What we’re about
Philosophy For All is London's most vibrant forum for discussing life, politics, science, art and thought. It is open to anyone interested in ideas. We meet several times a month, bringing you talks, walks, seminars and much more! Come and hammer out the issues!
PFA is a current Local Partner of The Royal Institute of Philosophy.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Reel Philosophers: Transcending HumanismDasDasBox, London£10.00
(Use promo code "Free" or pay an optional fee to secure a seat and support PFA - details below)
This month, we explore the sociopolitical dimensions of humanism through the lens of an iconic science fiction film, game theory, and decentralised networks.
Step into an evening where philosophy meets art in a convivial cinema club, and conversations linger long after the barman’s last call.
And 'All those moments won't be lost in time, like tears in rain.'Inspired by the tradition of Greek symposia, Reel Philosophers nights help participants sharpen their critical thinking through themed screenings and discussions gently guided by professional philosophers.
Film clubs co-produced by Reputy and Philosophy for All are part of the Human RenAIssance series of interdisciplinary events in Fleet Street Quarter, aiming to connect the business community and develop human intelligence.
17:30 Doors open
18:00 Keynote speech by Kai Morris, Macrocosmos
18:15 Film screening – title to be revealed on the day (find cues in the announcement)
20:15 Discussion facilitated by philosophers
21:00 Social at the venue bar.The cosy cinema room accommodates a maximum of 40 seated guests (including replicants). Use promocode "Free" to book a free place - and arrive promptly to ensure admittance and a seat. Alternatively, pay the optional fee of GBP 10 for guaranteed admittance and a reserved seat at a table (by paying this fee you will also support PFA and enable us to offer more exciting events to the general public). We also kindly invite guests to purchase drinks at the bar throughout the evening as a gesture of thanks to the venue for hosting us.
The evening is co-designed with Macrocosmos – a London-based machine learning and AI startup, building decentralised tools on the Bittensor blockchain. At the core of their work is the belief that AI is too important to be centralised and deserves to be distributed to all.
If you wish to become an event partner, contact Helen Rantsevitch.
Producers:
Philosophy for All (PFA) is an independent non-profit association open to everyone interested in philosophy, active since 1998. It hosts a number of regular free events for the general public.
Reputy AI Talent Agent helps discover, grow and showcase human potential through soft skills, such as critical thinking.
DasDasBox is a sustainable arts and culture hub in the Fleet Street Quarter, fostering creativity and mental health, whilst connecting local communities.
Media Partners: London Daily, Philosophy Now
This event is part-funded by The Royal Institute of Philosophy through the Local Partners programme, of which PFA is a participant.
- Kant's Cave: Gary Chamberlin - Edmund Husserl, Phenomenology, and the LifeworldTwo Chairmen, London
Edmund Husserl, founder of phenomenology as a philosophical discipline, is well regarded as an important 20th century philosopher on the Continent and in America, but strangely neglected in Britain. Can we do something to correct this glaring gap? We can try I suppose, and I'd like to present some of his main ideas for Kant's Cave. What Husserl was seeking was a science of subjectivity, which sounds like rather a contradiction. But when you come down to it, phenomenology is about the world as we experience it and about ourselves as experiencing subjects. It's about what Husserl called the "lifeworld". Could there be a more vital topic in these times when it seems we're trying to cancel the very idea of being properly human, whether it's through the violence of dictators, the extremities of 'woke', or some apparently beneficial means such as the proliferation of AI? Husserl, I believe, can help to lead us back to the common ground of our essential humanity.
Gary Chamberlin got hooked into philosophy by reading Russell's History of Western Philosophy, also on the alternative side by Colin Wilson's The Outsider. Later, studied with a Plato group and dipped into the Advaita tradition of Hindu philosophy. Further inspired by Bryan McGee's Confessions of a Philosopher: a great adventure, which I try in some way to replicate if I can. Later still, intrigued by Roger Scruton, particularly his Green Philosophy and Soul of the World. Enrolled for MA at University of Buckingham - thesis on, would you believe it, Husserl and the Lifeworld. More recently, engaged with Alasdair Macintyre's After Virtue, a profound and challenging view of ethics. Currently I lead philosophy groups for University of Third Age (U3A) in NW London and Oxford.
This event is sponsored by the Royal institute of Philosophy.
PFA is currently holding Kant's Cave meetings upstairs at the Two Chairmen, 39 Dartmouth Street, SW1H 9BP, with Zoom option for those who are not able to join in person, every first Monday of the month. Join us for more great talks and discussion! All welcome, link available when you sign up.
