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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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Free Onsite Community
Seminar Series

Eastern Classics - Tao Te Ching

Tuesday, June 3

12:00-1:00PM PDT

Online Seminar Series

The Laws by Plato

Saturday, June 7

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.

 

June 3 Reading:

Tao Te Ching - Chapters 33-34

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Schedule:

12:00 - 1:00PM PDT

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Tutor:

Andy Gilman

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Location:

The Ojai Library

111 East Ojai Avenue

Ojai, California 93023

The Laws is Plato's last and longest dialogue. Scholars agree that Plato wrote this dialogue as an older person, having failed in his effort to guide the rule of the tyrants. The text is noteworthy as Plato's only undisputed dialogue not to feature Socrates. We invite you to join us as we read this often overlooked text, one section at a time, in monthly online events.

 

June 7 Reading:

Book 9: Section 19 - Woundings, Section 20 - Assault, Section 21 - Religion
(pages 350-406, 874e - 910d)

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Schedule:

12:00 - 2:00PM PDT

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Tutor:

David Appleby

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Location:

Online. Register to receive the link.

Online Seminar Series

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

Wednesday, June 11

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.

 

June 11 Reading:

Book Two - Chapter Three of Finnegans Wake by Joyce (page 363, Line 17)

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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.

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

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

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