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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 31 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

Epistemology of Spinoza

Thursday, April 25

12:30-2:00PM PDT

The Ethics is a philosophical treatise written by Spinoza between 1661 and 1675. The text is perhaps the most ambitious attempt to apply the method of Euclid in philosophy. We invite you to join us over eight afternoon online seminars, generally the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month.

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April 25 Reading:

Ethics, Part II (pp. 63-101)

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Schedule:

12:00-1:30PM PDT

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Tutor:

Carol Seferi

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Online Format:

Register to receive the link

Online Seminar Series

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

Wednesday, May 1

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.

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May 1 Reading:

Book Two - Chapter One of Finnegans Wake by Joyce (page 236, Line 30)

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Schedule:

12:30-2:00PM PDT

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Tutor:

Barry Rabe

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Online Format:

Register to receive the link

Online Seminar Series

The Origins of Totalitarianism 
by Hannah Arendt

Saturday, May 4

12:00-2:00PM PDT

The Origins of Totalitarianism, published in 1951, strives to understand the causes and the mechanics of Nazism and Stalinism as the major totalitarian political movements of the 20th century. We invite you to join us as we explore this entire book, meeting about once per month. 

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May 4 Reading:

Chapter Ten - A Classless Society
(pages 305-340)

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Schedule:

12:00-2:00PM PDT

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Tutor:

Andy Gilman

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Online Format:

Register to receive the link

Agora Foundation Interview with City Manager Ben Harvey
March 6, 2024

 

On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, Tom Krause and Andy Gilman of the Agora Foundation met with Ben Harvey, Ojai’s new City Manager. The conversation ranged from the role and best practices of a city manager to the characteristics of a well-functioning city council. Topics included:

- Priorities on capital improvement and land use,

- Ojai’ similarities with other tourist cities in California,

- How to think about visitors and new residents,

- How can a balance of priorities and pressures be achieved,

- How do we address a middle class under cost-of-living pressures,

- Legal expenses in Ojai,

- The health of our city budget,

- What Ben hopes to accomplish in 2024.

Andy Gilman - Motivation for the Agora Foundation - Interview with Andra Belknap
Fall 2023

 

In fall 2023, Andra Belknap, writer, thinker, and principal of This Little Valley met with Andy Gilman, director of the Agora Foundation. The conversation ranged from curriculum, careful reading, civil discourse, and much more. View more topics here.

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

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

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