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Saturday, November 14th, 2009, 9:30am-5:00pm
Background Readings
For the 2009 Ikeda Forum we will examine the many connections and resonances found in the naturalistic humanism of John Dewey and the Buddhist humanism of Center founder Daisaku Ikeda. Here are some articles and resources that introduce many of the core themes that will be explored during the Forum.
- Excerpt from Dewey's A Common Faith * This work from John Dewey provides a guiding philosophy for those aspects of the Forum addressing the need for a humanistic spiritual vision capable of uniting diverse peoples in the years to come.
- "Creative Democracy--The Task Before Us" * This late essay by John Dewey examines the challenge of democracy: "forever that of creation of a freer and more humane experience in which all share and to which all contribute."
- "Mahayana Buddhism and Twenty-first Century Civilization" * Daisaku Ikeda's 1993 lecture at Harvard is a steady source of inspiration for our work here at the Center. The lecture contains many sparkling ideas on the nature of humanistic religion and education, and how each can contribute to individual and social health and happiness.
- "The Lasting Legacy of John Dewey" * This essay was written by Larry Hickman, a particpant in this year's Forum, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of John Dewey's death, in 2002. The piece serves as a fine introducton to Dewey's vision of life as one of continual process, change, and development. Also from 2002, Hickman's lecture on Dewey's educational legacy called "Democracy and Global Citizenship."
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