What we're about
SADHO is a curiosity-driven philosophy Meetup with a critical-theoretical interest in automatic and shared ways of worldmaking.
METHOD
- We present audiovisual surveys of Western philosophy and of the history and philosophy of science—surveys that are masterpieces of illuminating exposition—performed by the BBC Three, and
- Discuss them, with
- A professional philosopher or other Guest Expert.
SADHO in a Nutshell
SADHO makes scholarship fun by serving up the greatest embodied minds of all time in bite-sized, Technicolor, beautifully arranged morsels, and by bringing bona fide experts to the table for special lectures and Q&A.
In a word, SADHO is a fun, friendly, fast-moving, (non-)free-form* forum for philosophizing alongside, and under the guidance of, legendary professional and practicing philosophers.
SADHO’s Two Promises
Unlike other philosophy Meetup groups, whose discussions drift all over the Solar System, our high-quality discussions remain firmly within the Kuiper Belt. That’s our promise to you.
- SADHO’s First Promise — Our excursions and tangents will never stray outside the event’s topical Kuiper Belt.
Sound impossible? It’s not. The reason is that SADHO Meetups are … not actually free-form. They are anchored and constrained by a force.
A great force.
A force more powerful than even Vader …
The all-conquering force of radical insight, expressed vividly and clearly, by a master teacher.
There is nothing better than an illuminating and meticulously lucid discourse delivered by a riveting and intensely expressive person. Add to this a great video, diagram, or model, and you have the makings of peak experience.
This force flows neither from Scott & Dave, nor from the great topics we choose, but from the the expository virtuosos that elucidate these topics—i.e., from our Guest Experts and the BBC Three.
The BBC Three
SADHO meetings revolve around recorded performances by the greatest scientific, historical, and philosophical exegetes of all time. While incarnated on the Prime Material plane, these lofty ones were known as Jacob Bronowski, Bryan Magee, and James Burke.
These men, the BBC Three, will be our guides. That’s our second promise.
- SADHO’s Second Promise — Our meetings will always include either a Guest Expert or one of the BBC Three.
These engrossing masters of elegant exposition; these dexterous wordsmiths of rhetorical Fabergé eggs; these benevolent ministers of restorative mind-tonics; these tireless disciples of skillful means; these master-architects of felicitous visual models, diagrams, and schemas; these altruistic wielders of knot-cutting scalpels; these humble and plain-speaking sweepers of cobwebs; these irreverent deflators of metaphysical extravagance; these view-transforming founts of illuminating metaphor; these poetic alchemists of feeling and idea; these massively multi-channel pedagogical improvisors; these fascinating bards of scientific and philosophical history …
Words cannot capture the glory of the BBC Three. And two of them are now dead. I count it as the greatest blessing to humanity that all three of them worked for the BBC in the 70s and that we have audiovisual records of their performances.
Surely, it is these performances, and not the writings of LRH, that should have been engraved on stainless steel tablets and encased in titanium capsules beneath Trementina Base.
P.S. — We now have a baby YouTube channel. Video for our events will be uploaded here (if possible) as will videos of our events (eventually).
Upcoming events (4+)
🎭 With special guest stars Patrick Stewart and Ian Richardson! 🎭
In Deutschland’s realm, Dürer’s truth unfurled,
Reformation’s fire, chaos hurled.
Yet Shakespeare’s words, in England’s sway,
Illuminate the human’s timeless play.
Welcome to EP06 of Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation. From the visionary artistry of Albrecht Dürer, who revolutionized perception through his mastery of perspective and depiction of reality, to the the seismic impact of the Reformation led by Martin Luther, we will traverse the fascinating landscape of German contributions to Western civilization.
In Act I, we delve into Albrecht Dürer’s era. His groundbreaking woodcuts, steeped in realism, redefined art, moving away from mysticism and symbolism towards precision and realism. Experience Dürer’s profound influence as his woodcuts invoke conviction, perceived as visual storytelling akin to photojournalism!
Next, journey into the intellectual domain of the time. Erasmus and Martin Luther wrestled with faith and reason. Experience Erasmus’s translation of Saint Jerome’s letters and Dürer’s engraving of Erasmus at work. Dürer’s “The Night with Death and the Devil” resonates with Erasmus’s truth-protecting call.
As we delve deeper, the Reformation’s contradictions emerge. Witness the massive destruction wreaked by Protestantism on cathedrals and art throughout Europe. Experience the turmoil of religious wars and the Catholic-Protestant divide, culminating in the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of 1572.
Yet, amid chaos, a civilization takes root. Luther, Calvin, Tyndale, and Coverdale translate the Bible into vernacular languages, providing people direct access to Holy Writ, fostering knowledge via printing. Witness the emergence of an era where words influence Western thought, spurring nationalism.
Finally, we arrive in Elizabethan England, where the vibrant tapestry of society unfolds. Discover the unique architecture, literature, and music that characterized this period. Marvel at the brilliance of William Shakespeare, a literary genius who encapsulates the pinnacle of human expression and intellectual honesty through his timeless plays.
Prepare for a mind-expanding journey into the richness of German culture, the seismic Reformation, the awe-inspiring genius of Dürer, the intellectual odysseys of Erasmus and Luther, and the enchanting realm of Shakespeare ... with K Clark as our guide! Don thy finest doublet and hose, wield thy mighty quill, and join us for an unforgettable night of enlightenment and mirth!
Evocative Quote Sampler
She sits in the attitude of Rodin’s “Penseur,” and still holds in her hands the compasses, symbols of measurement, by which science will conquer the world. Around her are all the emblems of constructive action: a saw, a plane, pincers, and those 2 prime elements in solid geometry, the sphere and the dodecahedron.
And yet, all these aids to construction are abandoned. And she sits there, brooding on the futility of human effort. Her obsessive stare reflects some deep psychic disturbance. — (Clark, 18:55)
METHOD
Please watch the episode before the event. We will then replay a few short clips during the event to refresh our memories for debate and discussion. A high-def version of this episode with remastered audio and enriched subtitles can be found here:
Video Table of Contents
Clark discusses the Reformation—the Germany of Albrecht Dürer and Martin Luther and the world of the humanists Erasmus, Montaigne, and Shakespeare.
- James C.
- David M.
- Bebe
- 23 attendees
[Description coming soon …]
- Scott
- David S
- Jordy
- 5 attendees
[Description coming soon …]
- Scott
- David S
- Ólafur Þ.
- 3 attendees
Past events (76)
- David S
- Scott
- Aaron De Los R.
- 25 attendees
