THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE FRAMEWORK

ESSENCE IS MORE BASIC THAN FUNCTION.

Flume is an intellectually rich and action-focused think tank dedicated understanding the essence and holistic nature of the human person and to make it known. Human nature, human dignity, human diversity, human equality, human essence, human flourishing, human history, human society, human worldviews, and human culture are but a few of the concepts we care about. Moreover, Flume is not merely interested in data-driven decision making, best practices, evidence-based practices, industry standards, or even “common sense.” Rather, as a mode of being and thought, Flume is most concerned with what most people miss and what clearly comes first—the philosophical beginnings those very concepts assume.

It is in this way, Flume has developed a uniquely first-principled and holistically humanistic approach that integrates and orders the natural relationship between the humanities and the social sciences—qualities then quantities, from philosophy and the liberal arts to psychology, biology, sociology, and strengths-based social work. This allows us to find insightful, creative, and holistic flourishing-focused solutions to the many problems we face; and not just rid ourselves of them, but to cultivate ever greater fruits of redemption, meaning, and the good, true, and beautiful in their place—first in the world of ideas and then in the world of reality.

Minding the history of ideas, Flume is rooted in the Great Tradition and born to further the Great Conversation in fresh ways that are relevant to our current cultural moment and thus cultivates the good, true, and beautiful in all areas of culture.

In sum, this is our phenomenology. It is out of this mode of being our varied divisions, works, words, ideas, and efforts flow—like a flume, taking the inherent nature and potential of the human person and the human experience, and fostering its flourishing even further—first in our minds, soaked through our hearts, and then out of our feet, fingers, and mouths.

To learn more, our framework is summarized in The Human Experience Poster Collection found here.