The "Culture Doesn't Hurt" Foundation presents a series of three open master lectures by Dr. Katarzyna Kasia: "TO BE TOGETHER The Philosophy of Community" The theme of the lectures at Big Book Cafe MFM will be community – how does it form? What threatens it? What binds it? And if it falls apart, can it be rebuilt? The philosopher will reflect on the issues related to the ongoing reconstruction of the social world, where networking does not necessarily lead to a reduction in the sense of individual loneliness. The author of the lectures aims to define and describe the threats, as she is deeply convinced that if anything can save us in the situation of a global political crisis and an escalating planetary catastrophe, it is only ourselves. 📍 The lectures will take place at Big Book Cafe MDM Koszykowa Street 34/50 Warsaw 🕒 The lectures are in-person. Free tickets are issued for each lecture. They are available on-site from 6:00 PM on the day of the lecture. The hall has 110 seated and 20 standing places available. Those who cannot get a ticket for the hall can listen to the lecture on the ground floor, in the café area. 🕒 The lectures last about 60 minutes. Afterward, there will be a Q&A session. The lecture topics are interconnected, and we warmly invite you to participate in the entire series, although attending individual lectures will also be fully valuable. 📅 September 29, 2025 Lecture I: Myth Friedrich Nietzsche wrote that without a mythical homeland, man is doomed to insurmountable uprooting and confusion among infinitely many possibilities, among which it is impossible to find the most important, one's own. How do we navigate among stories "from before the beginning of time" today? How do we awaken them? Are all of them necessary for us? Can new ones be invented? How are they used in contemporary media narratives? What is the relationship between myth and lies? Are myths the subject of cynical political manipulation? 📅 October 27, 2025 Lecture II: Fear. Dark Moons An important factor integrating the community is fear, primarily fear of strangers, xenophobia. It manifests in the belief that others, who seek refuge with us, certainly bring nothing good. Is it possible to realize the ideal of an "open society"? To what extent do we build our identity based on difference? What do we need fear for, and can the sense of belonging cope without it? What do those to whom we have entrusted the authority to govern need fear for? 📅 November 24, 2025 Lecture III: Weave. The community of everything that lives And what would happen if I proposed a change in the paradigm of thinking about community? Finally, I will try to talk about a whole that includes everything that lives within its scope. This is not about any new inclusivity, but merely the need to describe the factual state, that is, the current situation of planetary catastrophe, in which the awareness of symbiosis and mutual indispensability should – in the name of survival – once and for all put an end to discrimination. The lectures are made possible thanks to funding from the City of Warsaw as part of the Permanent Cultural Program. The event is free. We are a foundation, we operate out of love for reading, and we invite you to buy coffee, books, meals, and literary accessories from us. Every zloty spent with us has double value. You can also support us with a voluntary donation via the Patronite platform: https://patronite.pl/bigbookcafe More about our events: https://bigbookcafe.pl/repertuar/
