About Reason & Rationality

Reason & Rationality was inspired by Dean of Academics, Peter Bach-y-Rita’s childhood experience on his high school debate team. After losing their coach, Peter’s debate team friends stayed on and turned their club into a Friday afternoon philosophical salon where big ideas were up for conversation, but always in convivial fashion – meaning warm, welcoming, and brimming with intellectual camaraderie. Peter went off to Princeton University and got his Ph.D. in philosophy from MIT and JD from Stanford. He began Reason & Rationality in 2023. Pronounced demand led to expansion from the West Coast to East Coast in 2025.

Meet the Founding Team

Peter Bach-y-Rita

DEAN OF ACADEMICS & CO-FOUNDER

Donald Sung

PRESIDENT & CO-FOUNDER

James B. Estes

PROJECT DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

Program Impact

Thriving Under Uncertainty

Curiosity & Critical Thinking

FAQ

James' research on the famous Trolley Problem

Immediate Impact

James B Estes attended the original Reason & Rationality discussion series in 2023 as a participant and TA, later joining the team to co-found the Reason & Rationality Summer Program. Inspired by the class session on the Trolley Problem, James conducted empirical research into survey respondents’ intuitions about an important Trolley Problem variant. He then authored and published a peer reviewed article entitled Empirical Evidence Reveals the Motivation of Subjects Who Switch Tracks in the Trolley Loop Case.