Did Guy Fawkes have a point?

Did Guy Fawkes have a point?

Bonfire Night is a celebration of the victory of the King over rebels who would have burned down the House of Parliament … Well actually the rebels were long-suffering Catholics who bravely fought for freedom of worship, after years of cruel persecution by tyrannical monarchs.

Were they justified in using force to try to bring down the King?

And what about the violence used to punish the rebels - hung, drawn, and quartered after weeks of torture?

In tonight’s bonfire we will think about violence: what is it? And can its use ever be justified?

(If you want to do some pre-thinking, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh4G1Gjv7bA)

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Anyone can attend this session. No experience in philosophy or knowledge of the subject is required in advance. Just come along and enjoy. Our events use the the 4Cs of community philosophy:

• Caring for others, making space for their contributions
• Collaborating to get a better mutual understanding rather than scoring points
• Critically assessing what we say, clarifying what is meant and asking what reasons support assertions
• Creatively coming up with alternative perspectives, rather than dogmatically sticking to our initial positions

We welcome everyone of a wide range of ages, social and educational backgrounds etc. Don't worry if you don't have a qualification in philosophy - almost no-one does. Occasionally, attendees will be asked to watch, read or listen to a short piece of material in advance of the session (as the 'stimulus' for discussion), but this will be minimal and will be made clear in the description of the session.

We ask for donations of £1 per session from those who can afford to pay to cover the costs of the Meetup subscription. First timers are exempt. Don't feel obliged to pay if you can't afford it - or pay less. Feel free to put £5 to cover five sessions or however you want to donate - this is left entirely up to you.