Masonic Philosophical Society - Columbus Study Center

February's topic will be conducted by Bro. Aksel Suvari as he asks the question: "What Can the Lives of the Ancient World Teach us about Virtue and Excellence?"

Synopsis:
Plutarch's Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans has stood throughout the ages as a guidebook for statesmen, officers and nobility of all kinds. From medieval kings and renaissance scholars to the Founding Fathers themselves, the wisdom imparted from these ancient biographies has shaped the Western world. What can they teach us, in the light of Freemasonry, about the cultivation of virtue and excellence?

Mission Statement:
The Masonic Philosophical Society embraces the concept of learning, not for school, but for life, and believes that all men, who seek it, deserve access to continued education. We further embrace the concept of a community environment where ideas can be shared and debated in an open forum. From the seven liberal arts to the arcane, we seek to gain and share the knowledge that is the legacy of mankind.

March's topic will be conducted by Bro. Kris Wilson-Slack as he asks the question: "Beyond the Cave: Does Light Truly Equal Goodness?"

Synopsis:
While Plato's Allegory of the Cave captures popular imagination with its vivid imagery of prisoners and shadows, his Analogy of the Sun, which actually precedes and grounds the cave allegory, often goes overlooked despite its profound philosophical significance. This debate examines whether Plato's solar analogy successfully establishes light as the proper metaphor for goodness and truth. Proponents argue that the light-goodness connection reflects fundamental features of human cognition and moral experience. This metaphor holds particular resonance for Freemasonry, where light represents knowledge, enlightenment, and the journey from darkness to understanding. Critics counter that this metaphor is culturally contingent, potentially exclusionary, and philosophically problematic. For Freemasons and philosophers alike, the topic invites us to question whether our most fundamental ethical concepts and initiatory symbolism rest on metaphors that illuminate or obscure the nature of goodness itself, and whether the "light" we seek in moral and spiritual development truly corresponds to the Good as Plato envisioned it.

Mission Statement:
The Masonic Philosophical Society embraces the concept of learning, not for school, but for life, and believes that all men, who seek it, deserve access to continued education. We further embrace the concept of a community environment where ideas can be shared and debated in an open forum. From the seven liberal arts to the arcane, we seek to gain and share the knowledge that is the legacy of mankind.