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What is Reason & Rationality?
Reason & Rationality equips high school students with the tools to think rigorously about complex questions, separate fact from ideology, and participate in lively intellectual discussion. The 2-week Foundation Program focuses on 20 Big Ideas in Philosophy, Economics and Ethics. Classes are rigorous, fast-paced and full of humor. Students sharpen their critical thinking and communication skills and leave with a grasp of the intellectual frameworks that empower them to simplify complex problems, connect the dots, and craft compelling arguments.
Thank you to all the Reason & Rationality alumni who stay in touch and CONGRATULATIONS to those from the graduating high school class of '26 on your early acceptances to (these are the ones you've told us about) Dartmouth College, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Princeton University, and Trinity College Dublin.
Peter Bach-y-Rita
DEAN OF ACADEMICS
Peter Bach-y-Rita: Ph.D., MIT (Philosophy), J.D. Stanford Law School, A.B. Princeton University (highest honors). Dr. Bach-y-Rita's dissertation at MIT was at the intersection of ethics, biology and technology. He has published work on intellectual property, bankruptcy law, and the nature of legal causation. He co-founded Reason & Rationality in 2023.
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What Our Students Have To Say
Reason & Rationality Students in Action
James B Estes attended the original Reason & Rationality discussion series in 2023 as a participant and TA, later joining the team to co-found the Reason & Rationality Summer Program. Inspired by the class session on the Trolley Problem, James conducted empirical research into survey respondents’ intuitions about an important Trolley Problem variant. He then authored and published a peer reviewed article entitled Empirical Evidence Reveals the Motivation of Subjects Who Switch Tracks in the Trolley Loop Case. Congratulations to James on being admitted into Harvard class of 2029.
Claire Ziebart, a senior at the Cate School in Carpinteria, California, attended Reason & Rationality 2025 at Princeton and Swarthmore as our Student Services intern. Here she hosts a podcast with fellow RNR students, joined by instructor Joe Schmid. They discuss philosopher Robert Nozick's "experience machine" thought experiment.