Would you like to take a deeper look at the world and yourself? The Palma Foundation invites you to its philosophy meetings—an open space for conversation, reflection, and asking important questions.
Together, we will read and discuss articles and essays that remain relevant despite the passage of time. We’ll explore works by authors known for their contributions to great literature, as well as texts by writers whose ideas we haven’t yet had the opportunity to discover. We’ll focus on topics present in our everyday lives—language, power, religion, and ways of being in the world.
During our meetings, we’ll talk about our relationships with authority—both institutional authority and the kind that operates in subtle, almost invisible ways. We’ll reflect on what it means to have a home and how the space we live in affects us. We’ll analyze religious symbols—both those we’ve inherited and those we’re creating anew. We’ll examine language and ask whether we control it, or whether it sets the limits of our thinking.
Each meeting is an invitation to read, discuss, and share insights. We work with selected texts—we read, comment, sometimes argue, but we always listen. We learn through practice what philosophizing is: the art of asking meaningful questions and opening ourselves up to issues that go beyond everyday patterns. We explore various areas of thought—from ideas rooted in tradition to those emerging today, in an era of rapid information and shifting values.
Formula:
- We read one selected text or excerpt (link to the text below),
- The presenter introduces the topic and presents the biography
- The meeting takes the form of an open discussion—we ask questions, share our thoughts, and learn from one another.
ATTENTION!
Admission is free, but registration is required for the event!
Attention! Registration for the November 25 meeting is now closed = NO SPOTS AVAILABLE | Thank you for your interest!
PROGRAM
- Conversations About Humanity | September 23, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
Building, Living, Thinking – Martin
HeideggerAs part of an interdisciplinary exploration of the human condition, we are hosting a discussion focused on the thought of Martin Heidegger, one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century. The text “Building, Dwelling, Thinking” is an attempt to understand human existence through an analysis of humanity’s relationship with space, architecture, and dwelling in the world. Is a home merely a shelter? Or perhaps a way of being? This event is an invitation to philosophical meditation on being-in-the-world.
- Conversations About Language | October 28, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
Excerpts from the *Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus* and “Remarks on Colors” by Ludwig Wittgenstein
: Philosophical studies of language reveal the boundaries within which thinking and speaking become inseparable. During this session, we will examine two key stages in Wittgenstein’s thought—from the logical picture of the world to language as a form of life. We will discuss the relationship between words and the world, the possibilities and limitations of language, and whether there is a meaning that cannot be expressed. Does philosophy begin where words fall silent?
- Conversations About (Religious) Symbols | November 25, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
What Do Religious Symbols Say About Us? – Mircea Eliade We invite you to a meeting dedicated to the philosophy of religion of Mircea Eliade—a thinker who devoted his work to the study of the sacred, myths, and symbols. At the heart of our reflection will be the question of what religious symbols are and what role they play in humanity’s experience of the world. Are they a path to the transcendent—or perhaps a reflection of our inner needs, fears, and desires?
- Conversations on Relations with the Government | December 9, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
To Supervise or to Punish? — Michel
Foucault: Studies on power, the body, and social control take on new meaning in light of Michel Foucault’s analysis. During the meeting, we will focus on his concept of the “microphysics of power” and the transformation of methods used to discipline individuals—from physical violence to systems of surveillance and self-control. Are we free, or are we rather “normalized”? Does modern power require visible boundaries? This meeting will attempt a philosophical and social diagnosis of the mechanisms underlying contemporary forms of domination.
Moderator: Michał Sternik
He earned a degree in philosophy from the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin and the University of Warsaw. Although he does not work in philosophy professionally, he has remained passionate about it for many years. He believes that one becomes a philosopher—through thinking, conversation, and mindfulness—and that engaging with philosophy can help one lead a more conscious and meaningful life.
Organizer: Palma
Foundation Media partners: Trojmiasto.pl
The Palma Foundation’s projects on Jaśkowa Dolina Street are funded by the City of Gdańsk as part of the “Social Spaces of Culture” program.
