Acropolis News

“Thinking freely, acting together” was the title of an evening program organized by the Hunyadi Cultural Center of New Acropolis Hungary in the context of World Philosophy Day 2016. The activities focused on what philosophy can provide as weapons against hatred and social exclusion which are so characteristic of our times. The program began with a brief talk about the human ideal according to the ancient Greeks. Participants also worked in teams to test and further develop their cooperative team-building skills throughout various exercises. The program ended with participants enjoying a musical version of a poem by John Donne.

In collaboration with the Arad Complex Museum, the museum of History and Archaeology of the city, New Acropolis took part once again this year, in the ‘Night of Museums’ with various thematic workshops. On this occasion, in addition to the traditional painting of archaeological reproductions workshop, volunteers offered a workshop in Japanese calligraphy, an opportunity to involve visitors in the world of colors, symbols, aesthetics and philosophy.

During their forth encounter, the ‘Book Club’ discussed the work of Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quijote de la Mancha, the story of a hero who tries to restore lost values to humanity. Participants discussed the symbolism of the book as well as the relevance of Don Quixote with regards to our current times.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxOOOCxJ2jY

“Finding a meaning to our actions is a key factor to achieve happiness”, explained Rafael Orante, director of the urban center of New Acropolis
Próceres.

The human being has always sought answers to the most relevant questions. One of the most important is the meaning of life. Do all our victories and satisfactions, our pain and our doubts have meaning? What is the point of life? Should we look for it? And if it exists: how can we fill our life with meaning? What advice can be given us by the wise persons of the past and of the present, from Socrates, Confucius and Seneca to Leo Tolstoy, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Viktor Frankl?

The mural of The School of Athens is only one of the four that make up the series of la Stanza della Segnatura, a room to sign documents in the Vatican. The room was designed and decorated by the great Raphael, who extrapolated philosophical ideas into paintings. The symbols of the center of the roof pertain to the supreme ideal, source of the major archetypes of Plato: truth, justice, good and beauty. These ideas, represented by four figures, are captured in the paintings on the walls. The School of Athens corresponds to the wall of Philosophy and refers to Truth. A talk was held on the philosophers depicted in the mural, their ideas and basic concepts.

“Happiness is the conquest of virtues” explained Berta Zabala, from New Acropolis Tegucigalpa, during the open event whereby were discussed the ideas of Aristotle and how to achieve happiness through the fostering of virtues.