Professor Saxon Spillman will present “Ancient Philosophers: Socrates and Buddha” for the next WVC Speaks Lecture Series event. The public is invited to this free performance on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 6 p.m. in the Music and Art Center’s Grove Recital Hall on the Wenatchee campus.
“Ancient Philosophers” is a presentation of the ideas of two prominent figures from antiquity, Socrates and Buddha (approx. 5th century B.C.E). This lecture serves as an inquiry of what it means to live a good life from an ancient perspective while donning a contemporary, cross-cultural lens. Though each thinker was separated from the other by significant time and space, their parallels as catalysts for historic change are undeniable, and their societal impacts are readily witnessed even today. Beyond mere historical curiosities, Spillman will argue that, with a philosophical and cross-cultural approach, we can helpfully apply lessons from the past to address problems of the present.
Spillman started teaching in the WVC Humanities department in 2024. His academic background is in cross-cultural philosophy, and his current research interests include philosophy and history of therapy, emotion theory, non-classical logic and Buddhist philosophy. Spillman earned an MA at the University of New Mexico and his BA at Southern Utah University. He is from Southeast Idaho, where he developed a love for spending time outside sliding on snow, climbing on rocks, or just enjoying the natural world.
WVC Speaks began in 2015 and was held annually through 2019. Originally held in the afternoons, the series brought faculty, staff, and students together to develop an appreciation for a variety of disciplines and to share perspectives. The series returned in 2025-2026 to welcome our wider community to learn and connect with faculty, staff, and students. Learn more at www.wvc.edu/wvc-speaks.
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Published October 15, 2026
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Marcine Miller, Executive Director, Public Information Office, 509-682-6582, mmiller2@wvc.edu