Of Human Potential: A 40-Year Saga*

Abstract

Howard Gardner’s longtime interest in the range of human capacities and talents was facilitated by his leadership role in the Bernard Van Leer Foundation “Project on Human Potential” carried out at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1979–1985. In this reflective essay, Gardner describes his early studies of human potential and indicates how, in view of scientific and cultural trends, this line of research should be pursued in the period ahead.