Testimonials
“I would recommend this class to everyone as it has transformed the way I think about morality, politics and the bigger issues we face today as a country and world struggling with the basics of conversation and debate shaped by polarizing social media platforms and news outlets. Courses like this should be mandatory in k-12 classrooms and colleges. We would all be much better for it.”
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“My learning experience was shaped by having a great, enthusiastic instructor who cares about the material and is excited about learning. The selection of academic texts and even the order in which they were presented made for a really great and natural flow between each class that we could connect to real life events happening now. Lastly, we had a beautiful classroom community where each person did their parts contributing, asking questions, and listening to one another.”
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“This class was beneficial to me in helping me to understand that people who may not share my views may have very legitimate reasons for believing as they do. The class gave me more empathy and patience to listen to their views and not discount them as unreasoned or unthoughtful. It also helped me to examine and better articulate why I feel the way I do on certain issues.”
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“The ability of our class instructor, John Houston, to inspire us to think critically about our views, and allow each of us to explore and speak about our views and reasons in a non-confrontational manner. It was inspiring to have thoughtful, calm, conversations with people who both agree and disagree with my positions.”
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“I would recommend this class. The opportunity to have calm, reasoned discussion with others, especially those that may not have the same opinion, is very rare in our current society. It may help people see that someone who does not share their position is not necessarily a bad person!”
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“Being able to see information from points of view different from my own helped me not only with the topics covered in class but certainly helped lead to a deeper understanding of how others come to opposite conclusions. I still may not agree with the opposition but at least I can value the patterns of thought that led them to their conclusions.”
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“Professor Houston structures the class in such a way that we first learn the concepts being covered from such classical theorists as Aristotle, Mill and Kant but even more importantly is to think about the concepts offered by the theorists and form personal reflections on the ideas. Then we continued to consider several very controversial issues using the same approach. We read pro and con articles on each of the issues and shared our ideas in class. It was very interesting and challenging to consider opposing views on these issues from my own.”
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“This course has humbled me intellectually in a way that I have not experienced before as an adult. Although I consider myself someone who looks for shades of gray in our politics and conversation, I have come to realize that my firm held thoughts and convictions crumble under upon review of varying philosophical thoughts, analogies, and discussions. I walked into every single class knowing where I stood on each issue and left each time both mourning the comfort and confidence I had once held on the edges and celebrating my more uncomfortable, compassionate, and human place in the middle.”
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“The atmosphere Professor Houston created so that we were free to express ourselves easily. Learning from each other and respecting each other when our conclusions did not match our own.”
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“I definitely would recommend this class and I took the class on the recommendation of someone myself.”
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“I benefited very much from this class! I enjoyed discussing new ideas with such a lovely group of people every week, and being led by such an outstanding teacher.”
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“It was challenging to read some of the articles, and I found that to be a good challenge for me. I appreciated that John did not “dumb down” the material. It made me feel like my older and slower brain could still function and work like when I was younger!”
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“Each week, I learned new things about the topic and was stimulated to generate new ideas. I enjoyed the learning of the weekly topics, but also, I live alone, so it was a good social experience, which enriched my life in that way too.”
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“I would definitely recommend this class! It was a very enriching experience for me to participate in this class. It was a very interesting class and John is an outstanding teacher. John has a way of drawing people out and giving them confidence to express their thoughts and opinions. I appreciated that John emailed us each week with specific questions on which to focus in our reading. That really helped the group be prepared to participate in the class. John is a brilliant teacher and to say he knows the material is an understatement. When a question arises, he can easily expound in depth on any topic related to the course.”
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“I enjoyed the different views that everyone has. It was neat. I am a pretty deep thinker- or so I thought, until this class. So, it was very cool to be challenged to think deeper yet. I find myself questioning things further than I would have in the past which has opened my mind in other directions as well”
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“I would highly recommend this class. I think even those without a background or exposure to philosophical writings could benefit from awareness of the different ideas among people that a class like this would introduce. Everyone could use more understanding of themselves and of why those around them may think differently. The background of the "why" of the difference of views among people is invaluable.”
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“The class enriches my life because it’s so interesting, but a bigger purpose for me is that it shows me that I can do things like this by myself. It’s because John creates an atmosphere of easy participation, that I can feel successful in the class. Thank you, John!”
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“In a sense it removes me from the chaos of the current world which seems disconnected to deeper meaning. Helps to understand where our thinking comes from. I especially was pleased with the quality of instruction and John's knowledge of subject matter and his ability to communicate complex material to a diverse group.”
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“My husband passed away five years ago. Since that time, my adult son has lived with me while he finished college and during the pandemic year. My son just moved out in April and it triggered feelings of grief that I had not yet processed, because it was the first time I was living totally alone since my husband passed.”
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“My favorite parts of this course were the discussion among classmates and hearing about their life experiences. It helped illuminate why they viewed happiness the way that they did. My other favorite part was how our instructor (John) would bring it all together at the end. His thorough knowledge of the philosophers really helped with the interpretation of their writings. You could tell he has a passion for this type of work.”
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“I was looking through the Community Ed brochure, thinking that I need to get out and start to create a new life for myself. The class caught my attention. I’m the kind of person who enjoys talking about ideas with others. So I signed up, not knowing that it would far exceed my expectations!”
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“It’s a very dynamic class and John is an excellent teacher—passionate, knowledgeable, and able to articulate difficult concepts in a way that makes it easy to understand. He integrates what the students are saying into his commentary, so it feels like we are on an exciting journey together. I was also so impressed by the respect he shows his students. He creates an atmosphere of respect and trust that made it easy for me to participate. And all views are respected.”
