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Upcoming Online Events

The Agora Foundation is a nonsectarian 501(c)3 non-profit endeavor, providing great books seminars and other educational opportunities to those who are busy with careers, families, and daily responsibilities yet are seeking to further their education. The goal of these offerings is to provide an understanding of the ideas that shape civilizations and to promote civil discourse on complicated subjects. The Agora Foundation has facilitated over 1,000 great books seminars and teacher trainings, covering a wide variety of topics including literature, philosophy, political science, theology, history, art, psychology, and more, featuring ancient and modern texts from around the world. In addition to seminars, since 2014 Agora has produced 35 panels, gatherings, and video interviews, promoting civil discourse on controversial and complicated subjects. Hundreds of these events can be freely viewed and listened to on this website.

 

Generously funded by The Ahmanson Foundation, Southern California Edison, The Shanbrom Family Foundation, the Ventura County Community Foundation, the WRG Foundation, the Constance Eaton and William Hart Fund, the Ojai Valley Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Ojai, CIty of Ojai, and private donations, the Teachers for Lifelong Learning Program provides training to high school teachers in this engaging approach to learning, and The Ojai Chautauqua provides panels promoting civil discourse on controversial and complicated subjects. 

Upcoming Regular Events

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Online Seminar Series

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

Wednesday, April 16

12:30-2:00PM PDT

A story with no real beginning or end, the work has come to assume a preeminent place in English literature. Published in 1939, the book would take Joyce two decades to complete. Join us as we read this text a few pages at a time, every other Wednesday afternoon.

 

April 16 Reading:

Book Two - Chapter Three of Finnegans Wake by Joyce (page 348, Line 29)

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Schedule:

12:30 - 2:00PM PDT

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Tutor:

Barry Rabe

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Location:

Online. Register to receive the link.

Free Onsite  Community Seminar Series

Eastern Classics - Tao Te Ching

Tuesday, April 15

12:00-1:00PM PDT

Online Seminar Series

An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume

Thursday April 17

12:30-2:00PM PDT

Like the west, the east has its own tradition of influential texts that address the perennial questions of human kind. This series will focus on the texts of Taoism, Confucius, Buddhism, and Hinduism. We invite you to join us and attendees can feel free to join intermittently..

 

April 15 Reading:

The Tao Te Ching - Chapter Thirty

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Schedule:

12:00 - 1:00PM PDT

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Tutor:

Andy Gilman

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Location:

Ojai Library

111 East Ojai Avenue

Ojai, California 93023

What can we say we know with certainty?  How does knowledge differ from belief? David Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian, economist, and essayist who was best known for his system of empiricism, philosophical skepticism and metaphysical naturalism. This series continues a broader series on epistemology. All are welcome. Please join us even if this will be your first seminar in the series. 

 

April 17 Reading:

pages 53-72 (Sections 8 and 9)

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Schedule:

12:30 - 2:00PM PDT

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Tutor:

Carol Seferi

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Location:

Online. Register to receive the link.

A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold - Onsight Seminar and Panel
February 1, 2024

 

The Ojai Valley Land Conservancy partnered with the Agora Foundation for a one-day celebration of Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, which took place at Oak Grove School on Saturday, February 1. The afternoon highlight featured Green Fire, the first full-length, high-definition documentary about legendary environmentalist Aldo Leopold, followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion on Leopold’s legacy and its relevance to Ojai’s conservation efforts today. The discussion was moderated by Jon Christensen (UCLA), Richard Knight (CSU), Roger Essick (OVLC), and Tom Maloney (OVLC).

An Introduction to The Agora Foundation. What is liberal education? 

An Introduction to The Agora Foundation's Ojai Chautauqua Panels.

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