Where Curious Minds Learn to Think Deeply and Speak Clearly
求知，深思，明辨
General Fit and Audience
课程定位及适合对象
求思学社的课程适合哪些学生？
Our courses are designed for curious and thoughtful middle- high-school students who enjoy asking and discussing challenging questions. They are especially well suited to students who want to become more confident thinkers and speakers, including those who plan to study abroad in the future. No prior background in philosophy or the humanities is required.
我们的课程面向富有求知精神、善于思考、并喜欢提出和讨论有挑战性问题的中学生。这些课程尤其适合希望在思考与表达方面变得更加自信的学生，以及未来有意赴海外求学的学生。学生不需要事先学过哲学或其他人文学科。
如果我以前从来没有上过这样的课，也适合吗？
Yes. Many students will be new to this kind of discussion-based learning. Our courses are designed as accessible introductions, and no prior background is assumed.
非常适合。很多学生都会是第一次接触这种以讨论为核心的学习模式。我们的课程正是为此而设计的，学生不需要事先具备相关基础。
这些课程是不是只适合非常“厉害”的学生？
No. Our courses are academically rigorous, but what matters most is not prior background, but curiosity, seriousness, and a willingness to participate.
不是。我们的课程在学术上是严肃且有要求的，但真正重要的并不是学生是否已经具备相关基础，而是他是否有求知欲、是否愿意思考，以及是否愿意参与讨论。
我有点害羞，这样的课程还适合我吗？
Yes. Not every student needs to be naturally outspoken. Our seminars are designed to help students become more confident over time.
适合。并不是每个学生都需要一开始就善于表达。我们的研讨课本来就是为了帮助学生逐渐建立信心而设计的。
我不是特别外向，会不会不适应？
Not necessarily. Quiet but thoughtful students often do very well. What matters is willingness to engage seriously, not a naturally extroverted personality.
不一定。安静但认真、愿意思考的学生，往往同样会学得非常好。真正重要的是是否愿意认真参与，而不是性格是否外向。
English Requirements
英语要求
所有课程都是全英文的，学生需要具备什么程度的英语能力？
Students should be comfortable following discussion in English and contributing in English at a reasonable level. They do not need perfectly fluent English. In many cases, students’ English is stronger than they realise once they try to use it in serious discussion. If you are unsure whether the courses would be a good fit, we would encourage you to apply to attend our trial seminar(s).
学生需要具备一定的英语听说能力，并能在课堂上用英语进行基本而有效的表达。课程不要求学生的英语已达到完全流利的程度。很多时候，学生一旦开始尝试着实际运用英语，就会发现自己的英语能力比想象中更强。如果不确定课程是否适合自己，我们鼓励学生申请参加我们的免费试听课。
为什么课程都是全英文的？
We aim not only to develop students’ thinking, but also to enable them to discuss difficult and challenging questions confidently in English. In a globalised world, a strong command of English matters whatever students go on to do later in life. Our courses are not primarily designed as language classes; however, students should naturally improve their English along the way as a result of using it consistently in serious discussion. Teaching in English also makes practical sense, as our team of highly experienced tutors is drawn from different parts of the world.
因为我们的目标不仅是培养学生思考的能力，也同时希望能帮助学生学会用英语自信地讨论复杂且有挑战性的问题。在全球化的世界中，无论学生未来走向如何，扎实的英语能力都十分重要。我们的课程并不以语言训练为主要目的；不过，学生在持续参与严肃讨论的过程中，会自然提升英语能力。此外，我们团队的资深导师来自世界不同的国家和地区，因此以英文授课在实际安排上也更为合理。
What the Courses Aim to Do
课程真正想培养什么
什么是批判性思维？
Critical thinking means learning how to ask good questions, distinguish stronger arguments from weaker ones, identify assumptions, and respond thoughtfully to disagreement.
批判性思维为一种认真思考的能力：它包括提出好问题、辨别论证强弱、识别隐藏假设，及有分寸地回应不同意见。
为什么学生要重视批判性思维？
Many of the most important questions in life do not have easy answers. Students who can reason carefully and communicate clearly are thus better prepared for both academic and adult life.
