This article attempts to re-evaluate Karl Mannheim's notion of "planning for freedom" within the context of contemporary global citizenship education (GCE). First, it examines Mannheim's distinctions between "planning," "founding," and "administration" and analyses his notion of "principia media." It argues that Mannheim conceptualised "planned thinking" as a dynamic and interdependent type of thinking necessary for grasping the whole situation of a changing world. This kind of thinking is interdisciplinary and serves to develop human capacity, through higher education, towards the cultivation of active global citizens. Second, this article examines Mannheimian conceptions of "democratic personality," "integrative behaviour," and "creative tolerance," all of which are related to civility, which in turn is an indispensable aspect for GCE. The aim of this article is not to simply study Mannheim's thoughts in the strictest sense of the word. Rather, it interprets his insights in the context of current GCE's values and knowledge.