On 17th May at 7pm UK time will be our first full Network meeting over Zoom, consisting of a short stimulus talk followed by questions and regionalised breakout groups. About 40 people have already signed up for the Network, and if you want to know more, or to sign up, please see our Network events page.

Here are some brief details, stimulus questions and suggested reading for this session. The video of the talk and initial questions will also be posted here after the meeting.

Practicality

The Middle Way approach is defined by its practicality as a central value, but what does practicality mean? Robert M Ellis will suggest that our division between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ is leaky. Some ‘theory’ is actually very practical, and some is not. The goals we have in our practical efforts, and how far ahead they are is also crucial. It will be suggested that Middle Way practicality is a matter of intermediate goals: neither so far ahead that they are merely abstract, nor so close that they don’t take enough into account.

Stimulus questions: these can be used in the group discussions if you wish

1. Do you have any resistance to theory? What issues does it raise for you?
2. What sorts of theories do you tend to refer to to justify your judgements (for instance, think about your professional life, your politics, or your personal relationships)? Are they practical theories?
3. Do you tend to focus on near, intermediate, or final goals?
4. How well do your ways of thinking about your goals tend to help you or hinder you, when seen from a wider perspective?

Suggested further reading

Introduction to Middle Way Practice (web page)

‘Migglism’ chapter 4: Practical Application (especially first subsection) – chapter 3 in ebook version

‘Middle Way Philosophy’ 1.3.e: Pragmatism and the Feedback Loop (more challenging)