Harvard College Intellectual Vitality Statement
In the early 2020s, a group of Harvard College students came together to reflect on campus climate and the importance of fostering a culture of respectful dialogue and mutual understanding – values essential not only for students, but for our entire College community.
These conversations led to the development of the following statement:
Read the Statement
“Members of the Harvard College community affirm the value of intellectual vitality – meaning, a spirit of open and rigorous inquiry. To this end, we believe that our community is best served through the charitable exchange of ideas, where we take as given one another’s best intentions and treat each other as partners in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding. In doing so, we recognize the importance of giving and receiving criticism of ideas without extending these critiques to people themselves. Further, an engagement with and sincere consideration of competing views lies at the heart of education more broadly.
To maintain a spirit of intellectual vitality, we must cultivate in ourselves an attitude of humility, respect, and curiosity toward each other. Through the spirit of intellectual vitality, we are able to strengthen our perspectives and reconsider foundational assumptions about the world, society, and our place in it – while this may prove discomforting, the capacity to test core ideas is a precondition of growing in wisdom and understanding.
All members of the Harvard College community therefore commit ourselves to uphold intellectual vitality in our respective capacities. We agree to foster this spirit of rigor, charity, and open exploration in classrooms, student organizations, and social interactions. ”
Our Commitment
To maintain a spirit of intellectual vitality, we must cultivate in ourselves an attitude of humility, respect, and genuine curiosity toward each other and to learn from one another.
Ari Kohn ’26
Student Advisory Board Co-Chair
Jack Flanigan ‘27
Student Advisory Board Co-Chair
Student Advisory Board
Through the SAB, the College will foster the bottom-up adoption of Intellectual Vitality in the different student spheres and within various activities at the College.
Faculty Advisory Board
The FAB provides advice, support, and feedback to the SAB, focusing its efforts on building a culture of intellectual vitality, particularly among the faculty.
Fellows in Value Engagement
In partnership with the Harvard College Dean of Students Office, the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics (ELSCE) is pleased to pilot a new Fellowship in Values Engagement (FiVE).
