What is the Great Books Foundation?
The Great Books Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to promote reading and discussion of outstanding literature by people of all ages. Our readings are chosen for their ability to sustain discussion of important ideas. One unique aspect of our program is Shared Inquiry, a method of discussion developed by the Great Books Foundation. Robert Maynard Hutchins, former president of the University of Chicago, and Mortimer J. Adler, a respected educational philosopher, helped establish the Great Books Foundation in 1947. Hutchins and Adler were champions of the Great Books idea, first in a seminar format for University of Chicago undergraduates, and later as a means of continuing liberal education for all adults.
