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A live, text-driven seminar on major works in philosophy (mostly analytic). We read the paper together, slowly—stopping to clarify terms, reconstruct arguments, and stress-test claims. If we don’t finish, we pick it up next week. We will move carefully through the paper sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph, working as a group to extract as much meaning as possible from the text. Our goal is to reconstruct the paper main argument with precision: what each claim means, how each paragraph functions, what assumptions are doing the hidden labor, and how the paper fits into broader debates. You can see this week 's reading here: upcoming papers along with past Readings and meetings.

WARNING

Browse the current and upcoming papers along with past Readings and meetings. Expect highly technical material, dense terminology, and high abstraction. It is full of philosophical jargon and complex technical terms. Your expectation should be to treat it as a graduate seminar in philosophy. We don't assume you have a degree in philosophy, but we do assume philosophical maturity, and/or a crazy level of passion for deductive reasoning. If you are into that sort of thing, be my guest. We will start reviewing at the very beginning to get folks up to speed.

Who this is for:

  • People seeking serious engagement in philosophy at the highest level.
  • Self-taught learners and enthusiasts who are comfortable with formal arguments and unfamiliar jargon—willing to ask questions and learn in public.

How it works:

  1. 5–20 min framing: context, review, reframe key questions, and the paper’s thesis.
  2. Live read-through: we move paragraph by paragraph; volunteers read aloud.
  3. Pause & parse: define terms, formalize arguments, map the structure.
  4. Objections & alternatives: compare with rival views; surface open problems.
  5. Carry-over: unfinished sections roll to the next meeting.

What to bring / prep:

  • Skim the abstract and introduction beforehand (if possible).
  • Bring one clarification question and one critique or counterexample.
  • No slides, no grandstanding—just the text and your best reasoning.

House rules:

  • Be precise; cite the text.
  • Steelman, before you critique.
  • Respectful disagreement is required; ad hominems are not.

Logistics:

  • Online only. Zoom link sent on RSVP.

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