The Vancouver Chat (Reboot!)

This meetup is hosted by Wisdom and Woe. For more details and to sign up for this event, go to: https://www.meetup.com/wisdom-and-woe/events/276021373

The Leopard (Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, 1958) begins in 1860 in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. King Ferdinand II ("Bomba") has died, and Garibaldi's Redshirts have just landed on the Italian coast to initiate a military campaign known as the "Expedition of the Thousand." As Garibaldi's army inevitably presses inland, it portends the collapse of the existing feudal order and the emergence of a unified Italian state for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire.

In the throes of this revolutionary upheaval is Prince Don Fabrizio--decadent patriarch of the aristocratic Salina dynasty with a pride befitting "the leopard" (actually a serval) of his family crest. Fabrizio is simultaneously a staunch Catholic and a consummate womanizer, with a sort of codependent relationship to both sin and confession. Even as the approaching army threatens his family, fortune, and fate with extinction, his favorite nephew, Tancredi, joins Garibaldi's forces, declaring paradoxically, "If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change."

Controversial at its release, The Leopard soon became a best-seller and is today considered a masterpiece of world literature, often counted among the greatest novels of all time. E. M. Forster called it "one of the great lonely books," known for its depiction of human frailty and melancholy, its poetic "description of a civilization in decline," and its "comfortless and irrational" Sicilian landscape. In 1963, it was adapted into an award-winning film starring Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale, and as a Netflix series in 2025.

Wisdom and Woe is a philosophy and literature discussion group dedicated to exploring the world, work, life, and times of Herman Melville and the 19th century Romantic movement. The group is free and open to anybody with an interest in learning and growing by "diving deeper" into "time and eternity, things of this world and of the next, and books, and publishers, and all possible and impossible matters."

The 詩經 or Shijing (alternately known as the "Classic of Poetry", "The Book of Songs", and other names) is the oldest collection of poetry in world literature and a cornerstone of Chinese cultural heritage. Compiled between the 11th and 6th centuries BC, it preserves 305 poems that capture the voices of early Zhou society — from folk songs sung in villages to ceremonial hymns performed at ancestral rites and political odes composed for rulers. Centuries later, the Shijing would become central to Confucian philosophy and re-interpreted (many would argue mis-interpreted) as a guide to moral cultivation, social order, and ritual propriety.

The collection's verses — simple yet profound — cover themes of daily life, love, family, longing, work, nature, and politics, offering insight into both the inner lives of common people and the ideals of rulers. It has deeply influenced Chinese literature, philosophy, culture, and aesthetics for over three millennia.

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This is a series of meetups hosted by the Toronto Philosophy Meetup to discuss the rich tradition of classical Chinese poetry. At this 6th meetup (Dec 14), we'll continue live reading selections from the 詩經 or The Book of Songs, a collection of poetry (mostly folk poetry) dated to 1046–771 BC from the cultural region of the Zhou Dynasty. If there's a poem from the collection you'll like us to discuss at this meetup and which we haven't done already, please let us know in the comments! (Our focus will be on the "airs" numbered 1-160).

Various translations of the texts will be available on the main event page – https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/312148738/

Check our our calendar for daily philosophy events, talks, and discussions – https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/calendar/

Poems from the Shijing we've previously discussed:

• 1. The Ospreys Cry / 關雎
• 6. The Heavy Hanging Peach Tree / 桃之夭
• 21. Little Stars / 小星
• 23. In the Wilds There is a Dead Doe / 野有死麕
• 26. The Cypress Boat / 柏舟
• 31. Beating the Drums / 擊鼓
• 32. A Gentle Wind / 凱風
• 49. Quails Hopping All About / 鶉之奔奔
• 64. A Quince / 木瓜
• 66. My Lord is on the March / 君子于役
• 77. Shu is on the Hunt / 叔于田
• 78. Shu in the Hunting Fields / 大叔于田
• 81. Along the High Road / 遵大路
• 82. The Lady Says the Cock Has Crowed / 女曰雞鳴
• 94. In the Wilds Were Twining Tendrils / 野有蔓草
• 96. The Cock Crows / 雞鳴
• 97. Splendid / 還
• 131. Yellow Bird / 黃鳥
• 147. A Plain Cap / 素冠
• 156. Eastern Mountains / 東山

This is not a debate or a forum for persuasion—it’s an exercise in empathy, curiosity, and deeper understanding. By listening without judgment, we strengthen our ability to connect across differences, identify shared values, and better understand the forces shaping our communities and our country.

Come prepared to listen actively, ask respectful questions, and practice the discipline of understanding before responding.

