Think Deep. Live Well. Be Free.

The Vision...

We are a UK based organisation with a vision. This vision is to educate minds in ways that are deep and meaningful through exploring important ideas that challenge them. It will challenge people to think deeply about their own lives, others, and the broader world, by learning to search for life’s big questions, and having access to material that enables them to answer them. It also aims to develop them morally through engaging with philosophy and ethics, learning from the mistakes of the past, and allowing them to develop virtue. And finally, having become seekers of truth and goodness, they can be inspired by the beauty of the world that raises the human spirit and leads to the pursuit of freedom; that they do not become reliant on systems and governments, but become autonomous thinkers who work for their aims through entrepreneurship. A person leaving the programme will be well-read, smart, able to portray themselves to the world effectively, morally good, creative, and free-thinking.

Thinking Deeply

The highest aim of this endeavour is to create truth seekers who will not be satisfied with partial answers or lies, but pursue the truth as a primary aim. This requires acquainting them with other deep thinkers from the past and present that give ideas that require hard thought, and self-examination. To produce people with a full interior life of reflection, consideration for others, and the ability to analyse and correct their own failings. It involves giving them access to a broad array of thinkers, but to equip them with the skills to discover others as their interests grow and they become more aware of the great minds in that area. Deep knowledge of the human self will be needed and taught through literature, philosophy and history. Enabling them to reflect on the triumphs and failings of the past to consider how they, and others, might live a full and flourishing life.

Living Well

By the selections of texts, ideas, and philosophies, the aim is to produce young people who are morally good. By exposing them to some of the greatest moral ideas, they can reflect on how they may want their life to be, and what they may have to change to get there. Through introducing them to those people of history with moral failings, they can begin to identify character flaws and traits that may lead them astray if left untamed. The whole vision will be couched in the language of virtue and character education, and self-reflection will be a major part of their journey in understanding themselves and world.

Being Free

To think freely is to be able to create and see beauty in the world. A society is a more beautiful place when its members can be creative in their endeavours because they are free to do so. The vision is to encourage them to develop a desire for freedom over a reliance on others for their needs and goals. To make them independent thinkers who wish to be autonomous – not slaves. Who can spot authoritarianism and challenge it in truth, beauty and goodness. This requires creating spaces and opportunities for free-thinking; access to texts that promote the beauty of freedom; and an opportunity to reflect on what slavery, suppression, and dictatorships can do to the human soul. This area is also an opportunity to allow them to explore the arts; the beauty that lifts the soul towards freedom and raises the spirit so that it is not easily crushed. However, this is the final step, since whilst freedom is a primary precept of the self, it is important that this freedom is channelled through truth and moral goodness.