What we’re about
We're a community fostering friendship and insights by engaging in thoughtful discussions on significant concepts discovered from reading books and intellectual consumption.
Read our FAQ
Upcoming events
8
Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity by Richard Rorty Part 3
Pier 57, 25 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USFor this three week event we will continue our investigation into how to handle philosophy in our postmodern world by following the guidance of Richard Rorty. Truth for Rorty is a meaningless word and so he does not try to offer us a rational argument for his philosophy. Instead, Rorty presents a story built to persuade us to follow his lead. Accepting the contingency of truth and language, Rorty weaves together many thinkers from the history of philosophy in order to paint a pragmatic picture of how we may come to live productively together. Join us as we immerse ourselves and discuss this story together! I will be reading from this version and a free copy can be found here. For the third and final week we will read Part 3: chapters 7-9 (p. 141-198). Participants should read the entire reading before attending this in person meeting. For questions please send me a message or post to meetup.
Best,
Brian
11 attendees
Against Interpretation & On Style by Susan Sontag (Essay Discussion)
Pier 57, 25 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USAgainst Interpretation (1964) is one of the most influential essays of 20th-century criticism. In this essay, Sontag argues that our obsession with “interpreting” and explaining art—turning it into hidden meanings or moral lessons—dulls our direct experience of it. Instead, she calls for an “erotics of art,” encouraging us to feel and engage with works as they are, rather than reducing them to abstract ideas.
In her essay On Style (1965), she challenges the idea that “style” is something separate from “content.” Instead, she argues that style is not an accessory or decoration to meaning—it is intrinsic to it. For Sontag, the way something is expressed cannot be pulled apart from what it expresses. The essay asks us to rethink how we approach works of art: rather than stripping style away in search of “pure” meaning, we should recognize that style is itself a form of meaning.
Join us to discuss these classic essays!
Required Reading
Against Interpretation (10 pages)
On Style (20 pages)I will be reading the paperback 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)- 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!
-Zach25 attendees
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill Part 1
Pier 57, 25 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USFor this two week event we will continue our investigation into the theory of liberal society by reading On Liberty by John Stuart Mill (1806-1873). The question of how best to organize a society in order to maximize the well being of all of its citizens is an important bedrock of liberal democratic government. In this essay, written in 1859, Mill applies his Utilitarian ethical ideas to society and state, championing individuality and exploring the tension between authority and liberty. Join us as we reflect on the values which make a portion of our own democratic society as we consider what the future may hold. I will be reading from this version and a free copy can be found here. For the first week we will read Chapters 1-2 (p. 1-46). Participants should read the entire reading before attending this in person meeting. For questions please send me a message or post to meetup.
Best,
Brian
15 attendees
Pragmatism by William James (week 1)
Pier 57, 25 11th Avenue, New York, NY, USA profoundly influential figure in American psychology, William James (1842–1910) was also a philosopher of note, who used Charles S. Peirce's theories of pragmatism as a basis for his own conception of that influential philosophy. For James, this meant an emphasis on "radical empiricism" and the concept that the meaning of any idea — philosophical, political, social, or otherwise — has validity only in terms of its experiential and practical consequences. James propounded his theories of pragmatism in this book, one of the most important in American philosophy.
Join us to discuss this classic book over the course of 4-weeks!
Week 1 Sat 10/25 12:30pm-2:30pm The Seahorse Room @ Pier 57
Week 2 Sat 11/1 12:30pm-2:30pm The Oyster Room @ Pier 57
Week 3 Sat 11/8 12:30pm-2:30pm The Seahorse Room @ Pier 57
Week 4 Sat 11/15 12:30pm-2:30pm The Oyster Room @ Pier 57Reading for Week 1
Lectures 1 & 2 (34pages)I will be reading the paperback penguin 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)- 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!
-Zach30 attendees
Past events
806
