New Acropolis: Who are these guys?

AtaraX · 2nd September 2008, 08:25 AM

Since last year in Ottawa these posters have been appearing on telephone polls advertising an opportunity to become a philosopher. It's from a group calling themselves New Acropolis.
http://www.newacropolis.ca/

Here are some juicy quotes from their web site (which sells books on fairies and Atlantis):

Quote:

Science and Consciousness
"Science can be defined as the sum of accepted knowledge at any one given time in history... What we propose is a new science... Science must be based on History; it must endeavour to remain free, in order to seek and to understand the processes of Nature, while reinventing systems which enable us to urgently resuscitate ecology."

J. A. Livraga

Education and Society

"It is essential to provide philosophical education for the individual within groups dedicated to preserving their own cultural values that will enable them to fulfil the dream of self-governance, to become responsible and to overcome any form of social assistance."

J.A. Livraga

Religion and Mysticism
"What truly differentiates the human being from the animal is religion. As philosophers, our role is not to support a new religion, but rather the sentiment of religiosity and mystic, beyond all their forms and representations, understanding that each human being has the right and the duty to express his religious feeling, while living the religion which is most appropriate to him, and respecting the other worships."

J. A. Livraga

I have looked a few of their websites and it seems to be that they teach some valid historical philosophy with a lot of newage mixed in.

I have been googling them, searching for outside critics but I haven't found much of anything besides a legal incident in France where they were declared a cult but then that designation was rescinded.

They seem to be mostly harmless and they wouldn't have drawn my attention at all accept for their appropriation of the word philosopher which I find presumptuous. I'm just surprised on how little I found on them good or bad. They seem to have been operating off the radar for quite some time. Does anyone have some good 3rd party information or sites on them? And does anyone know who this J. A. Livraga person is?

Sideroxylon · 2nd September 2008, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Science can be defined as the sum of accepted knowledge at any one given time in history

Sounds like post modern bollocks.

AtaraX · 2nd September 2008, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

Sounds like post modern bollocks.

Good call. I knew I had read that sort of bollocks before but I had trouble placing it.

Beerina · 3rd September 2008, 08:46 AM

1. Science is whatever the hell most people believed at one point or another.

2. Various snake oils were believed at one point or anothe.

3. I sell these things. Hence they are "scientific".

4. You will confuse the predictive power of modern science with the hot air definition I gave you, and hopefully incorrectly transfer the confidence modern science gives you onto these snake oils.

5. Profit!

Robin · 3rd September 2008, 09:29 PM

Is that anything like "Acropolis Now!"?

2nd September 2008, 08:25 AM	#1
AtaraX Scholar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sousa, Japan Posts: 63	New Acropolis: Who are these guys? Since last year in Ottawa these posters have been appearing on telephone polls advertising an opportunity to become a philosopher. It's from a group calling themselves New Acropolis. http://www.newacropolis.ca/ Here are some juicy quotes from their web site (which sells books on fairies and Atlantis): Quote: Science and Consciousness "Science can be defined as the sum of accepted knowledge at any one given time in history... What we propose is a new science... Science must be based on History; it must endeavour to remain free, in order to seek and to understand the processes of Nature, while reinventing systems which enable us to urgently resuscitate ecology." J. A. Livraga Education and Society "It is essential to provide philosophical education for the individual within groups dedicated to preserving their own cultural values that will enable them to fulfil the dream of self-governance, to become responsible and to overcome any form of social assistance." J.A. Livraga Religion and Mysticism "What truly differentiates the human being from the animal is religion. As philosophers, our role is not to support a new religion, but rather the sentiment of religiosity and mystic, beyond all their forms and representations, understanding that each human being has the right and the duty to express his religious feeling, while living the religion which is most appropriate to him, and respecting the other worships." J. A. Livraga I have looked a few of their websites and it seems to be that they teach some valid historical philosophy with a lot of newage mixed in. I have been googling them, searching for outside critics but I haven't found much of anything besides a legal incident in France where they were declared a cult but then that designation was rescinded. They seem to be mostly harmless and they wouldn't have drawn my attention at all accept for their appropriation of the word philosopher which I find presumptuous. I'm just surprised on how little I found on them good or bad. They seem to have been operating off the radar for quite some time. Does anyone have some good 3rd party information or sites on them? And does anyone know who this J. A. Livraga person is?
	__________________ Heuristic Spectacles - The limits of time, space and our own mortality will only ever let us explore an insignificant fraction of what is and incalculably negligible fraction of what could be.

2nd September 2008, 11:11 AM	#3
AtaraX Scholar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sousa, Japan Posts: 63	Originally Posted by Sideroxylon Sounds like post modern bollocks. Good call. I knew I had read that sort of bollocks before but I had trouble placing it.
	__________________ Heuristic Spectacles - The limits of time, space and our own mortality will only ever let us explore an insignificant fraction of what is and incalculably negligible fraction of what could be.

3rd September 2008, 08:46 AM	#4
Beerina Sarcastic Conqueror of Notions Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: A floating island above the clouds Posts: 14,373	1. Science is whatever the hell most people believed at one point or another. 2. Various snake oils were believed at one point or anothe. 3. I sell these things. Hence they are "scientific". 4. You will confuse the predictive power of modern science with the hot air definition I gave you, and hopefully incorrectly transfer the confidence modern science gives you onto these snake oils. 5. Profit!
	__________________ Reid Fleming, World's Toughest Milkman, in *A Day Like Any Other* The government should nationalize it! Socialized, single-payer video game development and sales *now!* More, cheaper, better games, right? Right?

3rd September 2008, 09:29 PM	#5
Robin Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,778	Is that anything like "Acropolis Now!"?
Robin Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,778	__________________ If any one alters the definitions, I cannot pretend to argue with him, until I know the meaning he assigns to these terms. - David Hume 1711-1776

2nd September 2008, 08:35 AM	#2
Sideroxylon Muse Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Turkey Posts: 566	Quote: Science can be defined as the sum of accepted knowledge at any one given time in history Sounds like post modern bollocks.