By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Many scientific studies have shown a strong correlation between keeping the mind active and good mental health in older adults.

Opportunities to learn about new topics and engage in intellectual discussions with like-minded people can be hard to find in retirement. Many people find it difficult to keep their minds active without the daily responsibilities of work.

But for Sedgebrook residents, those opportunities are literally right at their doorstep. The resident life committee recently launched a continuous learning program that includes eight to twelve week courses on topics like philosophy, art, and history.

One of the classes is Philosophy as a Guide to Living, which is based on a series of video lectures by Dr. Stephen Erickson, an internationally renowned professor of philosophy, who has taught at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., for more than 40 years.

Eager students abound
 For Jean Noble, a Sedgebrook resident who facilitates the class, it’s not only an chance to learn something new, but it also provides her with an outlet to use her talent for teaching that she honed during her career as a Catholic school teacher and principal.

“I love this group,” the retired school teacher says. “They really get into this and reflect on their own experiences.”

Learning from the experts
The video lectures dissect the work of history’s great thinkers—from Marx and Kirkegaard to Nietzsche, Freud, and Sartre. Professor Erickson explores complex concepts like existentialism and attempts to answer age-old questions like “what is the meaning of life” through the study of philosophy.