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 Portland 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- Rationalism Befalling Objectivist Stance about Trump - A Case StudyLink visible for attendees
Methods for comprehending the world can be classified generally into
- (1) inferring from universal principles--rationalism,
- (2) gathering reports from sense-data--empiricism, or
- (3) inducing ever-higher generalizations from perception--objectivism.
This classification on methodology contextualizes the epistemology of Objectivism, the philosophy as outlined by 20th-century novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand.
Yet intellectual leaders of organized Objectivism--i.e., those institutions setup after her death, such as the Ayn Rand Institute (ARI)--don't practice what they preach in the sphere of politics.
We argue that, specifically, on the question of whether or not to endorse the Trump 45/47 administrations, Objectivists of organized Objectivism fall back on the method of rationalism to answer the political question.
Meeting Outline:
- Reviewing Objectivism as Ayn Rand's philosophy
- Reviewing the MDI methodological hypothesis: misintegration, disintegration, and integration, mapping them to rationalism, empiricism, and objectivism
- Presenting organized Objectivism's position about the current federal administration and the leaders' reasoning
- Presenting the facts about the administration
- On why the leadership's position is a case of rationalism
- Replying to objections and counterarguments against our view
- Q & A
Speakers' Briefs:
- Sherwin Newman: Objectivist and intellectual activist with a mission to advance truth in the American culture war; addressing the current state of the Objectivist community; writing actively on Facebook, Substack, and Instagram. Sherwin is a graduate from the University of South Africa and currently lives in New Hampshire.
- Ed Mazlish: Objectivist since 1993 and podcaster of late, Ed has been a practicing attorney for 30 years, with a practice that has primarily focused on business and constitutional litigation. You can connect with him on Facebook.
Join in for a discussion on applied philosophy.
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Image source: WSJ video-image
