Cultivating Intellectual Diversity within a Liberal Arts Education
First and foremost for the Kraynak Institute for the Study of Freedom and Western Traditions is the ideal of a classical liberal arts education that is the hallmark of a free citizen and a free mind. The Institute’s activities focus on a rigorous and unflinching encounter with Western traditions rooted in Greco-Roman philosophy, Judeo-Christian ethics, and Enlightenment principles that emphasize reason, individual liberty, and moral inquiry. Through the lens of these shared cultural foundations, the Institute studies the intellectual, religious, and artistic heritage and traditions that offer timeless wisdom about the good life, human nature, and reality
Second, we study the ideals of free speech, free enterprise, and constitutional democracy, especially as they have been understood and established by America’s founders. The serious study of these ideals and institutions – from the time of the early American Republic and in the contemporary world – is critical to educating citizens and leaders. The great debates surrounding the ideals of freedom and democracy need to be presented with respectful appreciation as well as with critical detachment.
Third, the Kraynak Institute seeks to feature these ideals in campus dialogue and debate, and foster their growth to prepare the student for life after college. Accordingly, the Institute honors students whose projects make significant contributions to understanding intellectual and religious freedoms as tangible features of Western traditions and cultural enterprise. Further, the Institute offers opportunities for students to encounter intellectually diverse viewpoints in a collegial environment that promotes academic freedom, It rewards independent thought with the aims of enriching academic life, and having a lasting impact on students’ endeavors beyond matriculation.
Collaborate with Us
We welcome outreach from organizations, centers, and other institutions. Contact our co-directors, Carolyn Guile and David Dudrick to inquire about collaboration or partnerships.
Support the Kraynak Institute
Supporter gifts fund student and faculty research, bring leading thinkers to Colgate, and allow the center to enliven the intellectual discourse among Colgate students and faculty.
Advisory Board
The Kraynak Institute’s two advisory boards made up of Colgate faculty and alumni who are nominated by the director and approved by Colgate’s president.