| STUDY CIRCLES
The Academy supports, encourages and recognizes
intellectual growth. In an attempt to promote
efforts toward personal enrichment, to enhance
understanding and appreciation of advanced works
of literature and philosophy, the Academy promotes
a regular study circle for its members.
Participation is based on the enthusiasm and
dedication of the members of the Academy. The
members decide on leading discussants, reading
materials and research topics. These decisions
are typically communicated to prospective members
of the study circle sufficiently in advance. All
enthusiasts are given sufficient time and resources
so that they may be armed with questions, comments
and insights on the day of meeting. The study
could include works of prose, poetry and essays
written by the eminent scholars. Occasionally,
we choose to discuss and critique the works of
not-so-eminent writers (such as ourselves).
In one specific stream of the study circle, there
is an explicit emphasis on the classic works of
philosophy, both Eastern and Western. Works of
such masters as Ludwig Wittgenstein on epistemology,
Kuhn, Popper, and Bernstein on advancement of
scientific knowledge, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Plato,
and Aristotle on politics and poetics, et al.,
are typically in the curriculum. Simultaneously,
non-theological studies of the orient are often
under consideration. The emphasis non-theological
is deliberate, since we wish to make this platform
independent of religious inclinations, and stress
more on logic and hermeneutic dialogues.
It goes without saying that the study of works
of philosophy take significant mental effort,
patience, dedication and mastery of languages.
We believe that while these studies are typically
conducted by individual isolation, the more sublime
and esoteric issues become manifest with vigor
only in the context of a lively discourse among
the members of a dedicated group. The learning
curve of aspiring scholars become surprisingly
navigable when a responsive community of aspiring
scholars continues to search for several faces
of truth through hermeneutic endeavors. |
