Alleyn's Welcomes New Graduate Scholar in Residence

Filippo Ursitti joins the teaching staff at Alleyn’s as Graduate Scholar in Residence. He will work alongside the Head of Philosophy, Lewis Geldeard, to support students through stimulating extension seminars designed to appeal to those who might contemplate studying Philosophy at university, as well as a broader audience.

Mr Ursitti is a PhD student in Critical Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London. He holds a Master’s Degree in European Philosophy from Royal Holloway, University of London, and a Bachelor in Philosophy from the Università degli Studi di Perugia. His research and publications attempt to re-evaluate the philosopher, intellectual and critical theorist Günther Anders.

One widely held misconception about philosophy is that it has no practical value, but Mr Ursitti intends to persuade us that this is utterly incorrect. “Philosophy is the interpretation of the world in order to change it”, says Ursitti, quoting Marx’s famous motto. Studying philosophy contributes to our capacity to organise ideas, encourage curiosity, develop critical reasoning skills, and promote a culture of respect and tolerance. “I believe these philosophical values would well complement Alleyn’s holistic education, facilitating students to build curiosity, reflection, determination, and a lifelong enthusiasm for learning”.

We are delighted to welcome Mr Ursitti to the staff. Aidan Sproat-Clements, the Director of Studies, adds “It is an extraordinary opportunity for our students to be able to work with an active academic, such as Filippo, who lives and breathes research as part of his daily life. Not only is it wonderful for them to be able to benefit from his tremendous expertise, but his potential to role model what high-level academic research can look like is also particularly unusual in a school environment. It is marvellous that we are able to incorporate him in our staff body and I hope that I too will be able to make it along to one of his extra-curricular talks!”