Lecture Topics
Jacob Needleman is an inspiring lecturer who aims to enliven questions through discussion. He investigates and delves into, with his audience, the very essence of that which he is speaking about. He has spoken to college students and conference goers as well as to businesses and governmental organizations, both in the US and internationally. He has also been featured on Bill Moyers’s acclaimed PBS series A World of Ideas.
Dr. Needleman’s lecture topics bring meaning to the mundane and deep understanding to difficult aspects of everyday life.
Below you will find a sample of topics Dr. Needleman has lectured on in the past. If you are interested in contacting him to speak at your event, email him at lectures@jacobneedleman.com.
The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founding Fathers
Based on Jacob Needleman’s most recent book, The American Soul, Needleman delves into the question of America. He looks at some of the beliefs and values that have shaped our culture, but separates the political, sociological, and economic aspects of “Americanism” that separates us, and repositions the purely metaphysical and psychological ideas that can bring us together. What, for example, is the spiritual, metaphysical meaning of democracy, or independence, or self-reliance? Although released in February 2002, Needleman spent over a decade researching and writing The American Soul. He has much to offer those of us seeking a deeper understanding of our culture, especially at this crucial time in our history.
Money and the Meaning of Life: Spiritual Search in a Material World
What is the the role and meaning of money in our lives? Money is the raw material out of which we build our lives. But because we don’t take money more seriously, we have come to know the price of everything and the value of nothing. Jacob Needleman raises a number of questions about how money influences our emotional and spiritual lives. He draws on the experiences of mythic figures, historians, psychologists, economists, and poets to guide us in our search. This lecture topic is based on Needleman’s book, Money and the Meaning of Life.
Time and the Soul: Searching for Time in a Time Deprived World
One of the most esoteric of all subjects, yet we experience time most intimately. Many of us feel we do not have enough time, or that time is moving too quickly. Needleman explores the agonizing paradox of time; two centuries of inventions designed to save time have actually had the effect of destroying time. We have material things, but little or no humanly meaningful time in our lives. Needleman looks to the great wisdom teachings for guidance in how to recover the fullness of meaningful time in the conditions of the modern world. This lecture topic is based on Needleman’s book, Time and the Soul.
What Do We Mean by Healing?
Based on Jacob Needleman’s book, The Way of the Physician, Needleman explores the science, practice, and spirituality of medicine. What does it mean to be a healer, and what are the responsibilities of healers? At a time when the financial considerations are taking precedence over the welfare of patients, Needleman sheds light on the great importance and responsibilities of healers.
Science and the Spiritual
This lecture topic aims to reach a contemporary redefinition of the spiritual search in the light of the latest speculations of science, including the science of chaos, the theories of quantum physicists, and the psychological implications of the computer. Needleman brings the perspectives of philosophy, psychology, and the great wisdom teachings to bear as he considers such questions as these: Is consciousness a fundamental aspect of reality? Does humanity have a special place and destiny in the cosmic scheme? Is the planet Earth a living organism? Are there truths about nature and the human mind that science cannot answer? This lecture topic is based on Needleman’s book, a Sense of the Cosmos.
Philosophy and the Great Questions of Life: Philosophy’s Role in Modern Life
Philosophy is the art of pondering the great questions of life, questions which the mind alone cannot answer, nor the heart can cease asking. Why do we suffer? How should we live? What can we hope for? Why is it essential that we go on pondering these questions of the heart, and how have great philosophers throughout the ages responded to them? This lecture topic explores the role of the great philosophical ideas as necessary allies in the rough-and-tumble of everyday life. Ideas presented in this lecture topic can also be found in Needleman’s books, Heart of Philosophy, and Real Philosophy.
The Cultivation of Ethics in America’s Adolescents
Nowhere is the ethical crisis of our culture more poignant than in the minds and hearts of America’s young people. What do boys and girls of high-school age need to hear about morality and the development of character—beyond all the futile moralizing and the commercially driven and often degrading psychological “advice” and “tips” found everywhere in the omnipresent media of our time? What do they need to hear in order to help them think well and truly about the meaning of their lives with each other?
February 27 2009 03:54 pm