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Invitation to a Salon |
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In today's society, most people are inundated with the responsibilities of each day. The deeper questions of our lives seem to slip by the wayside in favor of "taking care of business".
There was an era when artists, statesmen, writers and musicians met at the home a contemporary and spent time exchanging views on more conscious levels of living. This was called a "salon". Salons form
around great ideas, such as: "What is w/man?", as well as great forms, including art, literature, music, politics as well as culture. A salon was and is a specific social way of being in this world; a
purposeful, Socratic system of contemplation and discussion forming around great ideas, such as: Lying. Do you lie? How can one discern the true from the false? Salons are structured, social, intellectual
interactions whose aim is to reach "higher ground" concerning the topic at hand. Everyone has an everyday psycho/social personality. Most social gatherings can be handled quite well by this everyday
self. A salon, on the other hand, ties the "right hand" of the everyday self behind one's back in order to engender the conditions under which the higher/deeper self will be brought forth. Towards that end, one of
the conditions upon entering into a salon is that the subjective concerns of the everyday self be left outside the front door. The topic to be discussed is agreed upon beforehand, thereby enabling all of the participants to
think long and hard about their own viewpoint towards the topic at hand. Form: Arthurian Knights at the Round Table |
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Process: Socratic Dialogue |
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Topics for consideration: What is the meaning of life? What role does habit and hubris play in our everyday lives? What is the nature of w/man?
How does Truth differ from reality? If it is true that "the good" do not prosper and that evil usually prospers, why "be good" at all?
What are the dangers in having imagination replace reality in our everyday life? How have the male and female gender roles changed? What have been the benefits and consequences of these changes? What are the essential qualities contained within the gender war? How can these qualities be transformed? What is the nature of Good and Evil in 1999 and beyond? If you
enjoy food for thought and a stimulating gathering of minds, you might want to host a salon in your home. Shirra Meiklejohn-Wilson will facilitate the event, pose the topics and keep the momentum directed and focused.
To make reservations, you may call Sojourner Institute at: 828-859-9927 or write to Sojourner Institute, c/o "Salon", P. O. Box 155, Tryon, North Carolina 28782 |
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The Sojourner Institute |
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