Session #12 - Souls Beyond Reason: The Spirit of Romanticism

“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
— Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Session Outline
If you are not familiar with Romanticism, no problem, we will make sure everybody enjoys a healthy debate without any previous knowledge required.

Let’s start with this thought:
Picture life as a passionate journey where the cold light of reason is often challenged by the wild, unpredictable power of feeling, imagination, and nature. Romanticism calls us to value intuition over logic, the individual’s experience over social rules, and the mysterious power of the natural world over human control.

Join us and share what moments or ideas have ever stirred your deepest feelings or inspired your imagination beyond what reason could explain.

Our debate will be about emotion over calculation, nature over industry, and authenticity over conformity.
Let’s explore together how Romanticism asks us to rethink what it means to be fully human, creative, and free.

1. Introduction (15 minutes)
   We start with a short introduction of the guests
2. Group Discussion (1 hour and 45 min)

• Some of the questions:
• Why might emotion and imagination be more truthful than rational thought?
• How does nature awaken feelings and insights that logic cannot reach
• What does it mean to be an individual in conflict with society’s expectations?
• Can passion sometimes justify breaking rules or conventions?
• How do artists and poets express truths that ordinary language and science cannot?
• Does Romanticism offer a way to resist the coldness of industrial and modern life?
• How important is mystery and the unknown in shaping our understanding of the world?
• Can embracing emotion and creativity lead to a better, more authentic life?

How can you contribute? the Philosophy Club is collaborating with the venue (Kovasz) and epicurea.hu. You are totally free to drink whatever you want, but if interested, we arranged for you a stunning 40% (and up to) 50% discount on alcohol-free wine glasses, only if you pre-order before the event here:

EN: https://epicurea.hu/en/alkoholmentes-borkostolo-budapesten/soberhood-philosophy-wine-glasses

HU: https://epicurea.hu/alkoholmentes-borkostolo-budapesten/soberhood-filozofiai-borospoharak