Ethics

Hanging out with Humanists is a free and easy ground-up social gathering where you can meet and mingle with other fellow humanists and make new friends over dinner. Location : Hans Union, Springleaf Conveniently located just outside of TE4 *Springleaf* Exit 2. Brown line What to look for : Look for a lively group of people gathered together sitting outside on the long high table, and spot the pink T-shirt with the slogan “Be Good for Goodness' Sake” draped over a chair—a nod to the same shirts we proudly wore at Pink Dot. If you are attending for the first time, be sure to observe the [HumanistSG General Rules](https://humanist.org.sg/about/general-rules/ "https://humanist.org.sg/about/general-rules/") when attending the gathering for a pleasant experience, and [read a bit about the society and what we do](https://humanist.org.sg/key-hss-articles/ "https://humanist.org.sg/key-hss-articles/") on your way there! Wanna know who’s going? Ask out loud in the public chat linked via [our Telegram announcement channel](https://t.me/humanistsocietysingapore "https://t.me/humanistsocietysingapore")

Welcome! Gist below! :-) 1. Bring a book to the meet! 2. Buy a drink (and a bite if you're hungry). 3. Say hi to the folks. 4. Read! 5. We'll do a short round of intros and a short sharing at the end too. :) Find the folks with books! In the event that the place is full, we'll find a back up nearby. :-) This is a limited seats, small group event, so do try to update your RSVP early if your plans change! Thanks in advance! Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC13/NE12)

FOC. Room #02-05 opens 6.30pm for networking. Meeting starts 7pm sharp. Free of Charge. Meeting on Zoom. Come Upgrade yr Public Speaking Skills & Leadership skills at the most premier club in Singapore. 1st IN THE WORLD to qualify for 10/10 of the distinguished club program. The club which clocks in all the Memberships ribbons conquer yr Fear of Public Speaking. Singapore's Top Public Speaking Club. FREE OF CHARGE (Usual $10/meeting)

**For ages 13 and above.** In this class, you will build on the basics from Foil Foundational Class and continue to learn more advanced technical skills and their applications, such as: * Different parries * Compound attacks * Counter riposte * Counter attack ### **Address** 231 Mountbatten Rd, BLK F, #01-01, Singapore 397999 ### **Schedule** Fridays 730PM - 930PM ### **Booking Information** * Please contact **98225900** to find out how to book this class. * The instructor will reach out to you once you've booked the class.

Join me in Punggol to learn modern hand-lettering and create a unique artwork to take home.

**For ages 15 and above.** These lessons are meant for adults of all experiences and backgrounds. For new riders, our instructors will focus on coaching students on the basics of riding for polo, as well as safe handling of the horse. These polo lessons comprise two main sections training: 1) riding for polo instruction, (1/2 of the lesson), and 2) training for polo (1/2 of the lesson). Our training programs follow the AAP guidelines and principles for (a) riding for polo technique, (b) polo swing techniques and (c) polo tactics. ### **Address** 1 Equestrian Walk, Singapore 737863 ### **Schedule** Saturdays 745AM - 825AM ### **Booking Information** * Please contact **98225900** to find out how to book this class. * The instructor will reach out to you once you've booked the class.

