I have taken up residence in the beautiful 16th-century Villa Rigacci to take part in the School of Philosophy and engage with the two antipodes Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Arthur Schopenhauer. This wonderful inspirational trip is organized by Dr. Bernd Waß and Dr. Heinz Palasser, to whom I am very grateful. The magnificent villa offers me an ideal retreat – far away from the hustle and bustle of the world. Here I can relax in the midst of the enchanting Tuscan countryside and devote myself entirely to interpreting the world and my personal development.

Villa Rigacci is surrounded by a fascinating natural backdrop: The rolling hills, lush fields and green vineyards fill the air with the scent of nature. The chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects accompany me during my stay and remind me how important it is to appreciate the beauty of nature. The radiant sun illuminates the Tuscan landscape and makes everything glow in a warm, golden light.

Freedom, determinism and the flight of swallows

The glorious weather provides us with the perfect backdrop to focus on Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz’s thought. We discuss his metaphysics, his determinism and the compatibility of freedom and determinism. Together we will try to outline his theories and understand their implications. The swallows circling overhead and making their characteristic calls seem to symbolically encourage us to delve deeper into the world of philosophy.

The devil and evil

Leibniz’s metaphysics is fascinating: God conceives of an infinite number of possible worlds, chooses the best one and realizes it. The realized world – the world in which we ourselves live – develops along the divine blueprint without exception. But how can this determinism be reconciled with human freedom and how the hell can it be that the best of all possible worlds has so many evils?

Which brings us seamlessly to Schopenhauer, because for Schopenhauer the world is inevitably full of suffering. Standing on the shoulders of Kant, he develops a theory of knowledge in his main work “The World as Will and Representation”: the world is nothing but representation and beyond this representation blind, eternally pressing will – the cause of all world suffering. With fierce empathy for the human condition, Schopenhauer nonetheless searches for islands of peace and finds them in art, especially music, and in morality, especially compassion. A fantastic journey into two of the most famous interpretations of the world in history.

Thought building Villa Rigacci

In this inspiring environment, I meet fine-minded people who also take part in the School of Philosophy. We share our thoughts, ideas and interpretations of the works of Leibniz and Schopenhauer. The conversations are enriching and open up new perspectives. Together we explore the complex structures of thought and try to fathom the essence of the world and our human existence.

Villa Rigacci itself is a place of art and culture. Its architecture and ornate details take me back to times gone by. In the rooms of the villa, I find an impressive collection of works of art that arouse my interest and appeal to my senses. Paintings, sculptures and other works of art inspire me and make me think beyond the boundaries of the visible.

Space and thinking

In this world interpretation and workation in Tuscany, I find a unique space for personal growth and intellectual expansion. Surrounded by the beauty of nature, art and culture, I can develop myself in an inspiring community of like-minded people. The experiences and insights I gain here will stay with me after my stay at Villa Rigacci and deepen my understanding of philosophy and life. But they will also sharpen my understanding of special places and how important they are for our thinking. We should be aware of this, all of us who create and design spaces. After all, everything we do is about creating the best of all worlds.