The Empathic Civilization
September through December, 2011
Coordinator: Maurice Bisheff
In this extensive study of the history of civilizations and the human capacities developed over the centuries, the influential author and international advisor, Jeremy Rifkin explains a paradox arising from biological, technological and environmental changes in human lifestyles.  As human beings have nurtured heightened empathic sensitivity, they have unleashed entropic effects that may destroy civilizations.  The result is a contemporary crisis of global dimensions. All are welcome to join in this provocative discussion and contribute to the shaping of a vision of future civilizations. 

American Veda
June through August, 2011
Coordinator: Carolyn Dorrance
American Veda by Philip Goldberg offers a fascinating description of cultural transfer. Subtitled "How Indian Spirituality Changed the West", this survey starts with an account of how the American transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau made use of "Hindoo" texts and continues through the 20th century documenting how a variety of spiritual seekers, radicals, celebrities and contemporary clerics brough Indian religious ideas and meditation techniquest into Western consciousness.

Shopclass for Soul Craft
February through May, 2011
Coordinator: Joseph Miller
Following up on a January IWC Forum based on the virtues and hardships associated with manual labor, and its relationship to education in America, this Book Circle took a deeper look at the two books discussed in the Forum: Shopclass for Soul Craft by Matthew Crawford, The Mind at Work by Mike Rose. In addition, the Forum discussed Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich and Gandhi's pamphlet Unto This Last, a paraphrase of John Ruskin's classic.

Stones into Schools
One Saturday a month in February, March, April and May, 2010
Coordinator: Dr. Carolyn Dorrance
The Institute will sponsor a study of Greg Mortenson’s new book, Stones Into Schools, in which he describes his efforts to bring education to a country beset by war and poverty. Vivid portraits of the political and social challenges he encounters while organizing the building of schools offer insights into cross cultural interactions as well as the universality of human values. In reading the book, you will meet the heroic people who are making Mortenson’s vision successful and fulfilling for thousands of students and parents. Greg Mortenson will be in Santa Barbara in May. The final meeting will focus on his presentation.

Vision and Change
Four Tuesday evenings in October, 2008
Coordinator: Dr. Carolyn Dorrance
Can campaign promises of new vision and change be translated into meaningful accomplishments? What kind of vision and change might promote the universal welfare of humanity? What are voices from abroad suggesting as a way of promoting social, cultural and economic change? Join in the discussion of these and other questions during the month of October, so that you can evaluate the presidential election debates from the perspective of an emerging world culture. Essays from David Bornstein’s book, How To Change the World, will be among the readings discussed (see below for more information).

Poetry and Vision
December, 2007 through July, 2008
Coordinators: Joe Miller and Robert Moore
• Robert Henri's The Art Spirit (1923):
Robert Henri (pronounced 'hen-rye') was an American painter and teacher Robert Henri (1865-1929). You don't have to be a painter to enjoy the vitality of Henri's original and aphoristic thought on art and life. Henri believed art was but a sign-post toward greater knowledge, an indicator useful in recalling and communicating our greatest moments of beauty and wisdom. Meetings of his group of realist painters, "The Eight", frequently included literary and cultural discussions, readings from Whitman, Emerson and Thoreau. The Study Group read and discussed exerpts from the following Henri essays: "An Address to the School of Design for Women", " The Bonds of a Great Brotherhood", "A Particular Line", "Memory and the Vital Moment", and "Landmarks of the Human Spirit" among others.
• William Blake, various readings.
• Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet.  Stephen Mitchell’s translation, which can be found in paperback and a Modern Library hardcovercan also be found free online: http://www.sfgoth.com/~immanis/rilke/letter8.html
• Walt Whitman's Song of Myself
According to Stephen Mitchell, “Song of Myself is by far the greatest poem ever written by an American. The poem is available online at:  http://www.princeton.edu/~batke/logr/log_026.html  

Inspirational Themes in Contemporary Music
July through November 2007
Coordinator: Gerry Kiffe
This group listened to recordings and discussed a group of songs related to a theme. Themes included: Jackson Browne on social justice, including songs such as: Lives in the Balance, Soldier of Plenty, Looking East, The Rebel Jesus, I am a Patriot and others, the Beatles on love, Joni Mitchel on art and poetry, James Taylor on the pathos of the common man, and Cat Stevens on the spiritual path. Those who played instruments or enjoyed singing were welcome to contribute.

A Republic of Reason
July through September 2007
Coordinator: Carolyn Dorrance.
This group explored former Vice President Al Gore’s new book, The Assault on Reason, on the importance of a commitment to reason for authentic public dialogue in a democracy.  
Introduction and general aims of the group

Stories and Poems of Transformation
January through December 12, 2007
Coordinators: Joe Miller and Robert Moore
This group looked at stories and poems on the following topics: Japan, the Greek Myth of Orpheus, Resurrection and Cycles, Summer and the Summer Solstice, The American Dream and the Revolutionary Spirit, Sonnets, Comedy and the Human Experience, and the poetry of Sufi mystic Jalal al-Din Rumi.

