What we’re about
Welcome to The Free Thinker Institute
[www.FreeThinkerInstitute.org](freethinkerinstitute.org)
Are you interested in a community that values critical thinking, transparency, and open-mindedness? The Free Thinker Institute (FTI) is a group of like-minded individuals who prioritize the following intentions:
- Devotion to using reason and intuition to be the best version of yourself, seek truth, and be fair
- Transparency & Open-Mindedness: Being transparent about who you are and what you believe to the extent that you trust someone, and having an open mind towards new ideas that help you achieve the first intention.
- Commitment to Critical Thinking, so we can better discern fact from fiction and wisdom from folly
- Attempt to Maximize Happiness While Minimizing Harm and empower others who do the same
- Eagerness to Give and Receive Love - Platonic as well as romantic
At FTI, members support each other, stay in touch, and enjoy learning from each other, while also valuing attributes such as sincerity, integrity, wisdom, and fairness. The FTI also values and respects diversity, making it a welcoming space for all opinions and backgrounds. If you're interested in being a part of a positive, growth-focused community, then consider joining the FTI.
In addition to our in-person meetings, you are also invited to join the FTI text chat discussions on Discord (https://discord.gg/fksQBjS).
If you want to speak or nominate a speaker, or have a topic you'd like us to discuss, email Garrett@FreeThinkerInstitute.com.
We'd love to see you in discord and at the next meetup - Join today!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Acquiring Character Traits -- Aristotle's Nicomachean EthicsLink visible for attendees
June 15 - We are now ready to go through Aristotle's scenario of troubleshooting what we human beings call lacking self-control (despite our sincere intentions), which, in olden times, is called incontinence or weakness of will.
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Our bookmark is at NE VII.3, fourth part, 1147b6, on assessing the prior moment of losing self-control. Do read ahead if you are interested in joining this Sunday's meeting.
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When you are on a diet, and you feel hungry, it matters, according to Aristotle, whether you "see" this piece of cake either as fattening or as sweet. How are you supposed to "see" that? How should you "see" that?
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We are live-reading and discussing Aristotle's ~Nicomachean Ethics~, book VII, which is about troubleshooting the virtues.
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The prerequisite to this book is our answering for ourselves these questions from the prior books, to which we will briefly review:
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1. What is a virtue of character {ēthikē aretē}?
2. How does one come to acquire it? (E.g. [Aristotle’s], ambition, bravery, gentlemanliness, ambition, …)
3. From a first-person perspective in being virtuous, how does one feel and what does one see (differently, discursively) in a given situation of everyday living?
4. From a third-person perspective, how is the virtuous person (of a specific virtue) to be characterized?
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The project's cloud drive is here, at which you'll find the reading texts, notes, and slideshows. - Aristotle's On Interpretation - Live-Reading--European StyleLink visible for attendees
Organon means "instrument," as in, instrument for thought and speech. The term was given by ancient commentators to a group of Aristotle's treatises comprising his logical works.
Organon
|-- Categories ---- 2023.02.28
|-- On Interpretation ---- 2023.12.12
|-- Topics
|-- On Sophistical Refutations
|-- Rhetoric*
|-- Prior Analytics
|-- Posterior Analytics(* Robin Smith, author of SEP's 2022 entry "Aristotle's Logic," argues that Rhetoric should be part of the Organon.)
Whenever we do any human thing, we can either do it well or do it poorly. With instruments, we can do things either better, faster, and more; or worse, slower, and less. That is, with instruments they either augment or diminish our doings.
Do thinking and speaking (and writing and listening) require instruments? Yes. We do need physical instruments like microphones, megaphones, pens, papers, computers. But we also need mental instruments: grammar, vocabulary words, evidence-gathering techniques, big-picture integration methods, persuasion strategies. Thinking while sitting meditatively all day in a lotus position doesn't require much instrumentation of any kind, but thinking and speaking well in the sense of project planning, problem-solving, negotiating, arguing, deliberating--that is, the active doings in the world (whether romantic, social, commercial, or political)--do require well-honed mental instruments. That's the Organon in a nutshell.
Are you an up-and-coming human being, a doer, go-getter, achiever, or at least you're choosing to become one? You need to wield the Organon.
Join us.
- FTI: How Neurotypicals Can Better Understand and CommunicateLink visible for attendees
Communication Differences: How Neurotypicals Can Better Understand and Communicate with the Neurodivergent.
Speaker: Benjamin Meyer, LCSW-R
Bilingual Psychotherapist/CoachHave you ever wondered how to identify and communicate with a neurodivergent person? Whether they are autistic, have ADHD, dyslexia, OCD, or a learning difference, understanding their communication needs will not only help you to support them, but could also create meaningful neurodiverse relationships. I will describe some common traits in neurodivergent communication and ways you can create an inclusive environment.
Format: Lecture and discussion
Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our organization, feel free to learn more here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E16-qv-OZZoKh4HSyHCtQ_eZA-ko_n3Kd3SwxfLpk84/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.qsvmnmkadvaqTo get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zgAfter 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.
- FTI: 5 Simple Rules to Live a Better Life - A Conversation with Garrett LangLink visible for attendees
For today's meeting, we will gather to engage in an intellectual discussion group that promises to be as enriching as it is stimulating. The theme of our conversation will be "Five Simple Rules to Live a Better Life," a topic that I believe resonates with the continuous learning and growth we all aspire to.
Here are the five intentions that will guide our discussion:
- Utilizing reason to continually evolve into the best version of ourselves, seeking truth and fairness in our endeavors.
- Embracing transparency in our identity and beliefs, matched with a willingness to trust and an openness to challenge our perspectives with new, possibly conflicting ideas.
- Sharpening our critical thinking to ensure it becomes a reliable compass for sound decision-making.
- Striving to amplify happiness and reduce harm for ourselves and those within our sphere of influence.
- Recognizing our universal desire for love, fostering a readiness to both give and receive it, in all its forms.
Let’s discuss these 5 intentions in more detail, and discuss how we can use them in our daily lives. For those interested in practicing applying these intentions into their daily lives, you can always apply to be a member of the FTI (Currently free) where we practice doing just that. Learn more about us here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E16-qv-OZZoKh4HSyHCtQ_eZA-ko_n3Kd3SwxfLpk84/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.6r8ewdm34lvoSpeaker: Mr. Garrett Lang
Garrett Lang is the Founder and Executive Director of the Free Thinker Institute, a transformative community that blends personal development, ethical exploration, and practical education. Under his leadership, the Institute has grown into a vibrant space where individuals from all walks of life explore deep questions about purpose, ethics, and success in modern society. Garrett is the architect of the “5 Intentions,” a pioneering ethical code designed to foster unity and thoughtful decision-making in an increasingly divided world.
Through weekly events and curated peer mentorship programs, Garrett has built a platform that bridges philosophy with real-world application—empowering members to not only think deeply, but to act meaningfully. His approach to “practical philosophy” makes complex ideas actionable, helping people cultivate both personal growth and professional acumen in fields like product management, software development, and UX design.
A Cornell University graduate with over two decades of experience in technology leadership and entrepreneurship, Garrett continues to innovate at the intersection of values and systems. He brings the same rigor and visionary thinking that helped him double the operating margin of a 200-person company into his work at the Free Thinker Institute, demonstrating that thoughtful, ethical frameworks can be both aspirational and operational.
Learn more at www.freethinkerinstitute.org.