因为人生中许多最重要的问题都没有简单答案。能够认真推理、清晰表达的学生，不仅在学业上会更有优势，在成人后面对复杂问题时也会更为成熟稳重。
Practical Value
实际价值
这些课程会帮助高考吗？
These courses are not designed as direct Gaokao preparation. However, students who think more clearly, read more carefully, and express themselves more precisely often perform better across a wide range of academic contexts. And curiosity matters: students do better when they enjoy the process of learning itself. That is why we have deliberately chosen topics in our courses that are provocative, interesting, and exciting.
这些课程不针对高考。不过，思考更清晰、阅读更细致、表达更准确的学生，往往会在各种不同的学术环境中发挥得更好。我们也相信，求知精神本身非常重要：当学生开始享受学习与思考的过程时，往往会学得更好。这正是为什么我们所有的课程都特意选择讨论富有张力、引人思考且能激发兴趣的话题。
这些课程会帮助申请国外大学，以及之后在国外大学中更好地学习吗？
Yes. Many universities overseas place great value on exactly the qualities that our courses are designed to cultivate: intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and public speaking skills. Some universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, also require interviews, for which these qualities are especially important. Our courses can also form a meaningful part of a student’s extracurricular intellectual profile. Since our seminars are adapted from undergraduate-level teaching, students will in effect be encountering and practising a university-style mode of study at an earlier stage. For students who plan to study abroad in the future, these courses thus offer valuable preparation both for applying to university and for succeeding once they arrive.
会。许多国外大学都非常重视我们的课程所着力培养的素养与能力：求知精神、批判性思维及公共表达能力。一些大学 – 包括牛津和剑桥 – 还要求申请者参加面试，而这些能力在面试中尤其重要。我们的课程也能够构成学生课外智识经历中很有意义的一部分。由于我们的研讨课是参照世界顶尖学府的本科阶段课程而设计的，学生实际上会更早接触并练习一种大学式的学习方式。因此，对于未来有意赴海外求学的学生，我们的课程不仅有助于申请学校，也有助于学生在进入大学后更好地适应并取得成功。
为什么要学哲学或其他人文学科？
Because philosophy and the humanities enable students to engage seriously with some of the most important questions in life. They teach students not only what to think about, but how to think more clearly, more independently, and more deeply. They also help students become better readers, writers, and speakers. Just as importantly, they can make learning itself more meaningful and enjoyable; it shows that education is not only about exams, but about understanding the world and one’s place in it.
因为哲学和其他人文学科能给学生思考人生中一些最重要问题的机会。它们不仅帮助学生发掘值得思考的问题，更帮助学生学会如何更清晰、更独立、更深入地思考。它们也能帮助学生成为更好的阅读者、写作者与表达者。同时，它们还能让学习本身变得更有意义、也更有趣：这提醒我们所有人，教育不仅关乎考试，也关乎理解世界，以及理解自己在世界中的位置。
Seminar Format and Experience
研讨课形式及体验
一堂典型的研讨课会如何进行？
A typical seminar centres on one or two key concepts. The tutor will begin by introducing some interesting questions, explaining the underlying concepts behind the questions, and then inviting students to take part in a back-and-forth, Socratic-style dialogue. Each tutor will, of course, have a slightly different style. We would thus encourage you to apply to attend our trial seminar(s), and to experience our distinctive and exciting approach to education for yourself.
一堂典型的研讨课通常围绕一到两个关键概念展开。导师会先提出一些有趣的问题，解释这些问题背后的相关概念，然后邀请学生参与一种来回互动、苏格拉底式风格的对话。当然，每位导师的教学风格都会略有不同。因此，我们鼓励学生申请参加我们的免费试听课，亲自体验这种独特且富有启发性的教育模式。
每班有多少人？
Each class is intentionally kept small – 3 to 8 students – so that every student can be heard and every discussion can be serious and interactive.
