Our Programmes

The Art of Good Ancestry

20th September 2025

Facilitator: Roman Krznaric

How to find hope across the landscape of time.

How can we become good ancestors? How can reinventing our relationship with time be a source of hope and inspiration for personal and social change? These are the questions you will be exploring in this one-day course with social philosopher and internationally bestselling author Roman Krznaric. You’ll be taking journeys into both the past and future to open your imagination to new ways of organising our politics, economies and community life, revealing possibilities for hope in our turbulent times.

Event time: 20th September 2025 9:00am - 5:00pm

Interested in spreading the cost of this course? Select Clearpay at checkout.

Not seeing Clearpay? Email info@hawkwoodcollege.co.uk for your payment options.

What Is Included

For the majority of our courses, both residential and non-residential rates are available. Residential options are fully inclusive with all meals provided. Non-residential options include suppers, lunches and all refreshments and exclude B&B. Some of our short day courses, events and talks do not include meals and refreshments. For more details about this course, please see the Practical Information section below.

Additional Activities

Mindful walking through our woodland trails
Meditate in our Woodland Sanctuary
Go on a hike and explore the Cotswolds AONB
Discover surrounding charming market towns

At a Glance

An imaginative journey into both the past and future in search of hope for personal and social change
Inspiring real-life examples and guidance for how we can become good ancestors
Thoughtful discussions about your personal relationship with time and how to reinvent it

What You Will Gain

A new way of relating to time that can inspire individual and collective transformation
An understanding of powerful concepts such as good ancestry, temporal intelligence and cathedral thinking
A genuine sense of hope that we can tackle the challenges of our time, from ecological breakdown to growing inequalities and the risks of AI

Booking Options

DayDay delegate rate

£115.00

Interested in spreading the cost of this course? Select Clearpay at checkout.

Not seeing Clearpay? Email info@hawkwoodcollege.co.uk for your payment options.

The Art of Good Ancestry Tutors

Roman Krznaric

More about The Art of Good Ancestry

In this course Roman Krznaric will be drawing on some of the central insights in his pathbreaking books 'The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a Short-Term World' and 'History for Tomorrow: Inspiration for the Past for the Future of Humanity', to help us become the good ancestors that future generations deserve. The morning session focuses on our relationship with the future, exploring ideas such as cathedral thinking and intergenerational justice through inspiring examples from around the world. You will learn about the neuroscience of the ‘acorn brain’ and do activities that develop a deep emotional connection with the citizens of tomorrow and the planet they will inhabit.

In the afternoon you’ll be traveling into the past, searching for moments of collective hope we can learn from to overcome the challenges of the twenty-first century, from the ecological emergency to the risks of artificial intelligence. Through encounters with ancient Japan’s circular economy, forgotten forms of radical democracy, and the inspiring history of disruptive social movements, you will expand your historical imagination and recognise the power of acting ‘as if’ change is possible.

Roman will also be introducing his concept of ‘temporal intelligence’, the capacity to think on multiple time horizons – forwards and backwards, short-term and long-term, linear and cyclical. Lunch will be accompanied by one of his ‘conversation menus’ to help encourage adventurous conversations about your personal relationship with time.

Practical Information

No prior experience is needed for this course. Just bring your imagination and a notebook. It would be useful beforehand to watch Roman’s TED talk, How to Be a Good Ancestor. For a longer introduction to his thinking, listen to him being interviewed on The Great Simplification podcast (episode 142).

“This was really inspiring. It enhanced my honesty with myself and changed the way I think about others in my life. The course was profoundly insightful about our motivations and quality of life.“

Past Participant

About Hawkwood

Hawkwood is a stunning Grade Il listed 19th Century country house, surrounded by 42 acres of sustainably managed woodland, farmland, and gardens. Set in the heart of the Cotswolds - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - it is a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. With a diverse selection of nearly 150 courses, there's plenty to choose from, including courses in transformative leadership, future thinking, inner life, music and the arts.

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