Gentle Thinkers: A Brisbane Meetup for Intellectual Dialogue

This is a group for those interested in intellectual conversation, learning and sharing. Topics might include scientific, social and political issues. Each meetup will focus on one topic, with everybody in the group given the opportunity to express their opinion in an informal, supportive environment. This meetup welcomes gentle, open-minded, generous folk who love rational thinking. We value rationality, compassion, generosity, curiosity, diversity and community-mindedness.

The philosophy of the group is inspired by Bertrand Russell in his essay “The best answer to fanaticism: Liberalism”:
1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavour to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent that in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool's paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.