In 1947, two educators from the University of Chicago, Robert Maynard Hutchins, president of the university, and Professor Mortimer J. Adler, established the Great Books Foundation to bring together passionate readers to meet and talk about enduring issues and ideas. Three years later, these gentlemen joined Walter Paepcke to form the Aspen Institute. Today, the Great Books program remains integrally linked to the ideals of the Aspen Institute. This five-week program offers participants the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the most significant books in the Western intellectual tradition through a weekly moderated dialogue.

The 2020 series sessions took place on five consecutive Wednesdays from 6:00-8:30 p.m. beginning Wednesday, January 29, running through Wednesday, February 26 on the Aspen Meadows campus. Paul Andersen and Jon Peacock returned to moderate the series.