What is this institute about?
Wisdom questions concern the foundational convictions that guide human conduct and shape the interpretation of human experience. Who are we? Why are we here? What is it for creatures like us to flourish, individually and as a society? Such questions are often reserved for philosophy courses, but they are the common inheritance of the humanities. While few schools have the capacity to maintain designated philosophy courses, most have humanities courses that would be enriched by explicit and disciplined engagement with wisdom questions. This institute explores the disputatio, or the disputed question, as a time-tested pattern for considering such questions across the disciplines. For more information on wisdom questions and the disputatio genre, See the Program Description link.
Who is this institute for?
The institute is designed for humanities teachers, primarily in high schools, though applications from humanities educators at all levels are welcome. The institute will be most useful to humanities teachers seeking to equip students to engage ideas philosophically, whether those ideas arise in a philosophy course, a literary text or through the study of history or government. See Application Process link for more information about eligibility.
Who is leading this institute?
Drs. Todd Buras (Philosophy) and Phillip Donnelly (Literature) of Baylor University, Dr. Angel Parham (Social History) of University of Virginia, together with K-12 Specialist, Dr. Sean Riley (Stony Brook School), and Graduate Student Assistant, Kirsten Welch (Teacher's College, Columbia University). See Project Team link for more information.
What will we do in this institute?
This institute will be centered on group reading and discussion of primary sources, and the shared project of constructing disputed questions to engage the wisdom questions presented by those sources. The curriculum will also provide ample time for participants to develop (in consultation with the Project Team) an application of the disputatio method tailored to individual curricular needs. We will read a variety of ancient primary sources to understand wisdom questions and trace the development of the disputatio. We will then read a selection of literary, philosophical, and historical sources to explore the capacity of disputatio to foster the pursuit of wisdom in different classroom contexts. See Program Syllabus link for more details.
How will this institute be delivered?
This will be a fully residential Summer Institute, hosted on the campus of Baylor University in Waco, TX.
How do I apply?
Click the link on the bottom of the Application Process page.
Who is sponsoring this project?
This project is made possible in part by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom. The views, findings, and conclusions expressed in association with this project do not represent the NEH.
