About us
The goal is for people from different backgrounds to get together and exchange philosophical perspectives and questions that are both timely and timeless in nature based on their experiences. It involves collaborative argumentative dialogue between the participants by asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to discover the ideas and underlying presuppositions.
Behaviors That Support Dialogue
- Suspension of judgment while listening and speaking. When we listen and suspend judgment, we open the door to expanded understanding. When we speak without judgment, we open the door for others to listen to us.
- Respect for differences. Our respect is grounded in the belief that everyone has an essential contribution to make and is to be honored for the perspective which only they can bring.
- Role and status suspension. Again, in dialogue, all participants and their contributions are absolutely essential to developing an integrated whole view. No one perspective is more important than any other. Dialogue is about power with, versus power over or under.
- Balancing inquiry and advocacy. In dialogue we inquire to discover and understand one another’s perspectives and ideas, and we advocate to offer our own for consideration. The intention is to bring forth and make visible assumptions and relationships, and to gain new insight and understanding. We often tend to advocate to convince others of our positions. Therefore, a good place to start with this guideline is to practice bringing more inquiry into the conversation.
- Focus on learning. Our intention is to learn from each other, to expand our view and understanding, not to evaluate and determine who has the “best” view. When we are focused on learning, we tend to ask more questions, try new things. We are willing to disclose our thinking so that we can see both what is working for us and what we might want to change. We want to hear from all parties so that we can gain the advantage of differing perspectives.
source: https://capstone.unst.pdx.edu/sites/default/files/Dialogue%20and%20Debate_0.pdf
This group does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities.
Upcoming events
1
The Enchiridion - by Epictetus
Cherry Hills Library, 6901 Barstow Street Northeast, Albuquerque, NM, USPOSTED on behalf of Paul Weeks - Socrates Cafe' Member who will facilitate this meetup
For our next April 19, 2-4 PM meeting we will be discussing The Enchiridion (translated sometimes as "Handbook" or “Manual” or “Pocket Manual”) by Epictetus.
The Enchiridion is a concise 2nd-century AD manual of Stoic ethical teachings compiled by Epictetus’ student Arrian, originally written in Greek. It has been used for centuries as a practical guide for achieving mental freedom, providing a roadmap for living a resilient and well-grounded life in the midst of uncertainty and chaos.
Marcus Aurelius was profoundly influenced by Epictetus, whom he quotes several times in his Meditations. Marcus applied the teachings to his decision making as Emperor and manage the stresses of ruling the Roman Empire.
Stoic principles from Epictetus enabled Admiral James Stockdale to maintain his moral authority, resist interrogation, and lead his fellow prisoners through over seven years (1965–1973) of captivity, torture, and isolation in North Vietnam.The Enchiridion has also significantly influenced women across centuries, from fostering resilience in early modern thinkers like Katherine Philips, Mary Chudleigh, and Elizabeth Carter (who famously translated his works) to empowering 19th-century suffragists like Susan B. Anthony, who used his principles of self-control and virtue to argue for female equality.
The teachings of Epictetus have had a lasting impact on human happiness and modern psychology. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), the therapeutic approach most often used in psychotherapy, is based on Stoic teachings.
The Enchiridion is short, typically spanning 30 to 50 pages in print. It consists of 53 short chapters, taking roughly 30 minutes to one hour to read in its entirety (but decades and decades to digest).
To prepare for our meeting it is suggested to read the short Enchiridion and think about these things:- What is your favorite chapter? What about it makes it your favorite? Is there one actionable stoic habit you could apply to your life immediately?
- What teachings would be the most difficult to apply in 2026?
- Write down any questions you have about the text (for example: What does “happiness” mean to Epictetus? Or, how is it possible to change one’s judgements about things? All questions are good questions.)
We will talk about all these together on April 19, from 2-4 PM.
There are many translations of this text available. You can find it as a stand alone book or as part of a larger book collection of his discourses.
I’m a fan of Epictetus: Discourses, Fragments, Handbook, A new translation by Robin Hard
OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSICS.Also good is: Epictetus Discourses and Selected Writings, translated by Robert Dobbin, Penguin.
A new interpretation by Sharon Lebell called, Art of Living: The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness, and Effectiveness—Epictetus, is easy to read and also available.
There are also old free public domain translations available online like this one: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/45109/45109-h/45109-h.htm
YouTube has a few free audio narrations available that take under an hour to listen to.
Also, if you’re interested, Ryan Holiday has a fun half-hour video on YouTube called: How To Read Epictetus (Enchiridion, Discourses) https://youtu.be/KnFxKECY3Ck
Epictetus remains highly relevant today by offering a practical framework for mental resilience, emotional stability, and personal accountability in a chaotic world. I hope you enjoy the material and join us for the discussion.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnFxKECY3Ck
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