College Curriculum

Public Thinking

Founded in 2023, the Program for Public Thinking is a joint project of the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse at the University of Chicago and The Point magazine that seeks to cultivate habits of thought traditionally associated with liberal arts education but largely absent from our broader cultural discourse: analytic rigor, interpretive generosity, and the ability to test and question one’s own convictions—as well an appreciation for the legitimacy of a plurality of coherent philosophical, religious, and political viewpoints.

Led by a core faculty of teachers, editors, and writers with experience bridging the divide between academia, journalism and cultural criticism, the Program seeks to inspire a more thoughtful, self-reflective, and pluralistic public discourse. We are committed to supporting the sort of responsible thinking necessary for sustaining an ethically responsive public.

Left, Jonny Thakkar and Jon Baskin lead a seminar in the 2024 Public Thinking Summer Workshop series. Photo by Jason Smith.

• PUBT Courses