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Philosophy is a creative world of thought, intuition and feeling open to all kinds of questions which the human mind is capable of raising. We believe that philosophy is not a profession but a matter of passion. Unfortunately at present, a concern for an academic career in philosophy has to a great extent replaced the passion for philosophy. The problem is not the "academia" but the career. Most of us do have academic titles and we use them, but we also believe that titles should not be an ends but only a means if at all; we believe that what is written, said or thought in philosophy is more important then titles and positions. Our aim is simply to protect the basic and essential spirit of philosophy and philosophical creativity. We on the one hand avoid a populist and distorted understanding of philosophy which assumes that a philosophical mind is easly attainable by anyone, on the other hand refuse that philosophy is merely an object of an academic career and/or merely an object of expertise. Furthermore, Philosophy in Assos, (an activity organized by the Association of Philosophy, Art and Science (www.philosophyartscience.org) based in İstanbul), is the first movement, which brought philosophy back to Assos after thousands of years when Aristotle taught philosophy here. The aim of Philosophy in Assos, a non-profit organization, is to gather philosophers and lovers of philosophy in Assos in order to create an interactive, a casual and informal atmosphere for talks, discussions and dialogues on philosophical problems. We would like to philosophize in a natural atmosphere as was the case in Ancient Greece; distanced from the cruelties of urban life, in harmony with the Aegean nature and culture. Assos, an unspoiled spot on the Aegean coast of Turkey, situated across from the Greek island of Lesbos and south of the ancient ruins of Troy, is an ideal place for achieving this aim; and of course the most interesting aspect of Assos for philosophers is that Aristotle spent several years of his life here. He taught philosophy, practised some of his research in Assos and married the niece of the ruler of the city. In addition, Assos is also the home town of Cleanthes, one of the leading figures of the Stoic movement in Ancient Greek thought. As a matter of fact, Western Anatolia is one of the most significant places in the history of philosophy. Thales, Anaximenes and Anaximander, who are considered the first known philosophers of “western philosophy” were from Miletus. So was Leusippus, known as the leading figure of the atomist philosophy. Anaxagoras, who according to some scholars introduced philosophy to the Athenians, was from Klazomenai. Heraclitus, a leading figure in the history of philosophy was from Ephesus. Our hope is that philosophy's rich past in these lands will not remain just a page in history. Why not? | home | why? | info | photographs | Philosophy in Assos |