Professor A.C. Grayling (pictured with Sixth Formers, Jo Jones and Rosie Cross) visited Bedford Modern School on Friday 7 October delivering a lecture to over 100 Year 11 and Sixth Form students entitled 'Why Study Humanities?'

The session covered approaches to Philosophy, History and Literature and was followed by a lively question and answer session with students interacting with Professor Grayling.  Earlier in the week, Professor Grayling addressed the annual meeting of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference in St. Andrew's Scotland.

As the author of around 30 books on philosophy, Professor A.C. Grayling was formerly Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck College, London University, and is Master of the New College of the Humanities and a Fellow of St. Anne's College, Oxford and his main interests lie in epistemology, metaphysics and philosophical logic. 

He said that poetry and literature in general open windows into other people's experiences, which is necessary, as the likely life-span in the West is less than 1,000 months.  He estimated that 95% of poetry comes from experience.  Professor Grayling quoted from Aristotle and Plutarch among ancient writers who valued the importance of good conversation, and said that he regularly re-reads Jane Austen's novels for their richness of dialogue.  He said he believed that the central achievement of human life is managing personal relationships.

The New College of the Humanities, which he founded, will teach the liberal arts on the 'one-to-one' tutorial method of Oxford and Cambridge.  It will be a very small college, the advantage of which is that everyone will have the chance to know each other.

Professor Grayling, who was thanked by David Shoukry, was presented with mementoes of BMS, including a copy of the School history, 'School of the Black and Red' by Andrew Underwood.