Philosophy at CCI

Philosophy helps us create a space for conversation that is free from the need to have it our way and open to discovering other points of view. In September, the City Culture Institute is going to host workshops for children and their guardians, a series of lectures, meetings, film screenings, conferences, concerts and interdisciplinary events on the broadly understood theme of philosophy.

“We will demonstrate that one may find philosophy even in the most unexpected places, that philosophy lies at the bottom of a number of everyday phenomena. We won’t limit ourselves to discussions and lectures. Philosophy may be combined with cultural activities,” announces Sławomir Czarnecki, coordinator of CCI’s Philosophy programme.

List of philosophy-related activities:

• THOUGHTful games – philosophical workshops for kids, moderator: Paweł Paniec
  29th September, 11:00 a.m., venue: City Culture Institute, ul. Długi Targ 39/40
  THE CITY – THOUGHTful sightseeing, philosophical workshop for kids

Register at: https://zmyslnezwiedzanie.evenea.pl/. Start: 5th September

What is a city? Everyone thinks they know until they are actually asked the question. Though libraries are full of answers, we want to touch the city directly. We decided to ask this question to children and together with them ponder on the essence of the city they experience. We will do some sightseeing, but using our thoughts rather than feet – analysing not just the urban space, but also urban time, the possibilities offered by the city alongside its reality. Our thoughts are the best toy that we always have with us. We will share our thoughts – and in order for that to be possible, we are going to do various exercises using philosophical methods devised especially for children.

The workshop will be moderated by Paweł Paniec, known from various initiatives aimed at popularizing philosophical education among children and adults alike, author of projects such as Mature Thought, Map of Thoughts, Who Is It, Dad?

Further dates of THOUGHTful games workshops: 6th and 13th October.

Series of lectures by Robert Dolewski

• 11th October, 6 p.m., multimedia lecture and debate
  Nietzsche’s coaching. A school of life “for everyone and for no-one.”

German writer, philosopher and philologist Friedrich Nietzsche is becoming more and more popular not only in academic circles, but also among people without a philosophical background. What can contemporary people gain from this thinker and his philosophy of life, mostly associated with the ideas of the death of God, the Superman and the will to power? This question will be posed in the context of coaching, mentoring, psychotherapy and personal development – hugely popular phenomena aimed at the constant development of the human personality. Can Nietzsche be regarded as a philosophical coach, and if so – what practical lessons about life could we learn from his teachings today? Or is it the other way round, and the contemporary personal development specialists are somehow influenced by the author of Thus Spoke Zarathustra?

Robert Dolewski is the chairman of the Garden of Philosophy foundation and PhD student at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn. He lectures at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. For many years, he has also been actively involved in the rap scene of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot.

CCI’s Philosophy programme will also include philosophical meetings combined with Gutek Film screenings, conferences, concerts, interdisciplinary events and publications.

Media patronage: „Filozofuj!”, www.filozofuj.eu.