Many of us take for granted a clear divide between the animate and inanimate. For instance: I am alive, but the chair I sit in is not. My dog is probably alive, as is the oak tree just outside my window. I am somewhat less certain about grass. Or viruses. What does this distinction between the living and nonliving mean to us? Why do we care so deeply about finding a firm line between the two? What might we discover about our world, our own assumptions, and our own ethical action if we are willing to question these categories? Many cultures and peoples throughout the world have never bothered to make such clean distinctions, and even in our contemporary western culture, a movement of philosophers has been challenging this divide from within. In this ZOOM workshop led by philosophers Henry Kramer & David Nowakowski, we explored the philosophy of animism – an orientation toward the world where everything is encountered as meaningfully alive. Access the video and other resources here!
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In these two 2½-hour ZOOM workshops led by philosopher David Nowakowski we investigated Stoic ethics, providence and the world. These two workshops represented our first ZOOM workshops of the year (or ever for that matter — ZOOM was new to us as we typically hold in-person workshops). However, we were grateful to have so many workshop attendees join us and participate in the conversation! See what sorts of things we discussed and access the workshop handouts, activities, and reading recommendations here!
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Our society has a complicated relationship with leisure, idleness, and rest. On this walk, we’ll explore some of the differences between these things, the historical contexts that have helped to shape our values about work and leisure, and much more! Please join us for our free Philosophy Walk on Sunday, June 7th from 10am – 1pm. Learn more here!
*NOTE: In order to practice safe social distancing measures, we will limit our walk to 10 people max and require registration.*
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Please join us for this philosophy as a way of life-inspired walk on Saturday, September 14th from 10am-1pm where we’ll be exploring “virtue & ethics: from ecology to ethics.” Special guest speaker/philosopher-on-trail — David Nowakowski, PhD. To learn more & sign-up for our free meandering, visit our philosophy walks page.
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Please join us for this philosophy as a way of life-inspired walk on Sunday, July 14th from 9am-12pm where we’ll be exploring ethics, “the life of virtue” and hope. Meeting/Hike Location: Dump Gulch/McKelvey Trailhead (just past the Lime Kilns on Grizzly Gulch Drive). Special guest scholar/philosopher-on-trail — David Nowakowski. This…
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