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“I would recommend this class to my parents and grandparents, siblings and friends, or people interested in benefitting their overall mental health.”
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“Definitely am grateful for this short course, because it truly added a richness to my week’s agenda. I would benefit from another such course taught by John Houston. John Houston is a most skilled instructor and hope this curriculum will be extended in our area.”
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“This course continues to offer great information each and every time. Talking about happiness and other subjects which are truly important has been so refreshing.”
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“I liked it when we talked about not burdening ourselves with more stress & possibilities since 1 future can actually come true.”
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“I really enjoyed Stoicism, hedonism & the English philosopher Russell. They all had important key takeaways that I think any human could relate to.”
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“Favorite aspect is difficult to narrow down. I really enjoyed the variety of the readings, but mostly appreciate the excellent facilitator, who is so interesting and very well prepared for each class.”
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“I told my friend about this second course in June, after my experience with his May course here in St. Cloud in 2021. I will continue to promote this course to hopefully broaden this effort to bring ‘Philosophy to the People.’”
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“I'm still interested in more sessions. At age 83 I am struggling to keep my mind stimulated. Books are great but in person meetings where we can interact and learn from others is even better. I often feel overwhelmed by the problems we face today and need to hear what others have to say. I love the mix of older and younger folks... seeing different perspectives. Keep the efforts going. If I can do anything to support you [sic] efforts let me know.”
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“This class has reignited my fire for learning and curiosity as an adult. Despite my initial stance on issues, I have found there are always significant shades of gray for me to consider. I have found myself my thoughtfully considering issues and actively seeking good hearted conversation, discussions, academic texts, and media to shape my thoughts. I will be a better member of society for having taken this course.”
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“John is an excellent teacher. The group members were often “on the same page” as far as their thoughts on a subject, and John never failed to bring in other perspectives through the readings or his comments and questions, which broadened my view.”
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“John cultivated a class atmosphere of acceptance of new and different ideas. It was an uplifting experience to have the class be the one place in the world where I knew everyone would be respected, no matter what their views and opinions.”
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“Also, the class members took the class seriously and I appreciated their thoughts and viewpoints. Delightful people in the class!”
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“I think the biggest thing I learned wasn't necessarily tied to the subject matter, but more to do with the fact that there can be so many different ways to look at the same thing. Which, l already knew on some level, but this definitely expanded my views on how much deeper that can really go.”
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“It was just so interesting to me and I think we can all use more knowledge and mind expansion. This class definitely pushes beyond the regular thought patterns of most people I know. Also, John, you're a great teacher. I was very impressed and was always eager to hear what profound thoughts you would add to the material and/or discussions.”
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“John Houston creates such a safe environment for the class to express our views that it enriches the exchange immensely. We are not only discussing the various authors whose works we read but also discussing our individual reactions, thoughts and beliefs. This makes for a stimulating session at every session. It is not easy to read or to hear completely opposite views from my own. However, it helps to see these other views more clearly and to understand the thinking that the writers or the class members have on which to base their views. I especially appreciate the respect given to my views when I shared them knowing that for many these were not at all what they personally may hold or believe.”
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“This course did enrich my own life as it gave me a wider appreciation for the process that individuals use to come to conclusions that are so different from my own.”
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“I absolutely recommend this class to people of all ages but particularly to those of us in the last decades of our lives.”
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“A huge thank you to John for having this course and creating the environment to explore these issues.”
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“I feel more comfortable guiding conversations towards philosophical ideas that challenge our often polarizing views and find that it leads to a more productive dialog where we are invited to meet comfortably, or uncomfortably, in the gray areas of today's issues.”
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“These classes have changed the way I think and discuss important issues with those around me. I find myself more understanding of peoples opinions and better equipped to guide tense debates towards a dialog that invites philosophical thinking that often has no absolutes.”
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“Thank you!”
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“Many thanks for a great class!”
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“This course gave me some new, additional insights on life and caused me to think about my life, how I live it, and the quest to find meaning & purpose.”
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“I was moved to reflect more on what life is or might be, what I should do with mine, how I will be remembered for what I do or do not do. I appreciated the information on the various reasons and logical arguments that exist on who we are and what happens to us.”
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“The instructor was great and presenting various ideas, explaining them, and then having us discuss them freely.”
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“I have lost loved ones and I learned to cope with the loss and the pain. I learned about the Ecclesiastes. ‘There is a time for everything.’ ‘A time to keep and a time to throw away.’ This helped me realize and helped me go through my deceased daughter’s belongings and move on with the grief.”
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“I do have a lot of anxiety when it comes to grading, and with this course I didn’t have to go through that.”
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“I consider this a ‘teaser’—and long for more!’ 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 yrs. old and a lifelong learner!”
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“We are just coming out of a year of very little outside our bubble conversation. This class provided a chance to discuss ideas and thoughts with people I had just met.”
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“I think it’s really cool to see how students will show up to talk about philosophy even without a grade or out of necessity.”
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“I learned that Stoicism actually embraces joy.”
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“I was immensely benefitted by the way the class provoked me to think about meaningful subjects in a meaningful way. The course stimulated critical thinking and reflection during a time of the week I would otherwise endure with typical, unphilosophical activities. The experience was in several ways richer than reading or listening to a podcast would be, because of the conversation and dynamic lecturing.”
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“I did not know all the ways thinking and talking about philosophy helped me, but it prepared me to be a better thinker with more beneficial thoughts afterwards.”
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“The instructor was extremely qualified and sparked active class discussion.”
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“What I enjoyed was the diversity of ages and experiences within our small group”
And From Our Teenage Demographic
“It helps me realize how you can’t control everything so you should just let some things go.”
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“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.”
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“It was fun.”