1. To explore the classical and renaissance traditions of East and West and their continuing relevance to emerging modes and patterns of living
2. To renew the universal vision behind the American Dream through authentic affirmations of freedom, excellence and self-transcendence in an ever-evolving Republic of Conscience
3. To honour through appropriate observance the contributions of men and women of all ages to world culture
4. To enhance the enjoyment of the creative artistry and craftsmanship of all cultures
5. To deepen awareness of the universality of man’s spiritual striving and its rich variety of expression in the religions, philosophies and literatures of humanity
6. To promote forums for fearless inquiry and constructive dialogue concerning the frontiers of science, the therapeutics of self-transformation, and the societies of the future
7. To investigate the imaginative use of the spiritual, mental and material resources of the globe in the service of universal welfare
8. To examine changing social structures in terms of the principle that a world culture is greater than the sum of its parts and to envision the conditions, prospects and possibilities of the world civilization of the future
9. To assist in the emergence of men and women of universal culture, capable of continuous growth in non-violence of mind, generosity of heart and harmony of soul
10. To promote universal brotherhood and to foster human fellowship among all races, nations and cultures
Reflections on the Aims and Principles of the Institute of World Culture
The following statement was given by the speaker, Jonathan Colbert, at the conclusion of his Founding Day Address, June 29, 2019. It offers a remarkable vision of the aims and principles of the Institute that has been offering programs for 43 years. Since the Institute was inaugurated on July 4, 1976, the Founding Day Address traditionally honors a thinker or a writer who has contributed to the vision and promise of the American Republic and to the application of Aim 2* in “The Declaration of Interdependence.”
Every year we choose a theme that reflects one of the many remarkable aims of the Institute of World Culture. The theme for 2019 is Freedom, Excellence and Self-Transcendence, all of which are certainly exemplified in the writings of Ursula K. Le Guin. She offers an imaginative “Speculative Vision” of the founding promise and universal value of American ideals. The Ten Aims of “The Declaration of Interdependence” express universal principles that not only guide inquiry and foster understanding, but they inspire creative emulation in the living present. The journeys that her characters take reflect the human potential for freedom, individuation and self-transcendence. This potential is the source of equality shared by all.
The virtue of universal principles is that they integrate diversity. They are quintessentially harmonic. They bring order to chaos, concord to cacophony and a sense of community to strangers and the estranged. universal principles build bridges of understanding that span cultures and eras. Most importantly, universal principles imaginatively integrate perceived differences without subtracting from the relative truth of those differences. Each perspective enriches the whole — even though the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. For this reason, with Le Guin‘s writings, and with the insights of her anthropologist’s eye, we can imagine and appreciate the particular merits of any given system of thought, political arrangement or cultural practice without giving it our total allegiance.
The Institute of World Culture invites us to study the past in order to assess the present from multiple standpoints. In the spirit of fostering universal brotherhood, its programs seek to visualize a future that is rooted in what is inclusive and regenerative in the philosophies, religions and literatures of humanity. You could say that Le Guin was promoting universal brotherhood by imaginatively envisioning different possible utopian social structures that might foster men and women of non-violence of mind, generosity of heart and harmony of soul.
*Aim 2: To renew the universal vision behind the American Dream through authentic affirmations of freedom, excellence and self-transcendence in an ever-evolving Republic of Conscience.