
May 16 Shakespeare: Tempest