Applied Hellenistic Philosophy

Beginning Tuesday January 21st, 7:15-9:30
Constellation Coffee, 4059 Penn Ave

Facilitated by Tyke Nunez


Consider joining us for the first humanities study at the Saxifrage School. This twelve-week course will read, critique, and attempt to live out the ideas of Skeptic, Epicurean, and Stoic philosophers. We will work together to understand their works and attempt to discover how these works affect us when applied to our lives.

Our central questions will be `how should we live and what is the highest good in human life’? Contemporary philosophical answers to these questions are often quite detached from concrete, everyday life. In contrast, the philosophy of antiquity put life before theory. In its three major schools, Epicureanism, Stoicism, and Skepticism, we find subtle theories of what constitutes the human good as well as concrete accounts of how to put these theories into practice. These thinkers offered their ideas to the public with the help of practical ‘handbooks’ containing exercises for training one to live virtuously, in accord with their principles.

Our aim will be not only to reflect critically together on the merits of these theories, but also to embody these world-views, putting them into practice in our own lives, at least for a short time. To this end, we will discuss both what these theories are, debate their plausibility as accounts of the good human life, and share the differences we’ve noticed in our lives trying to put these theories into practice. We will read not only works developing and critiquing the views of these schools, but also some of their handbooks, written by their most prominent practitioners. Students will enact the exercises contained in these, and will undertake, to whatever degree they find reasonable, to live in accord with the principles of these works.

For a longer write-up on why we created this course, read this post by our Director.

We're excited to bring together a diverse group of learners, regardless of your expertise or background in philosophy. However, our one requirement for the course is that you do not join the group unless you are able to commit to do the following for twelve weeks:

  • Spend fifteen to thirty minutes a day reflecting on or performing the exercises
  • Participate in weekly 2.5 hour meetings for discussion, critique, and planning
  • Closely read all of the texts
  • Write a weekly reflection concerning the readings or your “living out” of the principles
  • Read and comment on the weekly writings of other members of the group
  • Write a final summative essay on the experience and critique others’ essays

  • *We expect the time required to complete our work will be about 9 hours per week.

Tyke Nunez from the University of Pittsburgh will be our course facilitator. Tyke is a graduate of Deep Springs College and the University of Chicago. He specializes in the work of Immanuel Kant.

Registration Details

$450 Total: $300 tuition, $100 admin, and $50 supplies. Class registration is limited to 12 people. Purchase your half-tuition ticket now and we'll bill for the rest later.

If you have any questions, e-mail [email protected]

The Saxifrage School is an informal, non-accredited educational organization offering students a valuable learning experience; students will not receive any sort of credit for completing courses. Please read our refund policy.