What we’re about
(Update: This group is transitioning to a new location. In the meantime check out the Toronto Philosophy Meetup for daily events, both online and in person!)
This group is being rebooted! Here we facilitate casual, good-natured conversations on anything under the sun that's of interest to members, including social and political issues, current events, local culture, international culture, ideas, books, music, art, movies, television, hobbies, sports, and more.
Our members come from around the world.
We meet in person and online!
Anyone is welcomed to start a conversation here, big or small, light or serious! Collaborations with other groups are also welcome.
Why "Reboot"?
Many years ago this was a reading and conversation group (Read Out Loud Toronto) that was improperly converted to a real estate group by someone who took over. This was against Meetup rules.
Since that individual has left, I want to restore this group to something like its original purpose. If you have any further ideas for the group please send them my way or leave a comment below!
In the meantime check out the Toronto Philosophy Meetup for daily events, both online and in person! - https://www.meetup.com/The-Toronto-Philosophy-Meetup/
Transfixing and transcendent, the second feature by Andrei Tarkovsky traces the life of a renowned painter, vividly conjuring the murky world of 15th-century Russia. This dreamlike and remarkably tactile film follows Andrei Rublev as he passes through a series of poetically linked scenes, gradually emerging as a man struggling to hold on to his faith in God and art in a world of overwhelming cruelty, suffering, and barbarism. Initially banned by Soviet authorities for a host of reasons (political ambiguity, formalism, “historical inaccuracy”, religion, and its depiction of the artist’s plight under a repressive regime), Andrei Rublev is one of Tarkovsky’s most revered films, an arresting meditation on faith, creativity, and spiritual endurance.
"A film of spiritual power and epic grandeur… It may be Tarkovsky’s greatest work.” (The Observer)
"One of the most convincing portrayals in art of an artist." (The Guardian)
"A hymn to creative freedom... and to courage and risk-taking as two of the fundamental characteristics anyone who intends to transform the world must have.” (Sight and Sound)
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Join the Toronto Philosophy Meetup to discuss the movie Andrei Rublev (1966) directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, recently voted the 26th greatest movie of all time in Sight & Sound's international survey of filmmakers, and the 67th greatest movie of all time in the related poll of film critics and scholars. Initially banned by Soviet authorities, the film was allowed to screen at the 1969 Cannes festival where it won the International Critics Prize. We've previously discussed Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972), Stalker (1979), Nostalghia (1983), and Ivan's Childhood (1962) in this group.
Please watch the movie in advance and bring your thoughts, reactions, and queries to share with us at the meeting.
There are many versions of this movie floating around out there. I suggest we all watch the original uncensored 183 minute version of the movie as Tarkovsky intended it, which is available through Criterion. You can stream it with a viewing link to be posted on the main event listing here.
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/308858551/
Check out other film discussions in the group every Friday and occasionally other days.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Pacifism and Rebellion in the Writings of Herman Melville - John BernsteinLink visible for attendees
This meetup is hosted by Wisdom and Woe. For more details and to RSVP, please go to to: https://www.meetup.com/wisdom-and-woe/events/300103884/
In Pacifism and Rebellion in the Writings of Herman Melville (1964), Professor Bernstein chronologically traces the themes of pacifism and rebellion through the complete writings of Melville. He argues that these themes "emerge as polarities in Melville's major works," and that "a study of Melville's attitudes towards" them "is a key to understanding Melville's concept of the universe."
John A. Bernstein (1936-2002) was professor emeritus of English literature at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.
For this meetup, we will read:
- Chapters 1, 4, 6, 10, and conclusion
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."
- FTI: Is Trump right our elections were meddled with?Link visible for attendees
Trump has been saying the elections were being meddled with since he first ran for president. While he and his followers stopped making those accusations when he was declared the winner, I think his accusations deserve serious consideration and would like to see if they may be accurate. I’d also like to evaluate the evidence that the election was meddled with by both Trump and Harris. If Trump meddled with the election, its very possible he thought Harris was doing it and he decided to do it to try to “even things out.” But either way I think we should evaluate the evidence based on its merits.
I recently came into contact with a post on reddit that shows that there is enough evidence of voter fraud in 2024 that its going to court. I want to examine this and other such claims to see whether Trump is right that the elections were meddled with:
https://substack.com/home/post/p-165658733Format: 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/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zgAfter 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.
- Movie Discussion: Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev (1966)CAFE SIGNAL, Vancouver, BC
Transfixing and transcendent, the second feature by Andrei Tarkovsky traces the life of a renowned painter, vividly conjuring the murky world of 15th-century Russia. This dreamlike and remarkably tactile film follows Andrei Rublev as he passes through a series of poetically linked scenes, gradually emerging as a man struggling to hold on to his faith in God and art in a world of overwhelming cruelty, suffering, and barbarism. Initially banned by Soviet authorities for a host of reasons (political ambiguity, formalism, “historical inaccuracy”, religion, and its depiction of the artist’s plight under a repressive regime), Andrei Rublev is one of Tarkovsky’s most revered films, an arresting meditation on faith, creativity, and spiritual endurance.
"A film of spiritual power and epic grandeur… It may be Tarkovsky’s greatest work.” (The Observer)
"One of the most convincing portrayals in art of an artist." (The Guardian)
"A hymn to creative freedom... and to courage and risk-taking as two of the fundamental characteristics anyone who intends to transform the world must have.” (Sight and Sound)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Join the Toronto Philosophy Meetup to discuss the movie Andrei Rublev (1966) directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, recently voted the 26th greatest movie of all time in Sight & Sound's international survey of filmmakers, and the 67th greatest movie of all time in the related poll of film critics and scholars. Initially banned by Soviet authorities, the film was allowed to screen at the 1969 Cannes festival where it won the International Critics Prize. We've previously discussed Tarkovsky's Solaris (1972), Stalker (1979), Nostalghia (1983), and Ivan's Childhood (1962) in this group.
Please watch the movie in advance and bring your thoughts, reactions, and queries to share with us at the meeting.
There are many versions of this movie floating around out there. I suggest we all watch the original uncensored 183 minute version of the movie as Tarkovsky intended it, which is available through Criterion. You can stream it with a viewing link to be posted on the main event listing here.
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/308858551/
Check out other film discussions in the group every Friday and occasionally other days.
