WHO ARE
WE
About us
New Acropolis is a philosophical and cultural movement. Our mission is to revive philosophy as a means of renewal and transformation, to promote the timeless values that have been at the heart of all civilizations and to offer a holistic education based on the philosophical traditions of East and West.
New Acropolis understands philosophy in its classical sense as love of wisdom. Wisdom is something practical and active rather than purely intellectual. It is knowing how to act, learning to discern what is right and knowing which ends are worth striving for. Philosophy is a quest for the profound meaning of life and for the understanding and mastery of oneself.
New Acropolis was founded in 1957 in Buenos Aires (Argentina) by Jorge Angel Livraga Rizzi (1930 - 1991). Today, it is present in more than 50 countries on five continents and has branches in over 400 cities. New Acropolis achieves its aims through an International Non-Profit Cultural Organisation with its headquarters in Brussels. Its areas of activity are: philosophy, culture and volunteering.
In ancient Greece, the Acropolis was the highest part of a city and contained its most important buildings. Acro-polis literally means 'high city'. Drawing a symbolic analogy between a city and an individual, we can imagine that we also have within ourselves an 'elevated' place where our highest and most noble elements reside. The name inspires us to ascend and to discover this 'high city' within ourselves.
The meaning of the name
Interview with the Honorary President of the New Acropolis International Organization
Interview with the International Organization
New Acropolis President's
Our Founding Principles
The strength of this ideal of fraternity lies in what unites us, more than in what separates us. It is firmly based on the recognition, protection and assurance of those universal values, which, while respecting diversity, transcend local practices and customs and come together in a set of common ethical principles that are inherent in the dignity of every human being.
To promote an Ideal of international fraternity, based on respect for human dignity, beyond racial, sexual, cultural, religious, social or other differences.
1- Fraternity
The love of truth and knowledge sets out from the legitimate aspiration to develop our own discernment in order to gain a better understanding of the world and ourselves. We see philosophy as an axis connecting the different facets and angles of human knowledge. Philosophy can bring together the sources of the past and the present in a holistic, broad and integrating vision, becoming a real force for progress that seeks to underst and life more deeply and to harmonize all aspects of knowledge and experience.
To encourage the love of wisdom through the comparative study of philosophies, religions, sciences and arts, in order to promote the knowledge of the human being, the laws of Nature and the Universe.
2- Knowledge
Our work enables individuals to improve themselves so as to contribute to sustainable social development. The human being still has an enormous latent potential. To get to know that potential and to develop it is one of the fundamental pillars of life itself and provides a source of lasting satisfaction.
A balanced and all-round development of ourselves, and the realization of the best qualities and
values of our human nature,
are the solid basis for a better world.
To develop the best of the human potential, by promoting the realization of the human being as an individual and her or his integration as an active and conscious part of society and nature, in order to improve the world.
3- Development