About Us

Our mission is to facilitate accessible public inquiry at the intersection of art and ethics. We recognize that philosophy can often be complex in ways that create alienating barriers for entry. Our research seeks to maintain complexity without alienation, to make philosophical questions accessible in order to surface their meaning and their meaningfulness to our daily lives. 

Our core values emerge from deeply reflecting on history, confronting the present, and imagining the future. We believe in the essential role of culture for a free and open civil society. We embrace difference, debate, and multiple viewpoints regardless of race, gender, class, or creed. We are committed to expanding our systems of understanding by 1) recognizing the limits of what we understand, institutionally and individually, 2) inviting dialogue and critique within and across disciplines, and 3) iterating collaboratively, transparently, and reflexively. 

Our programs and collaborations provide a platform for cross-cultural dialogue, deliberately designed to foster empathy, mutual understanding, and respect. We are committed to practical investigation and the sharing of resources for deepening research and practice. The free flow of ideas and of people is essential to what we do. We oppose xenophobia and discrimination and remain steadfastly committed to the fundamental civic principles of free expression and open engagement.