We Are
wisdom's edge foundation, Inc.
An outreach organization that brings philosophy to the edges of society.
promoting wonder and the exploration of ideas
We value every thinker.
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Based on the claim that Socrates makes in the Apology written by Plato, "the unexamined life is not worth living," Wisdom's Edge Foundation, Inc. seeks to give meaning and value to every life through deep exploration of philosophical texts by means of democratic discussion and dialogue, coupled with personal introspection. Because we are an outreach organization, we go to communities and bring philosophy-based classes to groups that otherwise would not have access to traditional university philosophy classes. We are funded through grants and generous donations. We do not charge any fees for our services. What we provide is a gift to communities.
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response from our sessions:
"Thank you for your time and engagement with the women. It’s quite a gift." - Director of Women's Services, The Lord's Place.
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"Thank you so much for this reading group. I’m so excited for getting to hear what everyone has to say! You made the space feel very safe and inclusive. I was very nervous, especially seeing that you all are older and more knowledgeable than me." - Participant from Dr. Stone's reading group on The Socrates Express.
"I enjoy Dr. Stone's group in particular because we examine the philosophy of women from ancient times in comparison to women today. We have covered ancient Chinese philosophy, Socrates, the 1920s, the 1950s, and [how to think about] the future. Our discussions help to exercise our minds and expand our thinking as it pertains to the evolution of women and how we want to be as leaders moving into the the next century." - Participant from Dr. Stone's class in South Florida
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"In our busy lives, we rarely take time to truly reflect on these deep, important questions that all humans face, if only they took the time to admit. The readings and class discussions were a bright spot in my week - I'm almost 80 years old and a lifelong learner. ... What I enjoyed was the diversity of ages and experiences within our small group." - Participant from Dr. Houston's class in St. Cloud, MN.
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"Dr. Stone teaches a course called "wisdom's edge" and I am a current student of hers. She teaches us about philosophy so we can see the world from a different perspective, to unearth hidden beauty, and to find new ways of being. In the class we learn how to embrace wonder, face regrets and sustain hope." - Participant from South Florida
"I would highly recommend a Wisdom's Edge course. It provides the recourses to challenge our stiffening understandings of the human experience and to responsibly challenge biases. I would compare the deeply penetrated benefits to be similar to the feeling of walking away from Church. I did not know exactly all the ways thinking and talking bout the philosophy helped me, but it prepared me to be a better thinker with more beneficial thoughts afterwards." - Participant from Dr. Houston's class in St. Cloud, MN.
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"The sessions are really insightful and give me some idea of how to bring philosophy to the wider world outside academia!" - Dr. Koshy Tharakan, Professor of Philosophy, School of Sanskrit, Philosophy & Indic Studies at the University of Goa, India.
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children's centers & playgrounds
"Philosophy is spiritual thinking at its finest". - 12 years old participant.
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women coming from home-lessness or prison
"I gained some new insights into a deeper way of thinking."
"I learned how to deal with and learn new things." "I learned some thinking tools." "I learned personal awareness." |
inter-generational groups
"We talked about how when someone gets proven wrong on something they get mad instead of acknowledging they were wrong. I thought that was interesting because I haven't thought about that before."
"My late husband had dementia at the end of his life, so I value the brain stimulation required to read the assignments and pull out pieces of the readings and apply it to the questions in class. As an older person living alone, the class was a great social outlet!" |
families with broken relationships
"I learned that despite coming from starkly different backgrounds, there are way too many commonalities between the West and the East. I was shocked to find that certain cultural norms, which I find to be extremely suffocating as an Indian, are imposed on and expected from those in the West too. Media often exaggerates cultural differences and highlights only the privileges of the West. I think I have a lot to work on decolonising my mind."
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Reading Circles
Self-Healing Circle
"I haven't slept this peacefully in ages. Thank you for being with me through this and giving me the strength to stare it down. I feel I'm better equipped today to deal with things because of our sessions in the Circles." - Winter and Spring participant, 2021-2022
"I haven't slept this peacefully in ages. Thank you for being with me through this and giving me the strength to stare it down. I feel I'm better equipped today to deal with things because of our sessions in the Circles." - Winter and Spring participant, 2021-2022
Mathematics and Philosophy Reading Group
"Last May, I joined a reading group on Mathematics and Philosophy organized by Sophia Stone. The members of the group were mostly philosophers. I was the only mathematician. I had just retired, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do. We started out by reading some essays on mathematics by some famous 19th century mathematicians. After this light reading, we turned our attention to reading Plato’s dialogues.
We began with Plato’s Meno. In the Meno, there are two geometrical passages, each of which contains a geometry problem. In the first passage, Socrates leads Meno’s servant boy through the process of discovering the solution of the geometry problem of doubling a square, that is, constructing a square whose area is twice that of a given square. Socrates explanation is straightforward and easy to understand.
The geometry problem in the second geometrical passage is to determine whether a given area can be inscribed in the form of a triangle within a given circle. Socrates sketches a solution of this problem in the second geometrical passage. Socrates’ sketch is cryptic because it leaves out important information. Many papers have been written about the second geometrical passage in the Meno over the last 200 years. Up to now, Socrates’ solution has not been fully understood, and is generally believed not to be valid.
Working with Sophia and my main collaborator, we discovered an interpretation of the Socrates’ solution of the second geometry problem which resolves all the issues that have plagued interpretations of the second geometrical passage. We have written a paper on the geometry of in Plato’s Meno. Our paper has been submitted for publication and is currently under review. Participation in Sophia’s reading group was not only fun but also extremely satisfying to have solved a long-standing problem in the history of mathematics.
I highly recommend Sophia’s reading group to anyone interested in the history of mathematics and philosophy. The discussions on the readings by experts were extremely enjoyable, stimulating, and rewarding." - participant 2021-2022
"Last May, I joined a reading group on Mathematics and Philosophy organized by Sophia Stone. The members of the group were mostly philosophers. I was the only mathematician. I had just retired, and I thought it would be a fun thing to do. We started out by reading some essays on mathematics by some famous 19th century mathematicians. After this light reading, we turned our attention to reading Plato’s dialogues.
We began with Plato’s Meno. In the Meno, there are two geometrical passages, each of which contains a geometry problem. In the first passage, Socrates leads Meno’s servant boy through the process of discovering the solution of the geometry problem of doubling a square, that is, constructing a square whose area is twice that of a given square. Socrates explanation is straightforward and easy to understand.
The geometry problem in the second geometrical passage is to determine whether a given area can be inscribed in the form of a triangle within a given circle. Socrates sketches a solution of this problem in the second geometrical passage. Socrates’ sketch is cryptic because it leaves out important information. Many papers have been written about the second geometrical passage in the Meno over the last 200 years. Up to now, Socrates’ solution has not been fully understood, and is generally believed not to be valid.
Working with Sophia and my main collaborator, we discovered an interpretation of the Socrates’ solution of the second geometry problem which resolves all the issues that have plagued interpretations of the second geometrical passage. We have written a paper on the geometry of in Plato’s Meno. Our paper has been submitted for publication and is currently under review. Participation in Sophia’s reading group was not only fun but also extremely satisfying to have solved a long-standing problem in the history of mathematics.
I highly recommend Sophia’s reading group to anyone interested in the history of mathematics and philosophy. The discussions on the readings by experts were extremely enjoyable, stimulating, and rewarding." - participant 2021-2022
We are a 501(c)(3) with Public Charity status 509(a)(2) registered with the I.R.S. and the State of Florida. Following the Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services, we post the required statement: "A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435- 7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE." All donations qualify as taxable deductions under IRC section 170. We are also qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under sections 2055, 2106, or 2522.