Philosophical and spiritual texts from India, like the Bhagavad Gita, often present a choice — or even a conflict — between three lives, or three different ways that we humans might organize and structure our lives. We see the life of action, focused on “getting stuff done,” particularly in the political, economic, or domestic realms. We find the life of knowledge, centered on wisdom and understanding. And we encounter the life of devotion, based in love.
While Indian traditions present the tension between these lives in a way that’s especially sharp, we can find a very similar story playing out in Greek and Roman philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, and Seneca. And we can see these three lives in the choices made by our family members, friends, and our wider society… and maybe even ourselves.
We’ll use a few short selections from important philosophical texts, East and West, as a springboard for understanding each life, both on its own terms, and in conflict or dialogue with the others. These excerpts can be downloaded on our website in advance should you want to read and ponder them before the workshop. Printed copies will be available at the door on the night of the event. Reading ahead is strongly encouraged, but not required.
The evening will be somewhat like one of our philosophy walks: three distinct stops, each with its own theme and ample opportunity for discussion—just without all the walking, and with the help of these short written texts to keep ourselves “all on the same page.”
Learn more & RSVP here: https://merlinccc.org/event/philosophy-workshop-three-lives-2023/
