August 2019 Philosophy Walk (Helena): Reconnecting with Nature

We were blown away by how amazing our August Philosophy Walk was…beautiful weather, wonderful people, great questions, and thought-provoking discussion led by 2019 Merlin Student Fellow & Philosopher, Henry Kramer, and Grants Manager & Humanitarian, Ryan Aikin. Our group of 17 — including 3 delightful young philosophers who joined us for the journey — enjoyed a lovely hike on the Waterline & Rodney Ridge Trails and explored “reconnecting with nature” through the lens of phenomenology, pragmatism, and animism. Access resources & photos here!

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July 2019 Philosophy Walk: Virtue & Hope

Our group enjoyed fantastic weather and a lovely hike up Dump Gulch Trail on our July Philosophy Walk.   Led by philosopher-on-trail David Nowakowski, we explored the life of virtue and hope…and a range of related questions that arose in the process of this informal, free-flowing discussion. Access resources & photos here!

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“Big Ideas by Little Philosophers” (BiLP) – Summer 2019

During phase 2 of our BiLP program, our young thinkers engaged in a “Know Thyself” project aimed at helping them gain insight about what examination of things that brings us joy can tell us about ourselves. The “Know Thyself” project culminated in a community showcase — in the form of an art exhibition highlighting their philosophical work and Q & A session — at the 5th Annual Reeder’s Alley Block Party. Check out details, photos, and more here!

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June 2019 Philosophy Walk: Envrionment, Ethics & Stewardship

How we relate to nature is complicated and ever-evolving. Our group — led by co-philosophers-on-trail Christopher Preston & Patrick Kelly — enjoyed a morning & afternoon walk up the steep slopes of the 1906/Prairie trail to the summit of Mt. Helena, and explored a number of topics related to environment, ethics, the public trust doctrine, and stewardship. Access resources & photos here!

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May 2019 Philosophy Walk: “KNOW THY CITY”

Titled “KNOW THY CITY” (in homage to the Delphic maxim to “KNOW THYSELF”), our May walk was an invitation to explore a bit ourselves and the city.” Featuring guest speaker, historian, artist, & urban designer, Dennis McCahon, our group roamed the city of Helena and observed the ways in which design contributes to experiences, how we “move through” our built environments…and, equally, how they move through us.

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“Big Ideas by Little Philosophers” (BiLP) — Spring 2019

We had an amazing time with our young philosophers during the first phase of our “Big Ideas by Little Philosopher’s” (BiLP) program at Cottonwood ALC. Check out what sorts of things we explored, photos & our fun video with HCTV!

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March 2019 Philosophy Walk: The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship (Part 3)

Part 3 of our 3-Part Fall Philosophy Walk Series on the environment, ethics & stewardship took place on Sunday, March 24th at Ten Mile Creek Park.  Despite the weather being overcast (a change from the sunny day prior) and the trails a bit slushy from the recent melt, our adventure was beautiful and fun.  We also heard numerous bird calls from above — geese, gulls, northern flickers — and some fun dog calls (from our furry four-legged’s who joined us on the walk). Sponsored in part by grants from The Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization & Humanities Montana, our group shared dialogue about philosophical and other perspectives related to current and future environmental & conservation challenges, and featured special guest speakers Thomas Baumeister, Mark Smillie, and Tyrrell Hibbard.

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2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium – “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” (Part 3)

Our 2018-2019 Philosophy Symposium Series “The Environment, Ethics & Stewardship” looked at numerous philosophical issues & perspectives related to ethics, the environment, and conservation stewardship, ranging from public vs. private land (including individual rights, collective rights, indigenous rights, other); landowner/steward-wildlife and habitat relationships, and; current & future environmental/conservation challenges. At this symposium, six panelists from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds focused on the third of these three areas of discussion and spoke for 7-10 minutes each. Then the forum was opened up to free-flowing audience-panelist Q & A. Access audio-video, photos & more here!

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