我们刻意保持小班规模 ，每班 3 至 8 位学生，以确保每位学生都能真正参与，也让讨论保持深度和互动性。
Trial Seminars
免费试听课
试听课会做些什么？
A trial seminar is not an information session. It is a real, self-contained class taught by one of our highly experienced tutors; it is designed to approximate the full-course experience as closely as possible.
试听课不是简单的说明会，而是一堂由我们团队资深导师亲自讲授的、相对完整且独立的研讨课。它的设计目标是让学生在最大程度上亲身体验我们的正式课程。
家长可以旁听试听课吗？
Yes. Parents are welcome to observe, though students themselves are expected to take an active part in the class.
可以。家长欢迎旁听，不过课堂的核心仍是学生的参与与思考，因此我们鼓励学生本人积极投入。
试听课只适合已经打算报名正式课程的学生吗？
No. It is also for students and parents who are still deciding whether the course is the right fit. Also, the trial seminar is designed to be worthwhile in its own right – students do not need to enrol in the full course to benefit from attending.
不是。试听课同样适合仍在判断课程是否适合自己的学生和家长。同时，试听课本身就致力于提供完整且有价值的课堂体验，因此即使学生之后不报名正式课程，也依然能够从试听课中获益。
为什么参加试听课需要申请？
Because places in each trial seminar are limited, and we want to make sure that each seminar remains a serious, interactive, and well-structured experience for everyone involved. Given the nature of a trial seminar, we can accommodate up to 20 students and 20 parents per session. In allocating places, we take into account both the order in which applications are received and the suitability of the prospective student. For that reason, if you are interested in attending, we would encourage you to apply sooner rather than later.
因为试听课名额有限。我们希望确保每一场试听课都是一次严肃、有互动性的、且有良好秩序的课堂体验。鉴于试听课的形式，每场课最多可容纳 20 名学生及 20 位家长。在分配名额时，我们将综合考虑申请提交的先后顺序以及课程是否适合该学生参加。如果学生和家长有兴趣参加，我们建议尽早提交申请。
我感兴趣，但试听课目前安排的时间不适合我。怎么办？
Please contact us directly via WeChat by looking up the Official Account “Inquiry Academy 求思学社”, or by email at general@inquiry-academy.com.
请直接通过微信或电子邮件与我们联系。我们微信的公众号为“Inquiry Academy 求思学社”。电子邮箱为general@inquiry-academy.com。
Fees and Value
费用与价值
为什么课程价格较高？
Our courses are deliberately designed as premium small-group seminars. Class sizes are kept very small, our tutors are all highly experienced and strongly credentialed, and our courses are carefully designed to offer students a genuinely high-quality educational experience.
因为我们的课程都是按照精致型小班研讨课来设计。每班人数严格控制，所有导师都拥有扎实的履历及丰富的教学经验，课程本身也经过非常认真的设计与规划。这一切都是为了给学生提供真正高质量的学习体验。
Online Format and Trust
线上形式与可靠性
为什么采用线上形式，而不是线下？
The online format enables us to bring together highly experienced tutors and students from different parts of the world. It also makes possible the kind of intellectual and cultural exchange that lies at the core of Inquiry Academy.
线上形式能让我们把身在不同国家和地区的资深导师与学生连接起来。它同时也为我们所着重的思想与文化交流创造了机会。
我怎么知道你们是在认真做教育？
Inquiry Academy has been built around a clear mission: to offer small-group humanities seminars of genuine seriousness to middle- and high-school students. Our tutors’ backgrounds, the design of our courses, and the small class sizes all reflect that commitment. And we are confident in the quality of the education we offer – we thus invite prospective students and parents to apply to attend our trial seminars, which we offer free of charge.
求思学社是为了一个清晰的目标而创立的：为中学生提供真正具有思想深度的小班人文研讨课。我们的导师背景、课程设计、班级规划都体现了这一点。我们对自己所提供教育的质量有充分的信心，这也正是为什么我们邀请有意了解课程的学生与家长申请参加我们的免费试听课。