Workshop : Sat 3 of October - 10:45 AM to 2 PM

Fate, Destiny and the Power of Choice

At the end of The Republic, Plato tells the Myth of Er − a story of the near-death experience of a soldier called Er who dies in battle, journeys to the afterlife and wakes up on his funeral pyre to tell the tale. Er witnessed how the souls prepared to reincarnate, each choosing their next life, but “the responsibility lies with the one who makes the choice.” For Plato, this moment of choice is the ultimate test of the soul: blinded by the allure of wealth or power, many souls accidentally choose lives of misery and vice. The only ones who choose wisely are those who practised philosophy in life.

This workshop expands on Plato’s vision of destiny by bringing together Western myth, the Eastern concepts of Karma and Dharma, Dante’s Divine Comedy and the tragic fate of Oedipus.

There will be a practical session in the middle part where participants will have the opportunity to engage with the material on a deeper, personal level. The third part will explore the connection between the fate we are dealt and the destiny we create, and how Plato understood philosophy as a compass for making wise choices.  

Location: 18 Compton Terrace N1 2UN, next door to Union Chapel.