Agora Network: Wisdom for Modern Life

Join us for the second in a series of events designed to explore how philosophy can move beyond abstract theories and intellectual banter in order to become a powerful force that can transform our lives.

Above all else, Socrates sought to convince his fellow Athenians that they should care for their souls above all other pursuits and believed that philosophy was our best means of cultivating that care. In this spirit, these events will not simply be discussion groups nor will they take the form of a lecture, but instead will serve as a community of philosophical practice. Their purpose is not to imitate the personality of Socrates, but to cultivate the capacities that allowed him to live wisely.

Each meeting will follow a similar structure:

• Meditative Practice & Check-in: a moment to catch our breath, access the present moment, and briefly share where we’re at.
• Socratic Dialogue: discussion of a core philosophical concept utilizing the Socratic method
• Socratic Practice: a specific practice aimed at developing our intellectual humility and character.
• Closing Reflection: We’ll ask ourselves what insights we’ve gained and how we can apply them to our lives.

It's highly encouraged to arrive on time, but if you must arrive later then please be considerate as you enter. It could also be useful to bring a water bottle and a mat to sit on just to make sure you’re comfortable.

If you need to cancel, please do so more than a few days before and change your attendance status before the day of to be considerate both of the host's effort and also others who would like to attend. Repeated last minute cancelations or no-shows will result in your being placed in the waiting list for future events.

Something happens: your partner seems distant in a conversation, a friend doesn't respond to your message for an entire day, the boss says they need to speak with you about your performance. Before you know it, you're already reacting — already gripped, already certain you know what it means.

Together, we'll explore two discourses from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus that proposes both a diagnosis of why this happens, as well as a remedy to help us better navigate it. Discourses 1.26 and 1.27 work as a pair. 1.26 asks what "the rule of life" actually is — and argues that we already know general principles well enough, we just fail, consistently, to apply them to the particular case in front of us, the way a student of grammar knows the rule but still misspells the word. 1.27 picks up right where that leaves off: it asks how many ways a single event can appear to us, and argues that most of our distress comes not from what happens, but from mistaking the first appearance — before we've applied any rule at all — for the whole truth.

Epictetus was a Stoic philosopher who taught in Rome and then Nicopolis in the late 1st and early 2nd century CE. The Discourses are lecture notes taken by his student Arrian, which is part of why they read as blunt, conversational, and aimed at daily life rather than abstract theory.

Together, these two chapters lay out the basic mental discipline his whole philosophy depends on: knowing the rule, and catching the impression before you've agreed to it.

Join us for a close reading and open discussion. No prior knowledge of Epictetus, Stoicism, or philosphy in general is required. Participants are encouraged to read the text in advance and come prepared with a passage, a question, or a point of resistance.

Prague in the early 16th century was a meeting place of great minds and lunatics, a melting pot of cultures and religions. The old world medieval philosophy is being replaced by the nascent scientific revolution. This tour will explore the historical residue still visible in the streets of Prague from this fascinating period—the homes and haunts of these characters, and their often colorful and even cursed lives. By the end you should have a sense of the complexity of this time period, how it influenced us, and how it is also entirely foreign.

I have designed this tour to explore the period which I think makes Prague a particularly enchanting city to live in. Payment is donation based, with usual contributions ranging from 10-20 euro / 250-500 czk per person but can be more or less depending on your evaluation. This will be collected at the end of the tour, and can be in cash or by card.

We will begin by the astronomical clock on Malé Náměstí and end in the Wallenstein gardens near the Malostranská metro station.