Lyceum: Philosophy Reading & Discussion Group

A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur ([PlateRate.com](http://platerate.com/) is his company). His hobby is writing and discussing practical philosophy, and he does life coaching on request to help people live happy, moral lives. He is also the executive director of The Free Thinker Institute ([FreeThinkerInstitute.org](http://freethinkerinstitute.org/)), which aims to create a community that helps members increase happiness and decrease harm for themselves and those they can influence.

Format: Lecture and discussion

Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.

To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zg

After registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.

Here’s our legal notice: For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.

“Mainstream media” is generally used to refer to left or center leaning media. But is it really mainstream? Actually, most viewers watch right wing media (Fox, OAN, and newsmax). Here are some statistics on what is mainstream media: https://chatgpt.com/s/t_68d868355d908191b62c8d00b3cec21b

In this session we will teach a very easy and objective way to fact-check media (something we should *all* be doing, as there are lots of lies in the media these days: Have your favorite LLM fact check articles. You can have LLMs with various bias check each other’s fact checks and then try to find the primary sources they claim exist.
You can use this prompt to fact check: Please clarify what is accurate, misleading, or outright false in this article: \

A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (PlateRate.com is his company). His hobby is writing and discussing practical philosophy, and he does life coaching on request to help people live happy, moral lives. He is also the executive director of The Free Thinker Institute (FreeThinkerInstitute.org), which aims to create a community that helps members increase happiness and decrease harm for themselves and those they can influence.

Format: Lecture and discussion

Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.

To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zg

After registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.

Here’s our legal notice: For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.

BYOB (no hard liquors)/Potluck
Donations Appreciated but Not Required
Donate Here via Ethical NYC to Support this Event
https://ethicalnyc.app.neoncrm.com/forms/54
+1 (212) 874-5210
info@nysec.org
https://ethical.nyc/
· Location is subject to change for special events. Check website calendars and Meetup pages for various groups for updates and changes.
· Default room is Ceremonial on the 4th Floor. Room is subject to change depending on capacity or activity. Check for any posted signs.
· Use the wheelchair ramp entrance at the Meeting House NOT the Fieldston School. Press both doorbells if the door is locked. The elevator and stairs are right there to take to the 4th floor.

Our friends at various groups are cross-posting this event. Some groups have after-parties.

RULES for In-Person Meeting:

1. GROUP PROMOTION: Each group may bring flyers or posters advertising membership, donations, and meetings.
2. DRINKING: Bring your own booze should be limited to beer and wine, no hard liquors. Everyone should drink responsibly and don't get sloshed. Save the hard drinking for the after parties in outside bars.
3. RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCES: While there is overlap among the groups, not every group is the same and thinks the same. Respect each other's differences and different ideologies. Look for common ground not for things to hate. We're all friends here, treat each other as such.
4. ARGUMENTS: Listen to each other’s opinion completely in good faith. Ask questions about other's points instead of immediately dismissing. Approach taboo subjects--such as sex, religion, and politics--with strangers cautiously; back out if getting heated. Agree to disagree and walk away if necessary.
5. RESPECT FOR THE MEETING HOUSE: Use appropriate trash/recycling cans and clean up after yourselves. Leave the Meeting House better than you found it. Respect the neighborhood, don't act foolishly on the streets when entering and leaving or loitering.
6. NO ELECTIONEERING: Due to tax restrictions for many groups being §501(c)(3) tax-exempt, do not discuss, promote, denigrate, or leave/display/hand out materials for any candidate, campaign, party, or proposition on any upcoming election. No electioneering during the event. Other activities prohibited by tax-restrictions are also not allowed.
7. SELF-RECOGNITION: Try to speak from your own experiences and own your intentions and impacts. Recognize your own privileges and different backgrounds.
8. CONFIDENTIALITY: Meetings are private despite being open to the public. Recordings are prohibited. You may share what you learned, but not direct quotes and identities.
9. MEETING MODERATION: The organizers, hosts, co-hosts, moderators, and discussion leaders will use various methods available to ensure compliance with the rules and maintain decorum.
   Attending any meeting or event implies agreement with the above rules.