The Quest for Character – What the Greco-Romans can teach us about leadership and everyday life
Speaker
Prof. Massimo Pigliucci
K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy
The City College of New York
Brief summary
Is good character something that can be taught? In 430 BCE, Socrates set out to teach the vain, power-seeking Athenian statesman Alcibiades how to be a good person—and failed spectacularly. Alcibiades went on to beguile his city into a hopeless war with Syracuse, and all of Athens paid the price. Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci tells this famous story and asks what we can learn from it. He blends ancient sources with modern interpretations to give a full picture of the philosophy and cultivation of character, virtue, and personal excellence—what the Greeks called arete. At heart, The Quest for Character isn’t simply about what makes a good leader. Drawing on Socrates as well as his followers among the Stoics, it gives us perhaps even more crucial lessons on how we can each lead an excellent life.
The Making of America's First Guru: Excerpts and Discussion
A screening of excerpts from America's First Guru, a PBS special documentary telling the story of legendary Indian monk Swami Vivekananda's experiences and impact in America. The screening will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker Raja Choudhury, Dr. Mukesh Prasad of the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute at Harvard University, and Swami Sarvapriyananda, Minister of the Vedanta Society of New York.
See event page to purchase tickets and for further details.
Living Oneness
A talk based on the 13th Chapter of Bhagavad Gita, by guest speaker Swami Pranav Chaitanya Puri-ji. The talk will be in Hindi with English translation by Swami Sarvapriyananda.
Attendance is by registration only.