Sober Philosophy: Love (David presents)

Symptom-free people with the capacity to listen considerately to diverse viewpoints are invited to attend after successfully RSVPing.

We begin the discussion at 7:30 pm sharp in the mezzanine lobby of the Graduate Seattle hotel. Feel free to come up to 30 minutes early and hang out with us beforehand. When you enter the hotel from the front door go between the elevators on your left and the main lobby bookshelves on your right until you find the stairwell to your left. Go up one flight of stairs and open the first door you come upon to the mezzanine lobby.

I’m curious about a morality that is theoretically based upon love (rather than, say, duty, virtue, consequentialism, etc.). But for our purposes, I’m more interested in an open discussion about love, or just what people think about love. Here are some examples of love or love-related things to jog the mind:

Philosophy: love of wisdom

Eros (romantic/erotic love)

Philia (friendship love)

Agape (selfless/unconditional love)

Self-love

Love of others

A parent’s love for a child

A child’s love for a parent

Tough love

Love as affection

Love as interest or pleasure (e.g. his love for football)

Love as desire

Love as an act of courage

Love as a basis for sacrifice (even as much as one’s own life)

Love as a feeling of wholeness

Love as tragic (circumstantially, e.g. Romeo & Juliet; or inevitably, in its ending)

“‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” - Alfred Lord Tennyson

Love as a lesson:

“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”
-Nat King Cole, Nature Boy;

“All you need is love.”
-The Beatles, All you need is love

Forbidden love (and/or immoral love)

Love languages

Polyamory and monogamy

What is Love - Haddaway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEXWRTEbj1I

2-Minute OPENING ROUNDTABLE FORMAT (ORT2m):

1. A countdown alarm will be set for 2 minutes.
2. The topic presenter begins the discussion by spending up to 1 minute explaining why they are interested in the topic and some introductory thoughts on it.
3. Each participant in turn going clockwise from the presenter has up to 1 minute to describe their general thoughts on the topic.
4. If one is not ready to speak they can just say “pass” and the next person speaks.
5. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to comment.
6. Once everyone has given opening remarks or passed twice, Opening Roundtable is completed and the meeting shifts into its main format.

TIMED DIRECTION FORMAT (TDRF>5):
If there are more than 5 people present we will use the format below.

1. We will divide up the timed direction discussion time by the number of participants plus one (for a buffer). A timer will be set for this amount of time.
2. Each participant in turn will become a Discussion Director and lead the group discussion.
3. If one is not ready to direct they dimply say “pass” and the next person becomes the Discussion Director.
4. Anyone who arrives after step 1 (above), may participate but will not get a turn as Discussion Director.
5. The Discussion Director can make statements or ask questions, or interrupt or redirect the discussion at their discretion.
6. The discussion participants can state their own opinions only when asked by the Discussion Director, not Interrupt others and accede to the Discussion Director’s interrumptions or redirections.
7. When the timer goes off the person speaking finishes their thought and then the next participant clockwise becomes the next Discussion Director.
8. After we've gone around once anyone who passed will get a second chance to direct.

At the end of the meeting, participants will have an opportunity to vote on the topic and format for the following meeting.