2016 Philosophy Symposium – “Vulnerable Humanity, Predictable Machines” (Part 1)

Co-directed by Merlin CCC (in conjunction with Dr. Barry Ferst, Professor of Philosophy at Carroll College, and Tim Holmes, internationally-renowned artist) and hosted by Carroll College,  “Vulnerable Humanity, Predictable Machines” was the first of three community events geared to initiate a public discussion about the human-technology relationship and the promises…

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Bringing Existentialism Home

Existentialism is a term that was explicitly adopted by Jean-Paul Sartre to refer to his philosophical work, but became identified with a larger cultural & philosophical movement that flourished in Europe in mid-20th century.  As an interesting sidebar, there are also some 19th philosophers who are referred to as existentialists,…

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A Crash Course on ‘What Is Philosophy?’

At our Beat the Heat Philosophy Party in August, one of our presentations explored what philosophy is, what it isn’t, and why we should care.  This fun video from the Crash Course series provides some additional insight about the matter, including a brief history of philosophy (primarily from a western…

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Buddhism & Buddhist Ethics

As part of our August 2016 Beat the Heat Philosophy Party members of the Helena community enjoyed grub & grog, fun games, wonderful dialogue, live music, and dancing.  Also part of the mix…philosophy presentations — one of which explored Buddhism and Buddhist Ethics.

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Philosophy: What It Is, Isn’t & Why It Matters

In August of 2016, we hosted an indoor community shin-dig at The Placer called the Beat the Heat Philosophy Party.  We had a blast and enjoyed great grub & grog, fun games, wonderful dialogue, dancing to good tunes & more!  Also part of the party mix…philosophy presentations — one of…

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August 2016 Philosophy Walk (Eastern Philosophy & Eastern Medicine)

Our August philosophy walk was phenomenal. Our group headed out at 8am for a fun journey up Mount Helena and enjoyed wonderful conversation about eastern philosophy & eastern medicine! The Fall-like weather, clear skies, sunshine & gentle breeze were fantastic. And…the brilliantly colored mountain blue birds were an absolute treat!…

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Lessons on Empathy & Compassion from the Classroom

Empathy and compassion are some of the greatest life lessons we can ever hope to learn. While expanding our minds is (and should be) a goal of our educational systems, lessons that help to expand our hearts are often (sadly) less of a focus. In this award-winning documentary, Mr. Toshiro…

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Separating Violence from Masculinity

More than twenty years after the war in the Balkans, generations of young men & women are still thick in struggle. Desperation, anger & frustration have led to increased violence by many young men and ideas about what masculinity entails have fueled the fire. According to Aleksandar Slijepsveic, youth coordinator…

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