Articles posted by Merlin CCC (Page 3)

How Did We Get Here?: Freedom

In this installment of “How Did We Get Here?” with philosopher Ed Glowienka we considered something we all want, but can’t agree on how to get: freedom. We explored the shift between classical and Enlightenment notions of political freedom and looked at how reactions to this shift inform modern conservative and liberal values. Along the way, we did a bunch of other stuff, too, and hopefully gained a deeper appreciation of why we value freedom and of the philosophical positions underlying contemporary debates. Access photos & more here!

Philosophy Workshop: “Ways of Knowing”

Most of us have the basic intuition that, because the truth “always is what it is”then there shouldn’t really be different “kinds” of knowing: we either know, or we don’t know, and that’s that. Knowledge, like truth, should be objective and invariable. Yet many of us also have another intuition: sometimes, there really does seem to be “something different” about knowing, or about acquiring knowledge, in different ways. In this workshop we applied some traditional tools, along with our own careful analytic skill, to see what we could salvage from both intuitions. We identified, as best we can, what each intuition gets right, as well as how they fit together in a coherent way. Critically, we learned to appreciate the difference between knowing, as an activity that we do, and knowledge, as a thing that we have. Access resources here!

Greater Helena Gives 2023 Donors Raise $3,550 for Philosophy in the Community!

Thank you to everyone who so generously donated to Merlin during Greater Helena Gives 2023. Because of you we were able to surpass our goal of $3k….raising $3,550 for our philosophy in the community programs!

Wildlife Recovery Book Launch & Community Discussion

We had a wonderful time at the Lewis & Clark Library with guest scholar Christopher Preston. Our evening involved a blend of author readings & community discussion. Over the course of our gathering, Christopher shared insights and perspectives about the people and wildlife he encountered while researching species recoveries. His encounters with whales, wolves, sea otters, and bison – as well as the scientists that study them – suggest that better ways to think about animals are close at hand. View more here!

Merlin Receives $1,475 Grant from PLATO for their 2023 Loss & Legacy Series

Thank you so much to The Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization for their support of our 2023 philosophy symposia series on Loss & Legacy. Learn more here!

Philosophy Workshop: “Friendship & Actions” Reading & Discussion

In his Handbook, the Stoic philosopher Epictetus tells us that “the appropriate actions for us to do are usually measured out for us by our relations.” Epictetus suggests that we can see how to act fittingly in any given situation, based on how we are related to the other people involved, whether as family members, friends, fellow citizens, enemies, or in whatever other way. In this reading & discussion, we used some extended quotations from Simplicius’ commentary as a springboard for reflecting on friendship, and on the appropriate actions that arise from our relationships more generally. Access resources here!

2023 Food for Thought Table Talk Leaders & Topics Announced

Our Food for Thought fundraiser is a limited capacity event with dinner and beverages, entertainment & thought-provoking table talks led by guest scholars. We have a great line-up with some amazing thinkers, each of whom offer a diverse range of perspectives. Learn more & see what they’ll be talking about here!

How Did We Get Here?: Planet

In this installment of “How Did We Get Here?”, we considered the intellectual history of “planet” with mathematician, physicist, and astrophysicist Kelly Cline. We started with the ancient Greeks, moved to Copernicus, and then sashayed into the 20th century. Along the way we learned about how scientific words and their definitions serve as a specific lens through which we can view the world. By scientifically defining words so that they most closely match real categories that exist in physical reality, this makes it easier for us to understand, investigate, and make sense of the universe. As such, this installment of HDWGH and the evolution of how we understand and use the word planet gave us important insights into the nature of science and the foundations of our modern civilization. Access photos & more here.