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
Online Seminar Series
What About Democracy is Worth Saving? - Selections from Alexis de Tocqueville
Sunday, January 12
2:00-4:00PM PST
Our discussion of Democracy in America should lead us to a clearer view of how the preservation of liberal democracy depends upon the spirited and enlightened engagement of its citizens. We invite you to join this six-part online series, taking place about one-month apart.
January 12 Reading:
Volume 2: Part 2 - Chapters 18-20
Volume 2: Part 3 - Chapters 18-20
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Schedule:
2:00 - 4:00PM PST
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Tutor:
Karl Haigler
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Location:
Online Seminar Series
American Rhetoric: the Lincoln Douglas Debates
Saturday, January 11
12:00-2:00PM PST
There has never been anything like them, before or since. It is not the least part of the Lincoln-Douglas debates’ uniqueness that the texts of the debates were formed from what was a new phenomenon at the time, namely newspaper transcripts of entire speeches. We invite you to join us as we read and discuss all eight debates, roughly one month apart.
January 11 Reading:
Ottawa Debate (August 21, 1858)
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Schedule:
12:00 - 2:00PM PST
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Tutor:
Eric Stull
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Location:
What can we say we know with certainty? How does knowledge differ from belief? George Berkeley was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called immaterialism. Over four Thursday afternoon online seminars the series will cover:
January 16 Reading (POSTPONED):
Second dialogue (pp. 43-60)
- Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous
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Schedule:
12:30 - 2:00PM PST
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Tutor:
Carol Seferi
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Location:
Online Seminar Series
George Berkeley - Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous
POSTPONED
12:30-2:00PM PST
Ojai Chautauqua Panel and the Ojai Fire Safe Council - Wildfire Insurance Coverage Panel
December 8, 2024
On December 8 the Ojai Fire Safe Council hosted representatives from: The Institute of Business & HomeSafety (IBHS), United Policyholders, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The conversation, with a great deal of relevant data, covered: The realities of the insurance crisis and causes, effects of home hardening, and what individuals and communities can do to address these challenges. Visit www.firesafeojai.org to learn more.
An Introduction to The Agora Foundation. What is liberal education?
An Introduction to The Agora Foundation's Ojai Chautauqua Panels.