Dr Athena Potari – Hellenic Philosophy as a Path to Awakening and Happiness
What is Philosophy? What is its nature, purpose, and methods?
Visiting the origins of Philosophy, as it was born in the luminous cradle of Ancient Greece, the term “philosopher” was first instituted by Pythagoras in 6th century BC. Its meaning: “lover (philo) of wisdom (sophia)”, “love leading to wisdom”, or even “loving wisdom”. What is Wisdom and what is Love, and how relevant are they today for the way Knowledge is practised and approached in the western world? Although for many centuries ‘philosophy’ has been practised as a rational, argumentative, armchair vocation, involving mainly discursive, abstract and disembodied reasoning, in this talk we will together travel back – and possibly, forward – to the ancient treasuries of Hellenic wisdom in order to explore Philosophy’s much deeper and richer dimensions: its essential nature as a spiritual tradition – an intimate, self-transformative, experiential path of self-enquiry combining the cultivation of both heart and mind, with the purpose of awakening to one’s true Self.
In this talk we will explore how Hellenism is not merely a culture, but rather a worldview and a scientific paradigm whose very core consists in the gracious and humanistic union of science and spirituality. In particular, we will study some of the ancient teachings on the nature of consciousness, our cosmic situatedness, core aspects of philosophical training, as well as some of the non-dual teachings underpinning the Hellenic tradition. Finally, we will discuss the relevance of Hellenic Philosophy for us today – possible ways in which it can inform and inspire the critical paradigm shift we are currently experiencing, as well as its contribution in re-igniting humanism in humanity.
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About the speaker:
Dr Athena Potari is Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, where she explores possibilities for an expanded practice of Philosophy by re-integrating elements and histories of the feminine. She received her PhD from the University of Oxford specializing in Political Philosophy, and her MA in Political Theory with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is recipient of the Academy of Athens Award of Philosophy (2020), author of “A Call for a Renaissance of the Spirit in the Humanities” published by the Galileo Commission, and Member of the Galileo Commission Steering Committee. In 2019, she founded Athenoa, a School of Hellenic Philosophy based in Greece where Hellenism is approached as a living wisdom tradition whose core consists in the inextricable synthesis of scientific reason and spirituality. Her work aims to revive the deeper spiritual and experiential dimensions of Hellenic Philosophy as a living spiritual lineage, combining discursive rigor and embodied meditative practices, with the aim of awakening to the ever-present mystery of being – our true Self.
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Speaker
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Athena D. PotariPhilosopherDr Athena Potari is Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies at Harvard University, where she explores possibilities for an expanded practice of Philosophy by re-integrating elements and histories of the feminine. She received her PhD from the University of Oxford specializing in Political Philosophy, and her MA in Political Theory with Distinction from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is recipient of the Academy of Athens Award of Philosophy (2020), author of “A Call for a Renaissance of the Spirit in the Humanities” published by the Galileo Commission, and Member of the Galileo Commission Steering Committee. In 2019, she founded Athenoa, a School of Hellenic Philosophy based in Greece where Hellenism is approached as a living wisdom tradition whose core consists in the inextricable synthesis of scientific reason and spirituality. Her work aims to revive the deeper spiritual and experiential dimensions of Hellenic Philosophy as a living spiritual lineage, combining discursive rigor and embodied meditative practices, with the aim of awakening to the ever-present mystery of being – our true Self.
