“The word vocation implies more than earning a living or having a career. The word vocation implies having a calling: knowing who one is, what one believes, what one values, and where one stands in the world. A sense of vocation is not something fully achieved early in life. For those of us who are lucky, it grows over time, becomes more articulate, and deepens. Granting, then, that a sense of vocation develops over time, it is still not unreasonable to suggest that one purpose of a college education, and a central purpose of liberal education, should be to nurture an initial sense of vocation.”
--Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, Association of American Colleges and Universities
Project Polymath was conceived after two years of long and thorough examination of the faults of typical modern academic institutions. Thoughts on how to rectify these problems yielded the following principles, which underlie the vision and plans of the university:
Full potential: Any education worthy of the term must strive to draw forth a student's full potential. It is not enough to stop halfway and proclaim “this student meets our standards”; the loss of potential accomplishment already resulting from this attitude is incalculable. The question we ask should be “Does this student's education meet his own standards?” Will it fully serve his goals and complement his aptitudes? If not, the education is insufficient. Talent should never be left to wither.
In other words, the student's purpose is central to the student's education.
- No artificial barriers: There is no reason to hold a student already demonstrating mastery of a subject - it wastes the time of everyone involved. Let him move on as he is able and willing. Requirements for advancement should be predicated only upon ability.
- No conflicts, no servitude: To set one student's freedom at odds with another's - or the freedom of the students against that of the faculty - or the freedom of the individual against society - is a false dichotomization. We believe the primary purpose of a proper education is to help students identify and attain personal visions, applying the skills they learn in service of their own goals. Since these ideals improve the status quo, helping students attain their individual dreams ultimately benefits all of humanity. Thus it is self-defeating to build a system that sets these goals at odds with each other.
- Creation is a virtue: Creation gives purpose to knowledge. Bringing new ideas, new perspectives, and new implementations into the world moves us all forward. A proper education thus not only imparts knowledge, but encourages its use.
- Open-minded: Although we encourage students to scrutinize and judge ideas, and to adopt them or not as they see fit, we recognize that censorship can easily destroy creativity and block the expression of revolutionary ideas. Therefore, we encourage students and scholars to be open rather than closed-minded and intend to create an environment and culture conducive to brainstorming and educated risk-taking.
- Intellectual egalitarianism: A good idea is a good idea, whoever generates it. Anyone with a promising idea should be free to pursue it.
- Don't presume: The student knows his own goals best. It is not the place of his educators to presume what a student may wish to do with his education, but rather to provide him the tools necessary to attain his own goals. Thus, any opportunities such as internships, faculty-sponsored research, and studying abroad should be entirely voluntary, never required. We can recommend and guide, but we should never force. The student should always have the final say in matters concerning his own career.
- Keep it real: Advancement of the status quo (and thus innovative leadership) requires authentic and potentially unconventional thought. Although such leaders have granted society many of its advancements, they are typically ostracized for the unconventionality inherent in their dedication towards unique self-determined visions - even as they strive to aid their detractors - and thus most established systems prove inadequate to their developmental needs. We hope to foster an environment that is unique as our students, encouraging identification, development, and pursuit of such visions - for they are the foundations upon which the future is built.
These principles outline what we believe to be the ideal university: a place of learning and creation where students and faculty may find limitless tools to achieve their own goals and realize the full extent of their talents, however diverse they may be. As simple as this may seem, we have yet to find an existing academic institution that operates under these principles. This necessitates a new solution.
For the corporate (as opposed to idealistic) principles upon which the Polymath Foundation is founded, you may view our articles of incorporation and bylaws.
