Philosophy in the Community

Program Description

Philosophy is often characterized as impractical and irrelevant to our daily lives. It is also seen as an activity that only specialists can do or as something that we can only apprehend or engage in by way of solitary contemplation or through books.

This program is an attempt to uproot these characterizations and reveal a more colorful and robust picture of philosophy as a way of life – one that is alive, shaped by, and grounded in community, and one that thrives in the “spaces in between.”

In this interactive program, we’ll explore together: what it might mean to learn from and with one another as philosophers, how philosophy can transform and enrich our lives, and what we can do to make philosophy a “live option” for ourselves and others every day.

Presenter Bio

Marisa Diaz-Waian is the founder and director of Merlin CCC, a community philosophy non-profit based out of Helena, MT and Chair of the Education Committee for the Philosophy Learning & Teaching Organization. A generalist by nature, training, and practice, she sees philosophy as “hands-in-dirt” activity that is meant to be lived. Her work focuses on philosophy in the community, frequently with an interdisciplinary, environmental, and intergenerational bent.