Our Inaugural Issue

If you’re reading this, you’ve picked up or clicked on the inaugural issue of Theory & Ground (T&G), a new magazine of ideas published by Thales College. Like enthusiastic first-time parents, we can’t wait to share our new creation with you. And, like those new parents, our creative choice of a baby name may elicit responses of polite befuddlement from friends and strangers alike. So, the occasion seems to call for an explanation and defense (an apologia, if you will) of that choice: why name your magazine Theory & Ground?

Admittedly, it’s an unusual juxtaposition, and its meaning is not immediately apparent. A while back, I noticed that our founder, Bob Luddy, would frequently employ variations on a specific turn of phrase. He would say things like, “We must ensure our students are grounded in reality,” or, “That person understands the theory, but he just can’t get to ground.” Over time, I came to see that this distinction between theory and ground captures the heart of the mission and vision of our institution.

Thales College is guided by the conviction that to become truly educated— or to truly be prepared for adulthood, which amounts to much the same thing—a young person must acquire both philosophical wisdom and professional and technical knowledge and competence. We have spoken of this balance in many ways— Scientia et Sapientia, education of “the head and the hand,” the classical and the practical—but, I don’t think we have articulated it better than as “theory and ground.”

First, theory: from the Ancient Greek word, theoria, meaning contemplation or speculation, or, literally, the state of gazing at, or of being a spectator. Association with scientific theory has given our English word a connotation of something dry and sterile, but, for Plato and Aristotle, the word was connected to attending religious shrines and festivals. It is the word Plato used to describe what the philosopher does when he abstracts away from the distractions of life and contemplates the Forms, especially the highest form, the Form of the Good. The Latin equivalent, contemplatio, was used in the Christian tradition to describe the contemplative life, the goal of which is the mystical vision of God. The beginning of wisdom is to lift one’s gaze.

Second, ground: from the Old English (Germanic), grund, meaning, well, the ground. We speak of a humble person being “grounded” and “down to earth,” of “hitting the ground running” and “standing one’s ground.” A grounded circuit controls dangerous electricity by channeling it in a safe direction. The grounds for a claim or an action are its foundational support. In each case, the word signifies a sure and stable reality, the domain of practical action, where lofty thoughts and aspirations make a concrete difference. The beginning of knowledge is to be in touch with reality.

At Thales College, we seek both a higher vision and a surer grounding than modern education has offered. This magazine is about those twin pursuits.

Each issue of T&G will feature original work by members of the Thales College community and guest contributors and be organized around six sections:

• Welcome: An introduction to the issue
• Founder: A letter from our founder, Bob Luddy
• Theory: Contemplation of the Good, True, and Beautiful through scholarship in the Liberal Arts and Humanities
• Ground: Application of knowledge to real-world challenges through articles on business, industry, education, and leadership
• Scholé: News from the college
• Beauty: A short work of art or literature to inspire the soul

Enjoy.