Ralston College presents a lecture by founding President Stephen Blackwood, delivered at Hillsdale College as part of the Drummond Lecture Series.
The lecture took place during the final term of Ralston College's inaugural MA in the Humanities in spring of 2023.
In this lecture, Dr Stephen Blackwood argues that we must first understand something’s nature before we can properly care for and cultivate it. This principle holds true for all living things—including plants and animals—but it is seen in its fullest complexity in human beings as they seek to realize their unique potential through the concrete challenges and conditions of their individual lives. Drawing richly upon both text and images, Dr Blackwood explains that the actualization of our potential is not inevitable but instead relies upon us being rooted in a culture that can nurture, sustain, and challenge us as we seek to orient our subjective and finite experiences of the world toward eternal and infinite realities. Dr Blackwood’s lecture is a call to action for both individuals and institutions, reminding us of our sacred duty to both realize our own gifts and to accompany and support others as they seek to do the same.
