NYC Philosophy and Psychology Readers Community Φ Ψ

• Slides on what we will be doing
• Speakers should come prepared with a real-life problem or challenge to share, the more genuine, the more effective the exercise. Please keep it something real but manageable, since this is a skills practice, not a therapy group.
• Listeners will focus on reflection, silence, presence, and minimal use of open-ended questions when needed. No advice-giving, problem-solving, or judgment, just listening.
• Across the event, you’ll practice with three different partners, giving you fresh perspectives and diverse experiences.
• Cameras on to participate, because we communicate with our entire presence. Without camera you wont be able to participate.

Confidentiality: We ask all participants to respect confidentiality. While we can’t guarantee it, please only share what you feel comfortable having a partner know.

Who it’s for: Anyone who wants to strengthen their ability to listen with empathy, depth, and presence.

Come ready to share, to listen, and to walk away with tools you can apply in your everyday conversations.

If you like the event and have the means please consider donating below.

Kind regards,
Ryan

Alright.

Back by popular demand, it's entry FOUR in Nietzsche @ Night.

Has it been two & a half months since Part 1? Yes. Does it matter if you were there? No. Should you have been for your own sake? Yes. Did I purposefully postpone to build anticipation so that y'all would come barking and chirping with your pilsner-packed, lager-lubricated, sour-supported offbeat opinions, frothing and feral about this-or-that thing? Guilty.

As I said in N@N No. 3: should you have read the previous texts? Nope! It is not essential and, most importantly, I don't care. I'll leave this for you to come to terms with. Are we hypophora-happy here? Guilty.

For this session, we will be reading the first half of The Gay (or, Joyous) Science. Two months ago, I tried to be interesting, dynamic, unique and read two translations as to cross-compare what Nietzsche might've really meant. This is stupid and a waste of time. Read Kaufmann's.

Here it is for purchase: click click click.
Here is is for free: click click click.

We'll be reading Book Three (page 167) through Book Five + Appendix. The Appendix is poetry that no one will read so it's essentially 167 through 348. ONLY 181 PAGES. Do it, it's what we do, it's what you can do too!

That said, if you're unable to complete the book prior to our meeting, no worries - we're just happy to have you and welcome whatever insights, critiques, questions, etc., you may have based on what you were able to read. If you read nothing, then - bravo on the boldness showing up to a book club empty-handed.

We will be meeting at TALEA Beer Co.'s Taproom in Williamsburg (87 Richardson Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 - next to McCarren Park). I'll let everyone know where to find us on the day of the discussion.

As always, this group is open to newcomers to Nietzsche, novices of philosophy, ragamuffins, ne'er-do-wells, urchins of all sorts, etc. All insights are encouraged, just be somewhat sensible and all the way cool. Ain't no fun to be found in nodding your head along with a thinker for a hundred pages - strive to disagree with decency.

Alright - really looking forward to this one, it's been too long. Reach out to me with any questions in the meantime.

See y'all psychos then,

Hamp

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