We are a school of Philosophy.
We promote Culture.
We practice Volunteering.
The Visionary Behind the School
Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi (1930–1991)
New Acropolis wasn't built by a committee. It was founded in 1957 by a young seeker of wisdom who believed that philosophy should be more than just an intellectual game. He proposed a bold idea: a school where people didn't just study the great books, but lived them.
Reviving the Classical Tradition
In the 1950s, Jorge Ángel Livraga noticed a problem: education was becoming purely technical. We were learning how to build machines, but forgetting how to build character.
He looked back to history for a solution. He was inspired by the Classical Schools of the Past:
-
The Academy of Plato
-
The Lyceum of Aristotle
-
The Library of Alexandria
These weren't just places to memorize facts. They were communities where people gathered to search for wisdom together. Livraga founded New Acropolis to bring that approach to philosophy as a way of life back to the 20th (and now 21st) century.
A Life of Study
Born in Buenos Aires to an Italian family, Livraga was a voracious learner.
-
Education: He held degrees in History of Art and Philosophy from the University of Buenos Aires.
-
Comparative Studies: He spent years studying the medicine, science, and philosophy of Ancient India, seeking the common threads between Eastern and Western thought.
-
The Launch: In 1957, at the age of 27, he founded the first center in what would become the International Organization New Acropolis (OINA).
He spent the rest of his life traveling, teaching, and writing, eventually establishing centers in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
"We Can All Do Something"
Livraga was a critic of "armchair philosophy." He famously said that we can all do something to make the world better.
He championed Volunteering as the ultimate philosophical exercise. He believed that confusion and passivity are cured by action. This commitment to service is why every New Acropolis school today—from Mumbai to Chicago—is involved in local ecological and social relief projects.
Your Actions Shape the Future
We believe that to build a better world, we must first build better human beings—and that starts with service. When we give our time and energy to others, we don't just improve our city; we transform ourselves. Don’t let your philosophy stay on the page. Bring it to life with us.
