Why are you here?  Yes, I know you’re here because your parents brought you, perhaps even because they made you come against your will.  But that’s why you are physically here.  My question is, why are you here, as in, what is the purpose of your being here? 

In ancient Greek, the word telos describes the end, the goal or the aim of something.  And according to many ancient Greek philosophers, including Aristotle, for anything to be good or excellent it had to fulfill its telos.  It had to do well the thing it was designed to do.

Human beings, Aristotle believed, had a telos of living virtuously.  Christian thinkers have held that human beings’ ultimate telos is to glorify God, their Creator, and that one of the ways in which we do that is through living lives of virtue.  And in the classical tradition—which includes both the ancient Greek and Roman as well as Christian forms—schools are where children are taught how to live virtuous lives, by training their minds, their hearts, and their bodies.  This, the Greeks and Christians have both called, paideia—the passing on of a way of life.

So, why are you here?  You are here to learn how to be a human being, by knowing, loving, and doing what is good and true and beautiful.  It is why our school cares so much about the seven classical virtues: Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, Prudence, Faith, Hope, and Charity—the marks of a good and virtuous life. 

And what about the people you see around you?  Your teachers, the staff, administration—why are we here?  Well, we are here not just to tell you, but also to show you not merely how to think well, but how to live well.  So, please—watch us, imitate us, ask us hard questions, and seek us out for help, with small things or big things.  We are here, because we love you and we desire to pass on to you the knowledge and virtue that has been passed on to us.

Welcome to the new school year—and have a wonderful day.