Filosofie voor het Leven met Stine Jensen

Filosofie voor het Leven is on a mission. A mission to seek wisdom that not only sounds good, but that you can actually put to use in your own life. That’s why we’re delving into 2,500 years of philosophy and translating the ideas of great thinkers into an interactive, accessible and lively evening. Not a lecture, but an experience. One from which you’ll hopefully go home with more questions than you came in with.

On 3 February, Filosofie voor het Leven will start the conversation with philosopher Stine Jensen on the theme of ‘The Courage to Fail’. Pay attention: this conversation is in Dutch. During this evening, Jensen will reflect on questions such as: is it acceptable to fail in a society centred on high expectations (of oneself and from society), achievement and success? Must one always strive for perfection and success? When does making mistakes elicit sympathy, and when does it provoke horror? And do we always have to learn from our mistakes? In 2021, she published the book 'Faalmoed' (The Courage to Fail), an ode to those who dare to go through life vulnerable and stumbling.

Don’t expect an evening where you simply sit back and relax. We’ll be engaging in conversation with one another and with the audience, testing your philosophical knowledge in a quiz, dishing out beer mat wisdom and getting a bit carried away with Plato. Because philosophy only truly comes to life when you explore and question it together, and every now and then simply have a laugh at yourselves.

We are Tijmen (’73), Marlous (’85) and Eva (’93). We are at different stages in our lives, but we all face the same questions. How do we deal with climate change, identity, polarisation and the pressure to keep going round and round? And perhaps the most important question of all: how do you stay true to yourself in a world that seems to be spinning ever faster?

Fortunately, we are not the first to give this some thought. For over 2,500 years, philosophers have been pondering precisely these kinds of questions. That is why we are on a mission: to seek out wisdom that does not remain on the bookshelf, but which you take home with you. Practical guidance for life, hence the name Filosofie voor het Leven (Philosophy for Life).

With ‘Philosophy for Life’, we organise evenings where we explore the major themes of our time together with inspiring thinkers. With substance and a touch of fun. Featuring quizzes, discussions with the audience, beer mat aphorisms, unexpected insights and plenty of scope to let our Plato fly every now and then.