Gandhi on Truth, Non-Violence and Self-Renewal in Civil Society
April 2004 through July 2005
Coordinator: Robert Moore
This group met to explore the luminous thought and revitalizing practice of Mahatma Gandhi. It examined Gandhi’s penetrating insights into the possibilities as well as the diseases of modern civilization, the compelling need to purify politics and the rediscovery of the true, religious impulse. It considered Gandhi’s foundational principles of truth and non-violence, together with their correlate concepts of human nature, perfectibility, vows, conscience and heroism. It studied the dynamics of Gandhi’s moral and social vision within the alembic of his communal experiments in South Africa and India. Finally, it explored Gandhi’s revolutionary principles of social transformation, ranging from Satyagraha (truth-force) to trusteeship, culminating in his utopian vision of non-violent socialism. The principal text was The Essential Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, edited by Raghavan Iyer. This brilliant selection of Gandhi’s letters and speeches was our magical touchstone for contemplating the expansive and therapeutic teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. A companion reading was Gandhi’s autobiography, The Story of My Experiments with Truth. Each week a brief biographical sketch of Gandhi's life was presented. Click here for notes

The American Promise
March 2004 through February 2005
Coordinator: Carolyn Dorrance
The American Promise
This group took up the following subjects for discussion:
The American Experience as Transformation
Primary Thinker: J. Hector St John de Crevecoeur
Religious Liberty & Primacy of Conscience*
Primary Thinker: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Natural Law and the Oversoul as Teacher and Guide
Primary Thinker: Ralph Waldo Emerson
Natural Rights, Political Liberty & the Right of Revolution
Primary Thinker: Tom Paine
The Social Contract as a Foundation of Civil Society
Primary Thinkers: Thomas Jefferson & James Madison
Volunteer Association: Charities, Cooperatives & Communes
Primary Thinker: Edward Bellamy
Progressive Legislation as a Source of Human Welfare
Primary Thinkers: Jane Addams & Herbert Croly
Patriotism & Non-Violent Civil Disobedience
Primary Thinkers: Walt Whitman & Henry David Thoreau
Leadership: Creative Initiative & Responsibility
Primary Thinker: Abraham Lincoln
Tolerance, Fraternity and Multiculturalism
Primary Thinkers: William E. DuBois & Carey McWilliams
Principles & Aims of a Humanitarian Foreign Policy
Primary Thinkers: To be decided
Assessments: Universal Values in The American Promise
Primary Thinkers: Members of the IWC Study Group, The American Promise*Religious Liberty & Primacy of Conscience
Primary Thinker: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Religious Liberty and Conscience: Expressions of the Human Potential for Moral Thought and Action
Early in the history of the English colonies established in North America during the 17th century, voices of dissent from the authoritarian interpretations of religious puritanism, articulated principles of religious liberty and primacy of conscience. Roger Williams, founder of the colony of Rhode Island, and William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania included religious liberty and freedom of conscience as principles in the founding charters they wrote. Although the affirmation and defense of these moral imperatives was couched in the language and assumptions of Christianity, both men spoke of conscience as an innate potential in all human beings. Also, both men included non-Christians such as Native Americans, Jews even Muslims and Hindus in their vision of a civil society. Spiritual equality and brotherhood or brotherly love would flourish where religious liberty and freedom of conscience were honored. An essential founding brick of a civil society is that government not coerce religious belief or practice. Later, Thomas Jefferson as part of his vision of the new American Republic, insisted on the inclusion of religious liberty in the Bill of Rights (1791) attached to the new Constitution of the United States (1787). It is interesting that a right of conscience was excluded from the proposed Bill of Rights by a congressional committee. Five years earlier, Jefferson had joined with James Madison to secure passage of the Virginia Statute of Religious Liberty (1786) in which the freedom to proclaim one's religious beliefs is defended as a natural right of mankind. Jefferson adopted a concept of "moral sense" as a way of explaining the potential of human being to use their liberty to "do good". Both these ideas of religious liberty and primacy of conscience would show up in Supreme Court reports of the 20th century in response to conflicts spurred in large part by the means and prerogatives the national government used to conduct war and sustain "national unity". More visible and influential claims of conscience were invoked by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during his evolving protest of substantial violations of The American Promise. In tribute to the principles and moral courage of Dr. King, three major expressions of the imperatives of conscience are included in this month's reading. Note that King links his invocation of conscience with a vision of universal brotherhood, social justice and a world wide "true revolution of values".  April 4th marks the 36th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination.  Not included in this set of readings is the provocative essay On Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau.

Plato Discussion Circle
February 2003 through January 2004
Coordinator: Joseph Miller

Teaching Stories

Envisioning Futures

Study Group on Sufism
2002-2003
Coordinator: Carolyn Dorrance

Writings of Simon Weil
2002-2003
Coordinator: Christine Nolt

Meaning in Movies
2002
Coordinator: Russ Lewin and Robert Moore

The Aims of the Institute of World Culture
2002
Coordinator: Russ Lewin