A Road Scholar Program by Daniel Breyer

No matter where we live, and no matter who we are, we all experience anger. Some of us have difficulty managing our own anger, whereas others encounter anger from other sources.

In a single moment of anger, we can destroy a lifetime of effort, damaging not only our own lives, but also the lives of those we love. Despite its dangers, many people think that anger is useful, because it can motivate us to battle injustice. Furthermore, many people believe that feeling anger is not only natural but healthy, because it is a basic human emotion.

These opposing views raise important questions: What exactly is anger? How should we think about it? Should we manage anger in an attempt to harness its power, or should we resist it in an attempt to eliminate it completely from our lives? Daniel Breyer will invite us to consider these questions and others about anger, approaching the topic with two ancient philosophers as our guides. Both the eighth-century Buddhist philosopher Shantideva and the first-century Stoic philosopher Seneca argue that we should eliminate anger. Are they right?

We will consider their arguments, ask ourselves whether we find them convincing, and think about what contemporary philosophers and psychologists might add to the conversation.

This event is Free and Open to the public. For more information, please contact Brittany Blomquist, bblomquist@putnamcountylibrary.org.