Our panel includes:
Stephen De Luca is an attorney with more than 30 years of experience, including clerking for a United States Judge for the Court of International Trade, serving in the Office of Chief Counsel for Import Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, managing teams of up to 700+ attorneys working on complex litigation and regulatory matters for some of the world's largest law firms, and representing individual, business and corporate clients in a wide range of matters before administrative agencies, arbitrations, mediations, and state and federal courts at the trial and appellate levels. He currently serves as a Special Associate in the General Litigation Division of the NYC Law Department, Office of the Corporation Counsel, working on class action lawsuits brought against the City of New York and its agencies and officials. He has served as a volunteer attorney for the 2008 elections in Tampa, FL, the 2010 elections in Jersey City, NJ, and the 2020 elections in Erie and Pittsburgh, PA. He was the Republican nominee for County Executive for Hudson County in 2011 and an independent candidate for Congress for the 8th congressional district of New Jersey in 2012. He recently served on the Immigrant Affairs Commission for the City of Jersey City. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the NJ Coalition Against Human Trafficking. And he has worked with the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Paterson to ensure all clergy, employees, and volunteers are screened and trained in the prevention of child sex abuse. Stephen has a B.A. from the University of Rochester, a J.D. from Pace Law School, and an LL.M. and S.J.D. from Tulane Law School. Stephen is a former Naval Officer having served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Midway (CV41), when it was permanently forward deployed out of Yokosuka, Japan. He lives in Lake Parsippany.

Blake McBride is a software engineer, author, and business owner with a keen interest in philosophy and politics. As a lifelong non-religious Republican and a deep thinker, Blake recognizes the limitations of his knowledge and remains open to the possibility of being wrong.

Throughout his forty years as an adult, he has encountered few individuals willing to engage in constructive discussions about politics. In recent times, the typical response has often been limited to ad hominem attacks, with little willingness to address the underlying issues. Blake eagerly anticipates the opportunity to share his perspectives and gain a deeper understanding of opposing viewpoints.

Sean Miller:
Sean Miller is the host of the meetup group ‘The Bridge: Liberal and Conservative Common Grounds.’ Sean is a Classic Liberal who voted for Obama, Hillary, and then Trump twice.

Raised in a religious, conservative household, he was the black sheep liberal of the family who enjoyed debating culture at the dinner table. He believes dialogue across sides is only possible through emotional empathy, charity, and humor.

Although agnostic, he speaks fluent conservative and progressive, and has been increasingly alarmed by the Democratic abandonment of Liberal principles and embrace of Critical Theory.

A little about our host:
Garrett is a programmer turned award-winning software inventor turned entrepreneur (http://platerate.com/) is his company. His hobby is writing and discussing practical philosophy, and he does life coaching on request to help people live happy, moral lives. He is also the executive director of The Free Thinker Institute (http://freethinkerinstitute.org/), which aims to create a community that helps members increase happiness and decrease harm for themselves and those they can influence.

Format: Lecture and discussion

Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zg

After registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.

Here’s our legal notice: For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.

Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush (1970) stands as one of the defining albums of the singer-songwriter era, blending folk, country, and rock into an intimate yet timeless sound. Recorded partly in Young’s basement, the album’s spare production and vulnerable tone capture a moment of cultural transition — caught between the idealism of the 1960s and the disillusionment of the new decade. With songs like “Only Love Can Break Your Heart,” “Southern Man,” and the haunting title track, Young crafted a deeply personal meditation on love, loss, and ecological decay. Revered for its sparse beauty and emotional honesty, the album cemented Young’s reputation as one of rock’s most original voices and remains a touchstone for generations of artists — from folk troubadours to grunge pioneers — exploring the intersection of fragility, protest, and grace.

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New-ish series! Join the Toronto Philosophy Meetup to listen to and discuss some of the greatest and most important and influential albums of all time. After each track, we'll pause for a short discussion where we can share our thoughts and reflections or what the music has meant to us personally.

I'll have lyrics up on Zoom's screen share.

For our third session let's listen to After the Gold Rush, possibly the greatest album by the Toronto-born rocker Neil Young (he's only recorded 45 of them!)

Albums we've previously discussed:

1. Nirvana's Nevermind (1991)
2. Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska (1982)

Potential future listening sessions:

• Massive Attack
• Radiohead
• Joni Mitchell
• Bob Dylan
• Pavement
• Wilco
• David Bowie
• Sonic Youth
• Kraftwerk
• The Velvet Underground
• Lauryn Hill
• Prince
• Marvin Gaye
• Aphex Twin
• The Pixies
• Sex Pistols
• The Clash
• The Smiths
• Joy Division
• Primal Scream
• Public Enemy
• Aretha Franklin
• Talking Heads
• Arcade Fire
• Kendrick Lamar
• The Streets
• The Strokes
• ETC...

We'll be joined by many other participants from the Toronto Philosophy Meetup at this meeting — https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/311837583/

Check out other music, film, and poetry discussions in the group every Sunday and occasionally other days.