George School’s motto, “Mind the Light,” comes from the Quaker saying and belief that there is an Inner Light, which is that of God, in everyone. The spirit-led practice of acknowledging this Light (capital L) goes further than a sense of conscience for Quakers, and roots the testimonies of peace, equality, integrity, community, and good stewardship. Educators at George School are asked to honor these values, blending them when able into lessons in the hopes that students will in turn bring that energy out into the world.

Kyle Abbott, Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Philosophy teacher, sees this work happen in real-time. His classes focus on complex philosophical theories and meditations, with a touch of pop-culture. Using their own personal experiences to bring the current state of the world into focus, students can see ideas applied on both a micro and macro level. Within this trusted space, students readily explore ideas, see a line of reasoning, and maybe even admit that they need to rethink some opinions. But to Kyle, that’s the most important part of the work—giving a place where students can deconstruct tightly held beliefs, look at them critically, and reassemble their ideas in light of new experiences and information.

Chatting with Kyle about TOK and Philosophy classes at George School is easy, and he flawlessly loops and connects current events to ancient theories and back again. With enthusiasm and expertise, the topic turned to two major cultural milestones: the 2024 election and the emergence and effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our daily lives.

Information is swirling around us faster than ever and it’s easy to get caught up in the political-science aspects of it all, but Kyle leaves that to the history department. Sticking to epistemology, the theory of knowledge itself—how we come to know and believe things—Kyle helps students navigate how to access, analyze, interpret, and synthesize information. He frames the process for students, saying, “If I’m going to claim to know something, have I had this idea challenged and have I actually gone through the thinking that would make this objective fact? Or is it just my own view of the world?” Reflecting on the process, he notes, “We explore how it takes a lot to claim that you know something, and that humility is really important.”

TOK and Philosophy often mark students’ first experience with philosophical lines of reasoning. But Kyle is patient and kind, helping them tap into ideas that are thousands of years old, yet also brand new. Bringing together concepts, Kyle encourages students to look closer at interpersonal interactions, encouraging the creation of a moral middle-ground. “There is inherent dignity in all humans, even the people you really disagree with…We also know as social beings that we want a little more than the bare-minimum, so how do we navigate the creation of that place of understanding?”

He notes that there is difficulty in helping someone who is not-quite-18 become a “political-knower,” particularly in 2024. Misinformation is a known entity at this point. But algorithm-manipulation and click-bait remain sneaky and rampant. As Kyle notes, “Everything we do now teaches the algorithm.” He highlights the push of AI technology onto social media platforms without user consent and discusses with students its implications.

In this information ecosystem, critical thinking skills and digital literacy are more important than ever. “If what we want to try and do is live decently, politically, then we need to focus on our shared space, because that’s where our political relationships happen…If our students are entering into any sort of political action, whether it’s an election or not, and they’re viewing it as a zero-sum game, we’ve already lost.”

Through it all, what Kyle advocates for is coming back to the class baseline—take a moment to pause, collect information, and think critically about what it means in relation to being a good person within a community.

The study of philosophy is often defined by its ever-evolving nature and can be at times both brutal and delicate. The question that looms is, “is anything actually knowable?” How do we successfully live in an ethical society that gets more than just the moral minimum? Don’t we all deserve more than that?

It's humbling to be given such a monumental task, and this is something that Kyle goes back to again and again. People often have very high ideas of the study of philosophy, but when asked by a parent what he hoped students would take from the TOK class Kyle answered, without hesitation, “I hope they have a better understanding of what it means to be a human being.”

Kyle is committed to making sure students enter the current social landscape with an emotional and academic toolkit that will allow them to positively interact with the world around them. Through it all, he wants students to remain open, looking to the values that drive George School’s mission statement. Of extending decency to everyone you meet—of minding the Light in others.

Kyle also wants students to leave more confident in the expression of their beliefs and ideas than when they came into his classroom. Living in a shared community, needing to share language, and jointly sharing responsibility for the earth is complex and navigating it all is challenging. And if you realize you’ve been wrong? Kyle reminds students, “Be forgiving of yourself. You didn’t know!”

We all appreciate being given the benefit of the doubt, and in a healthy philosophy class, there is always an abundance of doubt. But one of the many lessons Kyle hopes students learn is that being flexible allows you to be prepared when answers aren’t easy or expected. It’s hard to let go of something perceived as a truth, but he encourages students to make peace with the middle-ground, saying that it’s not a sign of giving up one’s convictions but recognition of the decency that all people deserve.

“If they come to class and learn a little bit more about what it means to live as them, but don’t forget that it’s only possible, because they live in community with others as well—for me, that’s the whole point of why we’re here.”

In the end, this flexibility also allows for personal growth. You are able to catch a glimpse of that place where community intersects with good stewardship and integrity; where students leave our wooded campus as citizen-scholars and they walk in the Light, minding it wherever they go.

Despite the abundance of shadows and doubt, the world is a beautiful place. And for students in the TOK and Philosophy classes, hopefully as they walk through the doors of Bancroft out into the sunlight, everything feels a little more illuminated.