This is a new Sunday lecture. Meeting starts 9:00AM with friendly conversation, and then the lecture starts 9:15AM. A discussion will follow.
How can people change their behaviors which are steeped in various forms of biases? What is needed to make it acceptable to depart from long held conventional beliefs? In this meeting, we’ll discuss the philosophical teachings of three forms of bias: unconscious, confirmation, and implicit biases, against the backdrop of three social contextual topics of racism, womens’ voting rights, and child custody in cases of divorce.
In part 2, we will cover:
1. Dr. Martin Luther King’s philosophy in Letter from Birmingham Jail
2. Women’s Right to Vote and the work of Elizabeth Cady Stanton
3. The film “Kramer v. Kramer” (1979) and child custody in cases of divorce
For our discussion of uncomfortable truths, we will examine the concept of “tension” in Letter from Birmingham Jail. Here is one excerpt:
You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.
Please join us Sunday and bring a friend. If possible, bring a personal story of an experience that challenged your previously-held biases.
Our Sunday meetings are attended by Plato’s Cave, UU Inquiring Minds, and Orlando Stoics.
READING MATERIAL
Reading in advance is optional, but it does promote a richer discussion. The following materials are provided on the topic of the lecture.
Overview of Implicit Bias
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/implicit-bias/
Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)
Dr. Martin Luther King
https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
Women’s Right to Vote
Article by Wikipedia (search for “Elizabeth Cady Stanton”)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women's_suffrage
Kramer v. Kramer (1979)
Britannica article on the film
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kramer-vs-Kramer
TIMEZONES
For our members in other states:
6:00 AM Pacific Time USA
7:00 AM Mountain Time USA
8:00 AM Central Time USA
9:00 AM Eastern Time USA
In other countries, please convert time using this free tool:
https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/
ZOOM INFO
The meeting starts at 9:00AM Eastern Time. After 15 minutes of chat, the presentation starts at 9:15AM sharp.
CLICK TO JOIN - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86390590096
This group enjoys open-minded, respectful conversations. If we differ in our opinions, then "we agree to disagree". The long-term goal is to improve our minds via group discussions.
This meeting is free and open to the public.