Herein we report our efforts to scan amino oxazolines, without the attachment of L-proline, as organocatalysts to induce chirality in intermolecular aldol reactions. It is widely accepted that organocatalysed aldol reactions follow either an acid assisted enamine route (Eq. 1) or the base induced enol–enolate pathway (Eq. 2). For the aldol reaction of unactivated ketones, the enamine mechanism (assisted by proline) appears favourable, while the base induced enol–enolate pathway is less likely due to the low acidity of the a-protons.