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Kibbitznest Liberal Arts Discussions are a collaboration with The University of Chicago Graham School to host presentations and discussions of original research, hosted at Kibbitznest Books, Brews & Blarney.
All proceeds benefit the kibbitznest nonprofit, with a mission to encourage face-to-face communication, inspire conversation, and bring our community together to share insights and philosophies in a Socratic dialogue.
RSVP Doors Open at 6:00pm
Non-RSVP Doors Open at 6:15pm
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
(Due to limited seating, RSVPs will receive priority seating)
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Discussion Information:
Contemporary Americans inhabit a culture that is fascinated by the individual by the claims that I can make on others, and that others can make on me, simply in virtue of each persons being who and what they are. Our moral debates presuppose that individual rights are the basis of politics, our social worlds encourage us to present ourselves as distinctive personalities who express their unique points of view and preferences, and we seldom think that punishing someone for who they are is appropriate. "Who" or "what I am" commands a kind of instantaneous respect: it's my best protection and my deepest resource.
From a classical Buddhist perspective, this preoccupation with selfhood and identity marks our culture as intensely pathological. Buddhist theorists argue that the question of who or what I am is ultimately incoherent, and they'd draw attention to the relentless anxiety and breakdowns in personal connection that go hand-in-hand with our futile attempts at answering it. The quest to be a stable and commanding self, for this perspective, is an understandable but deeply mistaken response to the all-pervasive fact of suffering; like more commonly recognized addictions, it makes that suffering worse instead of better. Tonight we'll explore the distinctively Buddhist idea that, in order to relieve suffering intelligently, we need to forget all about whose suffering it is that we should help people not because they are a certain way that commands some kind of respect, but simply because (as we already know) suffering is horrible.
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About Stephen Walker:
STEPHEN C. WALKER holds a PhD in the Philosophy of Religions from the University of Chicago Divinity School. His research focuses on classical Chinese thought particularly Daoism and the Zhuangziand explores the relationship between skeptical, relativistic, and anti-realist theoretical claims and the practical consequences of taking such claims seriously. He has also worked extensively with Sanskrit materials, particularly those reflecting the classical heritage of exacting interreligious debate. Interests that inform his writing and teaching include the personal and social contexts for philosophical work, the ambiguity and malleability of concepts, and the importance of learning to appreciate both insider and outsider perspectives on texts and traditions.
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Sponsor: Kibbitznest Books, Brews & Blarney
Registration is not necessary but appreciated due to space limitations.
kibbitznest is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization and wifi-free zone dedicated to the preservation of quality face-to-face human communication.
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LocationKibbitznest (View)
2212 N. Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL 60614
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 18 |
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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