Kindred spirit

on being inspired by Ragged University

Photo by John Jennings on Unsplash

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Yesterday I met up with the most lovely Alex Dunedin – the driver behind Edinburgh's Ragged University.

I've known Alex for years, and he has recently been lending his wisdom and experience to me in respect to some organising that I have embarked upon. We met up at the beautiful Central Library on George IV Bridge and I was treated to a useful tutorial about website hosting and, even more so, a whole banquet of philosophical reflections, amusing anecdotes and pertinent quotations. Alex is one of the most erudite people I know in this world, with a mind as deep and rich as his heart.

It occurs to me that many people who are interested in Unpsychology would be likewise interested in Ragged University. The name comes from a historical tradition of Ragged Schools which were set up as peer-led teaching groups in eighteenth-century Britain.

Here is a little bit about it from the website (a veritable treasure trove of articles and presentations on a multitude of topics):

The heart of Ragged University is about the free exchange of knowledge and skills in social spaces. It is about people who love what they do sharing what they have invested their time in. It is not about motivating people; it is about motivated people.

A key practical activity is the social custom where we enjoy knowledge and talking over ideas whilst breaking bread. It is not an organisation but a culture of developing a practical philosophy from social traditions of learning which anyone can practice in their own lives.

In particular, I love that Ragged is about sharing knowledge for its own sake, and as pointed out:

It is not about certificates; it is about valuing knowledgeable people.

It is not about CVs; it is about exploring what is possible.

It is not about making money; it is about creating something generative.

I think Unpsychology shares a similar ethos, in our unwillingness to settle down into the well-worn grooves of how things are perceived and done. In our written ponderings over the ineffible nature of community and the slipperiness of ideas, and in our editorial discussions behind the scenes, in which we take such care over the collaborative process, Unpsychology refuses to reduce itself into a merely transactional enterprise.

But back to Ragged. I encourage you to explore its website: raggeduniversity.co.uk. (And just to make it fun: see if you can spot the link to the piece I wrote for Ragged back in 2014.)

The site is an incredible testament to the project and to Alex himself – his vision and his life's work. If what you see there inspires you, perhaps consider setting up a Ragged event in your own community. Bring together people, share food and ideas and knowledge and goodwill. Ragged is not trademarked; it is as open source as they come.

As it says in its strap-line: “Everyone is a Ragged University - a unique and distinct body of knowledge, accredited by their life experience with a membership of one.”

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