Announcing ALEX university
Our new initiative in education
I’m proud to announce the launch of ALEX university! It is an online education program for independent students and scholars. Naturally, we are starting off modestly: two courses in June, taught by Ed Dutton and myself. Going forward, ALEX will be a central focus of my energy (along with publishing). It, more than anything, represents the positive contribution I hope to make to the world.
Our first two seminars are on Nietzsche’s political theology (taught by me) and evolutionary psychology (led by the irrepressible Mr. Dutton). Additional courses involving Mark Brahmin will added over the next week.
Courses take place over Zoom. A usual course last four to five weeks, with two-hour sessions on Sundays. They include a great deal of discussion and short assignments. This allows flexibility for students, in crafting a personal curriculum, and instructors, who will be inventing exciting and surprising programs.
As I said, we’re starting off small. But we are ultimately trying to fill the void left by contemporary academia, which has become wildly expensive, increasingly unserious, and sometimes downright deranged. Put simply, it is rarely fulfilling its basic mission.
Some background. As you might have guessed, ALEX is named after The Library of Alexandria, founded in the second or first centuries BC, which stood as a Crown Jewel of the Ancient World. Containing hundreds of thousands of scrolls and engaging countless scholars, thinkers, and students, it was an unsurpassed engine of learning and thinking, and a collective memory of knowledge and wisdom.
Today, we all live in a sort of “Digital Alexandria,” in which an almost infinite store of information, and opportunities for learning, are at hand. Yet this state of affairs has proven paradoxical, for there is common agreement that our age is one of widespread ignorance, spiritual decline, and dumbing down. The multi-billion dollar education industry might offer social status and career advancement, but it has manifestly failed at spiritually developing men and women.
The problem that ALEX UNIVERSITY addresses is vast and seemingly irresolvable; however, we, in our limited capacity, seek amelioration.
I hope you join me on this voyage!
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This shows real vision and a step in the direction of anti-fragility! I work as a raft guide during the summer, but I don't want to miss out on this. I will probably take a day or two off during the week to hopefully participate. I'm currently an English major, and you're completely right in saying modern academia is deeply unserious. I hope this will provide the stimulus that mainstream institutions lack. Thank you!!
As an appreciator of both the minds involved this seems to me a great opportunity, however, given the political climate I feel justified in prodding the proverbial elephant. In the simplest terms, is there a risk of doxxing or, moreover, what level of anonymity is to be preserved? Any other information with regard to getting involved would be appreciated. Regards.