Philosophy Organization Serves Women Recovering from Homelessness and Prison, and Others
Wisdom’s Edge Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to bring philosophy-based classes to people who do not have access to traditional university offerings in philosophy.
Wisdom’s Edge was created by Sophia Stone, associate professor of philosophy at Lynn University. She writes:
In 2022, Wisdom’s Edge Foundation served 121 people by offering free philosophy discussions and activities. Sessions include in-person philosophy events to communities in St. Cloud, Minnesota and Palm Beach County in South Florida as well as on-line sessions to communities from Hawai’i to Florida and India. These sessions included traditional philosophy courses in Applied Ethics and the Philosophy of Religion as well as the History of Philosophy from Eastern and Western traditions.
As an outreach organization, Wisdom’s Edge taught free philosophy courses in self-confidence to women in transition from homelessness, incarceration, sex-trafficking and domestic violence.
Wisdom’s Edge offered two reading circles online, a mathematics and philosophy circle and a social/political and existentialist philosophy reading circle. We also offered free philosophy circles for children, outdoors at a neighborhood park. The questions children asked included: What if trees could walk? What if animals could speak to humans? What if children were in charge? What if hotels could be airplanes? What if we could print money ourselves? What if we could colonize Mars? Who/what made the planets?
Wisdom’s Edge doesn’t charge participants for its services. It relies on contributions from family, friends, and philosophers, as well as grants. If you’re interested in helping, you can make donations to Wisdom’s Edge. The best way to do so is via Facebook, here, as Facebook covers the transaction processing charges. Alternatively, you can donate via the WE website here. Donations of any size help!
(If you make a donation at the “philosopher-king” level you will get a personalized Zoom session with art historian Professor Carol Salus, facilitated by Dr. Stone, for which you can choose among several artists to learn about, i.e., Picasso, Mary Cassat, Miriam Shapiro, Andy Warhol or Roy Lichtenstein; schedule the day and time that works best for you and invite up to 150 people to join your Zoom session.)
Dr. Stone also mentions that you can sign up to support Wisdom’s Edge at Amazon Smile at this link. Any purchase made through that link will give Wisdom’s Edge .5% of the total purchase. “It is a small amount, but it adds up quickly,” she says.
You can learn more about Wisdom’s Edge here, or, if you’re interested in working with the organization, contact Dr. Stone at [email protected].
(Disclosure: I serve on the board of Wisdom’s Edge.)
