Great Books

Shared Inquiry

The goal of Great Books programs is to instill in students the habits of mind that characterize a self-reliant thinker, reader, and learner. Great Books programs are predicated on the idea that everyone can read and understand excellent literature—literature that has the capacity to engage the whole person, the imagination as well as the intellect.

Shared Inquiry is a distinctive method of learning in which participants search for answers to fundamental questions raised by a text. This search is inherently active; it involves taking what the author has given us and trying to grasp its full meaning, to interpret or reach an understanding of the text in light of our experience and using sound reasoning.

The success of Shared Inquiry depends on a special relationship between the leader and the group. The Shared Inquiry leader does not impart information or present personal opinions, but guides participants in reaching their own interpretations. The leader accomplishes this by posing thought-provoking questions and by following up purposefully on what participants say. In doing so, the leader helps students develop both the flexibility of mind to consider problems from many angles, and the discipline to analyze ideas critically.

In Shared Inquiry, participants learn to give full consideration to the ideas of others, to weigh the merits of opposing arguments, and to modify their initial opinions as the evidence demands. They gain experience in communicating complex ideas and in supporting, testing, and expanding their own thoughts. In this way, the Shared Inquiry method promotes thoughtful dialogue and open debate, preparing its participants to become able, responsible citizens, as well as enthusiastic, lifelong readers.