In this final installment of our “What is Philosophy?” series with philosopher David Nowakowski, we looked at some of the most fundamental issues in philosophy: knowledge, reasoning, and what makes for an effective argument! Access resources and information here.
In this workshop we explored a variety of viewpoints and questions surrounding knowledge, explanation, and how we make sense of the world. Access resources and reading recommendations here!
In this workshop we explored how philosophers (over the millennia, in various corners of the globe) have approached the problems of ethics, and what kinds of answers they’ve proposed. Access resources and reading recommendations here!
To celebrate the new year, we kicked off our 2021 workshop series by looking at the questions: “What is philosophy? What does it involve, what does it do, and why should we care?” For this first ZOOM workshop led by philosopher David Nowakowski, we surveyed several approaches to the question, “What is philosophy?”, each of which raised its own further questions for reflection and discussion. We also took a quick tour of the major areas or divisions of philosophy, as they developed in Greece, India, and elsewhere. Access resources and reading recommendations here!
In this2½-hour ZOOM philosophy workshop led by philosopher David Nowakowski, we investigated Indian & Tibetan Buddhist Skepticism, especially the works of Nāgārjuna. Access resources and reading recommendations here!
In this2½-hour ZOOM philosophy workshop led by philosopher David Nowakowski, we investigated Greek Skepticism, especially the works of Sextus Empiricus. Access resources and reading recommendations here!
In this2½-hour ZOOM philosophy workshop led by philosopher David Nowakowski, we investigated the philosophy of evil — both at the level of abstract concepts, and at the level of practical, everyday action. Access resources and reading recommendations here!
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!
