NYC Philosophy and Psychology Readers Community Φ Ψ

The question of the meaning of life has boggled humanity for perhaps as long as we have had the ability to communicate. Of course, we can always take a blind leap of faith across the abyss into just choosing a meaning to our lives among the many dogmatic options which humanity presents to us. But what if we are unable to delude ourselves into believing that which we attempt to have faith in? If we cannot muster the clay to build the necessary cognitive dissidence then how do we deal with the problem of meaning? It is this paradox and the anxiety it produces which Camus wrestles with in his philosophy of Absurdism. The absurd is the realization that there is no ultimate meaning to life and yet we all take life so seriously everyday and seem to produce some type of meaning for ourselves nonetheless. In this week we continue the theme from our reading of The Stranger by tackling The Fall. Join us as we discuss this work together and grapple with the paradox of the human condition.

Participants should read the entire reading before attending this in person meeting. I will be reading from this version here and a free copy can be found here. We will read the entire book for this week (p. 3-147).

For questions please send me a message or post to meetup.

Best,

Brian

Robert Putnam’s groundbreaking work shows how social bonds are the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction, how the loss of social capital poses a serious threat to our civic and personal health, and how these consequences have a new resonance for our divided country today.
While the ways in which we connect have changed over the decades, his central argument remains as powerful and urgent as ever—mending our frayed social capital is key to preserving the very fabric of our society.

Bowling Alone was also the basis for the 2023 Netflix Documentary "Join, or Die."
Check out the documentary for more info or watch the trailer here

Join us to discuss this classic book over the course of 5-weeks!
Week 1 Sat 11/22 12:30pm-2:30pm The Oyster Room @ Pier 57
Week 2 Sat 11/29 12:30pm-2:30pm The Oyster Room @ Pier 57
Week 3 Sat 12/6 12:30pm-2:30pm The Oyster Room @ Pier 57
Week 4 Sat 12/13 12:30pm-2:30pm The Oyster Room @ Pier 57
Week 5 Sat 12/20 12:30pm-2:30pm The Oyster Room @ Pier 57

Reading for Week 3
Read all of Section 3
ie. Ch.10 thru Ch.15 (101 pgs)

I will be reading the paperback Revised & Updated Edition available here
free pdf download here*click on the first slow download option
(other formats available too —epub & mobi for kindle—just search in search bar)
*Note About the Reading*
I know the assigned reading is quite long, but fear not...

• A lot of the pages in this book are graphs and charts, so its not as much reading as it seems
• Also, the reading should be fairly easy compared to what we usually read with this group, since it is not a philosophical text.
• Rules for Our Group

1. Be Courteous
Respectful disagreement with others is totally acceptable. Condescending behavior is not.
2. Be Concise
Keep comments on topic and relatively brief.
Moderators will do their best to make sure everyone gets a chance to speak who wants to.
3. Do the Reading
If you have not done the reading for the week you are welcome to attend and listen to the discussion, but out of respect for those who have read, you will not be permitted to participate in the discussion.

For more info and FAQ on the group click here.

Can't wait to discuss these ideas with all of you!
-Zach

Join us for weekly discussions of Aristotle's incredibly influential musings on substance, causation, hylomorphism, and other fun abstractions.

Reading for this meeting: Book I (Alpha)

I'll be reading the 1999 translation by Joe Sachs. Feel free to use any translation or edition—comparing differing translations can help with getting a feel for the meanings of terms in the original Greek. There are several versions for free online, including this one.

We'll be meeting at Farm.One, which a brewery and indoor farm in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The space is also a quiet cafe between 10am and 12pm, so get there early if you prefer coffee to beer (and maybe to finish up the reading)!

You can apply to join by first RSVP'ing to this event, then filling out the Google Form survey linked on this event's location page — I’ll review responses personally.

### 📚 Reading & Participation

We’ll read this text slowly and carefully, around 20 pages per week for about six months — over the colder months, as Schopenhauer would have wanted! It's not a live reading, so you'll need to spend the hour or so reading in advance of attending, this is a must.
We’ll be reading Volume 1 of his work. I’ll be using the Cambridge edition, and you can find a tentative schedule linked here.
We will also decide a lot of things, also if people can join mid way through, by voting with the existing group.

### 💬 Discussion Format

Our FAQ outlines how we generally run these sessions. Depending on group size, we may adjust — for example, adding breakout groups or rotating discussion leaders. If you’re interested in co-hosting, please reach out — that would be wonderful. Importantly I am not teaching this material, we are co-travelers exploring it together.

### 📬 Contact Us

Have questions or feedback? Reach out via our Meetup message to me.

I’m genuinely excited to read this with you. I’ve read some Schopenhauer before and listened to this work on audiobook, but I believe a real, close read together will be transformative.

Kind Regards,
Ryan