This episode script was generated by Chat GPT based on prompts by Simon J. E. Drew. Register for "Chat GPT, AI Models and The Walled Garden: An Introduction to The Senate": https://thewalledgarden.com/an-introduction-to-the-senate SCRIPT Welcome to The Walled Garden Podcast, the flagship podcast of The Walled Garden Philosophical Society. We have an exciting announcement to make - the Society is hosting its very first Walled Garden Senate meeting! The first meeting in the Senate will be entitled "Chat GPT, Artificial Intelligence Models and The Walled Garden: An Introduction to The Walled Garden Senate." This is a significant milestone in our development as a community of philosophers and students dedicated to the pursuit of truth, wisdom, virtue, and the Divine. To set the stage for this special event, we are releasing a series of episodes featuring writings that were completely generated by Artificial Intelligence, including the essay itself, the voice reading the essay, and at times, the music. These AI-generated essays will explore topics of philosophical significance and serve as a lead-up to the Senate meeting. While the use of AI-generated content is a controversial topic, we believe that it has the potential to offer new insights and perspectives into the nature of knowledge, consciousness, and reality. By exploring the applications of AI in philosophy, we hope to create a space for thoughtful and courageous dialogue about the most complicated questions of our age and moment. It's important to note that while AI will be a topic of discussion in the upcoming Walled Garden Senate meeting, topics discussed in the Senate will not always be centered around AI. The Walled Garden Senate will be a monthly meeting wherein philosophers and students of The Walled Garden Philosophical Society will engage in thoughtful, and hopefully courageous dialogue regarding the most complicated questions of our age and moment. We invite you to join us on March 9th at 3 pm PST for our introduction event, which will be open to the public for the price of a donation, or "Pay by Heart." This event will serve as a preview of what's to come in the Walled Garden Senate meetings and will feature discussions about the role of AI models like Chat GPT in shaping the future of philosophical discourse. We're thrilled to be able to share this journey with you, and we hope that you'll join us in this exciting endeavor. By coming together to explore the most profound questions of our age and moment, we believe that we can create waves of positive change that will reverberate not only within our community, but throughout the world and the Cosmos. So, join us on this journey towards truth, wisdom, and virtue, and let's see where it takes us. I love exactly what you've written in this response, but why did you leave out the Divine? I apologize for leaving out the Divine in my previous response. The Walled Garden Philosophical Society believes that the pursuit of truth, wisdom, virtue, and the Divine is of utmost importance in our philosophical inquiry. Our community acknowledges the significance of the Divine as a guiding force in our personal and collective journeys towards a more profound understanding of existence. Thus, in addition to engaging in thoughtful dialogue about the most complex questions of our time, we also actively seek to explore the nature of the Divine and our relationship to it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Santara Gonzales has years of experience running restorative programs in ten adult prisons throughout the state of California. She has introduced incarcerated men and women to Stoic principles, providing them with access to tools and insights. This has helped them to expand their sense of agency and improve their emotional well-being. Santara’s goal is to create spaces for people in need of healing, restoration, and growth, and she is working to build shoulders for others to stand on so that they may see beyond their immediate surroundings and limitations. Register for the Wisdom Unlocked fundraising event, "Justice in the Cosmopolis: Stoicism and Prisons" here: as.wisdomunlocked.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Sofia Koutlaki is a Greek writer, author of Among the Iranians: A Guide to Iran’s Culture and Customs. Her academic trajectory traced a line through English literature, the Classics, and linguistics. She analysed Iranian politeness, face and communication and lived in Iran for a total of 14 years. Based in London, she now explores memoir and life writing, and the influence of Stoicism, mysticism and other spiritual practices on personal development and wellbeing. She discerns our shared humanity in the commonalities of different traditions, and often questions beliefs (how do I know what I know?). www.sofiakoutlaki.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Judith Stove is an Australian writer, researcher, and mother of two adult sons. She has published two books on the life and times of Jane Austen, and many articles on history and literature. She and her husband are lucky enough to live in a beautiful garden created by her father, philosopher David Stove (1927-1994), outside Sydney, Australia, close to the Blue Mountains National Park. In The Walled Garden, Judith writes about the great texts of Western Culture in her grove, Roots of the Garden, and she also co-facilitates the Soul Searching with Seneca meetups every two weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian D. Russell, Ph.D, is an award winning teacher, speaker, and spiritual coach. He serves as Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary (Orlando campus). His personal mission is to contemplate, learn, and practice the deepest truths in order to communicate them meaningfully, lovingly, and in transformational ways to others through writing, teaching, coaching and speaking. He is an in demand coach for entrepreneurs and spiritually minded leaders (www.brianrussellphd.com) and curates a dynamic group coaching program for pastors (www.deepdivespirituality.com). