The Great Books Foundation, incorporated in the state of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

and based in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, is an independent, nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to help people think and share ideas. Toward this end, the Foundation publishes collections of classic and modern literature as part of a continuum of reading and discussion programs for children and adults. The foundation has two main programs: Junior Great Books, serving students in kindergarten through high school, and Great Books Discussion for college students, continuing education, and Great Books book groups. The organization derives its income from the sale of books, teacher professional development fees, contributions, and grants. Established in 1947 by a group of prominent citizens led by

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

Chancellor

Robert Maynard Hutchins Robert Maynard Hutchins (January 17, 1899 – May 14, 1977) was an American educational philosopher. He was president (1929–1945) and chancellor (1945–1951) of the University of Chicago, and earlier dean of Yale Law School (1927–1929). His& ...

and

Mortimer Adler Mortimer () is an English surname, and occasionally a given name. Norman origins The surname Mortimer has a Norman origin, deriving from the village of Mortemer, Seine-Maritime, Normandy. A Norman castle existed at Mortemer from an early point; ...

, the Great Books Foundation began as a grassroots movement to promote continuing liberal education for the general public. In 1960 the Foundation extended its mission to children with the introduction of Junior Great Books. Since its inception, the Foundation has helped thousands of people throughout the U.S. and in foreign countries begin their own discussion groups in schools, libraries, and community centers. Since 2001, the Foundation has published the quarterly magazine ''

The Common Review ''The Common Review'' was the literary magazine of the Great Books Foundation. History and profile ''The Common Review'' was started as a quarterly publication in Fall 2001. The founder was the former Great Books Foundation president Peter Temes. ...

''. Great Books discussions use a distinctive discussion method called "Shared Inquiry", in which the leader starts with an

open-ended question An open-ended question is a question that cannot be answered with a "yes" or "no" response, or with a static response. Open-ended questions are phrased as a statement which requires a longer response. The response can be compared to information th ...

about the meaning of a selection and then asks follow-up questions to help participants develop their ideas. Developed by the Great Books Foundation, ''Shared Inquiry'' is related to Socratic discussion but is distinguished by the fact that the basic discussion question is one to which the leader does not know the answer. Sixty years after Adler co-founded the Great Books Foundation, it continues to embrace his insistence that the civil discussion of challenging ideas is a powerful source of personal growth and social engagement. Despite a common misconception to the contrary, the foundation promotes the reading and discussion of great literature wherever it is found, including literature by outstanding contemporary authors, women authors, and authors from all over the world.

References

External links

Official website

Organizational Profile
–

National Center for Charitable Statistics The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is a clearing house for information about the nonprofit sector of the U.S. economy. The National Center for Charitable Statistics builds national, state, and regional databases and develops sta ...

(

Urban Institute The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations and pr ...

) {{Authority control Educational foundations in the United States Book promotion Non-profit organizations based in Chicago Organizations established in 1947 1947 establishments in Illinois

See also

References

External links