The Society of Thinkers sealTHE SOCIETY
OF THINKERSExplore Academy
Membership

Membership is earned through responsibility.

The Society is not an intellectual club for people who believe themselves superior. Membership represents a commitment to disciplined inquiry, intellectual honesty, respectful disagreement and teachability.

Learning is open.

You do not need to become a member to read, learn, attend appropriate public events, explore ideas or benefit from the Society’s work.

Membership is different.

Membership represents an institutional relationship and a public commitment to intellectual responsibility.

The Membership Pathway

1
Foundational LearningComplete the foundational SOT course.
2
AssessmentDemonstrate understanding of foundational principles.
3
ApplicationExplain why you wish to join.
4
ConversationA respectful Membership Conversation.
5
DecisionNot based on ideological agreement.
6
PledgeAccept the Thinker’s Pledge.
7
EnrollmentAnnual dues apply upon acceptance.
Membership dues are being finalized. No price is currently published.
Membership Ethos

The test is not “Do you agree with SOT?”

Can you engage ideas with intellectual honesty, evidence, respect and openness?

A Christian, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, agnostic, conservative, progressive, socialist, capitalist or politically unaffiliated person should theoretically all be capable of membership.

The Thinker’s Pledge

I accept the responsibility to think.

I will question without contempt, examine without fear, and follow evidence with intellectual honesty.

I will not surrender my judgment merely because an idea is ancient, popular, powerful, comforting or spoken by authority.

I will respect the right of every person to believe freely, while defending the equal right to examine every belief, doctrine, system and claim through reason and critical inquiry.

I will remain teachable. When better evidence corrects me, I will choose growth over pride.

I will challenge my own assumptions before demanding that others challenge theirs.

I will seek understanding before victory and truth before belonging.

I will use knowledge not to stand above others, but to enlarge human freedom.

I will think freely. I will examine deeply. I will remain teachable.

This is my responsibility as a Thinker.

Membership Application

The application system will open once the foundational course and admissions process are operational.

Coming Soon