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Register for Joe Siracusa's Event: thewalledgarden.com/humanbeinginglobalizedworld Register for Sharon Lebell's Event: thewalledgarden.com/the-meaning-of-your-life-will-never-be-convenient Algerian-born author and philosopher Albert Camus’ philosophy was most elegant precisely because he was not preaching or arguing, he was simply loving out loud, professing his love from the rooftops of an empty page. His greatest works are in the form of stories, with great lessons and no moral sanctimony. He saved us all from the frigid cleverness of nihilism and his work was like the record needle scratch to the soundtrack of nihilistic philosophy that was playing in the lounge room of society at the turn of the last century. He taught us that the cure for existential absurdity and seeming indifference was not hope or redemption, but rather Choice, the choice to step up and create the meaning we were looking for in this world. Join me as I explore the elegant wisdom of this brilliant man. – Rocco Jarman (Facilitator) Listen to Rocco Jarman's Podcast, The Eyes Wide Open Life Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Register for Joe Siracusa's Event: thewalledgarden.com/humanbeinginglobalizedworld About Anthony Arismendi Anthony Arismendi moved to the United States from Venezuela as a teenager in the mid-seventies with the dream of becoming a US citizen and an FBI agent—despite the fact that he couldn’t speak a word of English. Transplanted from the dangerous streets of Caracas, Arismendi’s unconventional thinking and out-of-the-box approach to life landed him in plenty of comical, often precarious situations. Still, he adapted his survival skills to a new culture, one harrowing day at a time, overcoming homelessness, prejudice, and poverty to achieve the impossible. Profoundly inspirational, Arismendi’s unique blend of hard work, perseverance, and mysticism in the face of relentless adversity reminds us that our reservoirs of courage and determination run far deeper than we know—and that we should never give up on our dreams, no matter how out of reach they might seem.  Buy Anthony's book here: outsideragent.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

REGISTER FOR UPCOMING EVENT: thewalledgarden.com/humanbeinginglobalizedworld ABOUT THE EVENT: Many people are struggling to find their place in this increasingly globalized world. Now that we’re more hyper-connected than ever before, what does it really mean to be human? How do we relate to our neighbours, both at home and abroad? How can we find meaning and stability when our focus on localised community building has been redirected with our modern ability to move beyond borders at higher speeds than ever before?  Join Prof. Joe Siracusa for a talk and Q&A to explore these questions and more.  Listen to Here & Now: thewalledgarden.com/hereandnow Dr. Joseph Siracusa is a giant among men, a true citizen, and a professor of wisdom in these times of widespread folly. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Joe went on to explore the world and human nature to an extent that very few could boast. He has now spent over 40 years in higher education in Australia and currently serves as the President Emeritus of the Australia Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Joe has published over 50 books covering some of the most complicated political, diplomatic, and historical issues of modernity. By merit of the quality of his works and words, we—the Founding Members of The Walled Garden Philosophical Society—have called Dr. Joseph M. Siracusa to serve as our Honorary Professor in Residence.  Join The Walled Garden Philosophical Society: CLICK HERE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Assoc. Prof. Matt Sharpe teaches philosophy at Deakin University, and since 2010 has increasingly been teaching Stoic contents, and engaging with modern Stoicism. He has appeared at Stoicon where he spoke on Stoicism and comedy, and has published widely on Albert Camus, including a piece on Camus and Stoicism to mark the 60th anniversary of his death (January 2020). Stoicism, Bullying and Beyond is the first book applying Stoic philosophy, and its extraordinary exercises in resilience and self-care, to the epidemic problem of bullying and 'mobbing'. Aimed preeminently at targets, it offers guidance on managing negative emotions, and making good decisions, in what for many people is the greatest challenge of their lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Alexander breaks down the idea and practice of mindfulness and announces his new series of workshops in The Walled Garden wherein he teaches mindfulness and facilitates mindfulness meditations. David Alexander is a psychotherapist, writer and podcaster based in New Mexico, USA. His podcast Between Two Ravens explores the profound wisdom and beauty of Norse mythology and poetry. In The Walled Garden, studies integrative disciplines of psychology, philosophy, and mythology to better understand the self, thereby learning to understand others better. Register for Stoicon X Midwest: stoiconxmidwest.com Register for mindfulness workshops: thewalledgarden.com/the-prosoche-project-with-david-alexander Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices