What we’re about
We're a community that practices and discusses philosophy, being free and open to all levels and backgrounds. We offer seminars, a variety of discussion formats, and the occasional lecture / guest speaker.
Many meetings will have fewer RSVPs than people who actually attend. This is because overtime people stop making use of Meetup.com and instead communicate with their groups via Discord, Slack, Zoom, E-mail, or similar You can think of the list of events hosted on this Meetup as advertisements for groups seeking new participants.
Our philosophy offerings are organized and facilitated by volunteers. If you have a philosophy offering - or an offering that compliments the study of philosophy, such as in literature, the sciences, and so on - that you'd like to advertise through this Meetup, please contact the organizer. We're grateful to those who want to enrich Seattle with study and discussion!
Participants must speak, write, and act in a considerate, professional, and respectful manner, and be prepared for the meetings that they attend, having reviewed the materials to the degree necessary to participate. If you haven't reviewed the materials but still wish to attend an event, please consult the event facilitator regarding the best manner for you to be present.
We look forward to studying philosophy together!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Quanta and Complementarity – The Philosophy of Niels BohrLink visible for attendees
Reading assignment:
"What is Real?" by Adam Becker, Chapter 2 and 3
Meeting information:
Our live meeting will take place on Zoom.
Text-based discussions during and between live meetings will be hosted on the Blinding Cyclops Discord server. You can also find resources related to this seminar and reading assignments there. Join link: https://discord.gg/urPBsNTWuK. Channels related to this seminar can be found under the "Quantum Physics" category. (We only plan to use Meetup to announce the beginning of new books that we'll read or whenever we feel like advertising this seminar.)
Syllabus:
We meet alternating Fridays at 4pm PT to discuss interpretations of quantum physics and the philosophy of Niels Bohr.
This seminar has begun with a close reading of a book critical of Niels Bohr, “What is Real?” by Adam Becker, so that we can become grounded in an opposing and critical viewpoint. It's also likely that we'll semi-regularly read source materials as a supplement.
Suggested secondary readings (which we’ll not cover directly but which may be referenced):
- “Quantum Reality,” by Nick Herbert
- “Beyond Weird,” by Philip Ball
- “Elegance and Enigma,” edited by Maximilian Schlosshauer
- Sober Philosophy: Love (David presents)Graduate Seattle, Seattle, WA
Symptom-free people with the capacity to listen considerately to diverse viewpoints are invited to attend after successfully RSVPing.
We begin the discussion at 7:30 pm sharp in the mezzanine lobby of the Graduate Seattle hotel. Feel free to come up to 30 minutes early and hang out with us beforehand. When you enter the hotel from the front door go between the elevators on your left and the main lobby bookshelves on your right until you find the stairwell to your left. Go up one flight of stairs and open the first door you come upon to the mezzanine lobby.
I’m curious about a morality that is theoretically based upon love (rather than, say, duty, virtue, consequentialism, etc.). But for our purposes, I’m more interested in an open discussion about love, or just what people think about love. Here are some examples of love or love-related things to jog the mind:
Philosophy: love of wisdom
Eros (romantic/erotic love)
Philia (friendship love)
Agape (selfless/unconditional love)
Self-love
Love of others
A parent’s love for a child
A child’s love for a parent
Tough love
Love as affection
Love as interest or pleasure (e.g. his love for football)
Love as desire
Love as an act of courage
Love as a basis for sacrifice (even as much as one’s own life)
Love as a feeling of wholeness
Love as tragic (circumstantially, e.g. Romeo & Juliet; or inevitably, in its ending)
“‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” - Alfred Lord Tennyson
Love as a lesson:
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
-Nat King Cole, Nature Boy;“All you need is love.”
-The Beatles, All you need is loveForbidden love (and/or immoral love)
Love languages
Polyamory and monogamy
What is Love - Haddaway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEXWRTEbj1I
2-Minute OPENING ROUNDTABLE FORMAT (ORT2m):
- A countdown alarm will be set for 2 minutes.
- The topic presenter begins the discussion by spending up to 1 minute explaining why they are interested in the topic and some introductory thoughts on it.
- Each participant in turn going clockwise from the presenter has up to 1 minute to describe their general thoughts on the topic.
- If one is not ready to speak they can just say “pass” and the next person speaks.
- After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to comment.
- Once everyone has given opening remarks or passed twice, Opening Roundtable is completed and the meeting shifts into its main format.
TIMED DIRECTION FORMAT (TDRF>5):
If there are more than 5 people present we will use the format below.- We will divide up the timed direction discussion time by the number of participants plus one (for a buffer). A timer will be set for this amount of time.
- Each participant in turn will become a Discussion Director and lead the group discussion.
- If one is not ready to direct they dimply say “pass” and the next person becomes the Discussion Director.
- Anyone who arrives after step 1 (above), may participate but will not get a turn as Discussion Director.
- The Discussion Director can make statements or ask questions, or interrupt or redirect the discussion at their discretion.
- The discussion participants can state their own opinions only when asked by the Discussion Director, not Interrupt others and accede to the Discussion Director’s interrumptions or redirections.
- When the timer goes off the person speaking finishes their thought and then the next participant clockwise becomes the next Discussion Director.
- After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to direct.
At the end of the meeting, participants will have an opportunity to vote on the topic and format for the following meeting.