**PART I: Purpose exiled** According to Plato, our theories about the world should ‘carve nature at its joints’. *Telos*, the once plausible idea that purpose is a part of the natural order of things, has been steadily banished with the triumph of successive scientific theories in the modern age, culminating in the mechanism of evolution by natural selection and its accompanying metaphor of the blind watchmaker. Here, fitness, defined as the ability to survive and reproduce, is the sole arbiter of design in nature, acquired through so much as the blind lotteries of genetic variation. The momentary surprise that one even scientifically inclined feels at some marvelous specimen of evolution, for example the finesse of a Gray’s leaf insect mimicking not just a leaf but its brown and dying spots to better camouflage against predation ([https://www.biodiversitysingapore.com/in-focus/](https://www.biodiversitysingapore.com/in-focus/)), is to be utterly dispelled by belief in the creative potential of random mutations offering themselves up to selection pressures over geological spans of time. **Emergence: ‘more is different’** Contemplating how mind and intelligence came to be within such a setting presents further aesthetic tension (the mind of everyday experience exclaims, that sounds crazy!). Emergence (1) is a relatively recent concept that purports to explain phenomena like mind while undergirding it with a non-negotiable physicalist ontology. The essence of emergence is that through scaling of individual components, a system acquires so-called novel bases - new foundations upon which regularities can be encoded that were not possible at the lower levels. For example, neurons individually fire action potentials based on the threshold dynamics of local stimuli. Collectively however, groups of neurons fire according to abstract patterns termed ‘basins of attraction’ that represent long-range stable states and may be foundational to concepts like memory (2). Conway’s game of life, anchored by a set of very simple rules, presents a powerful illustration of this dynamic: [https://conwaylife.appspot.com/pattern/gosperglidergun](https://conwaylife.appspot.com/pattern/gosperglidergun) There is a folk account of emergence popular with science writers that goes something like this: while the physics of the system is completely known, predicting what is going to happen is near-impossible just with physics, because there is novel stuff happening at ‘higher’ levels. Importantly, no God or designer directed the organization at the higher levels, but it is not discernible anywhere else. *What does it mean to take seriously a universe in which purpose is nowhere fundamental, yet everywhere invoked?* **PART II: Purpose reconsidered** And yet, there are radical perspectives afoot. Without invoking external designers, some contemporary thinkers argue that natural selection and emergence may not exhaust the explanatory story. Developmental biologist Michael Levin (3) and evolutionary scientist Richard Watson (4) suggest that the mechanisms generating variation themselves may be structured, biased, or even goal-directed, analogous to neural or social learning processes. Levin introduced so-called biobots, which are multicellular living structures assembled from human lung epithelium. Biobots exhibit coordinated movement and problem-solving in novel environments despite having no evolutionary lineage that selected for such behaviors (5). Adaptation appears immediately, as if the system were exploring possibilities rather than stumbling upon them. *Does this point toward a universe where purpose was never fully absent to begin with?* Join us this Saturday as we grapple with where purpose truly lies in nature. **References** 1. O’Connor, Timothy, "Emergent Properties", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) [https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/properties-emergent/](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/properties-emergent/) 2. Wuensche, Andrew. (1995). The Emergence of Memory: Categorisation Far from Equilibrium. Santa Fe Institute, Working Papers. 3. Levin, M. (2025, February 6). Ingressing Minds: Causal Patterns Beyond Genetics and Environment in Natural, Synthetic, and Hybrid Embodiments. [https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5g2xj_v1 ](https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5g2xj_v1) 4. Richard A. Watson, Michael Levin, Tim Lewens; Evolution by natural induction. Interface Focus 19 December 2025; 15 (6): 20250025. [https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2025.0025 ](https://doi.org/10.1098/rsfs.2025.0025) 5. Gumuskaya, G., Srivastava, P., Cooper, B. G., Lesser, H., Semegran, B., Garnier, S., & Levin, M. (2023). Motile Living Biobots Self-Construct from Adult Human Somatic Progenitor Seed Cells. Advanced Science, 11(4), 2303575. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202303575

🏛️ **WHAT'S PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY ABOUT?** Practical Philosophy is a weekly meet-up that brings critical thinkers together for an opportunity to dive deep on a topic, practice communicating, and building a community. All with no ‘official’ philosophy knowledge required! 😎 Practical Philosophy is based on the idea that philosophy should be accessible to all, and not something reserved only for academics. Each week we choose a topic, and the goal is to use the conversation to develop our critical thinking and communication as we explore that topic. The goal is to help develop our Critical Thinking, Communication, and Community 🙌 📓 **HOW DOES IT WORK?** Each week, we pick one topic and discuss it. The topic for the week is shared, generally in the [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hg7zL8ClpzM3agJCvw5HDS), along with jump-off points to get the conversation going. When groups get bigger than 7-8 people, it’s important that we break into smaller groups. This way we are able to maintain a conversational flow as opposed to having our meetups feel like a discourse or lecture. **General Meeting Agenda** Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows this general timeline: * 19:00-19:15 - People arrive and chat, get to know each other before the ‘official' start. * 19:15-19:25 - Meeting introduction, explanation of Practical Philosophy and the topic for the week, read the guidelines and the overview so attendees know what to expect in terms of timelines. * 19:25-20:45 - Break into small groups - introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. At this point the group can review the ‘jump-off’ questions as needed, but they are just there to help guide the conversation. It’s not obligatory to answer them. * 20:45-21:00 - Bring everyone back together to discuss conclusions of the topic - each group gives a short 1-minute summary. Organizer concludes the meeting and everyone takes a group photo. * 21:00 - The official meeting is over but it’s a great opportunity to get to know people in a non-structured environment, so we often stick around, chat, and get to know each other. **🧧PRICING?** Practical Philosophy Club is FREE to attend! We just ask that if we are meeting in a café, buy a beverage! Some chapters rent a space for us to meet, and they may ask for donations to help contribute to the cost of rent. Donations will always be 100% voluntary though! 💛 WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY 🗣 “I feel like Philosophy Club helps someone build their own belief system through a series of perspectives while not promoting what’s right and wrong” - Ekam 🗣 “I got hooked from day 1 (the topic was authority) and felt it was the right place for me. I feel it is a place where people can go to learn and discuss new perspectives and increase critical thinking and community by interacting with people who might challenge your point of views but at the same time encourage you to have openness and mind flexibility.” - Daniel **🤓 FAQ** * ​What will we talk about? What's the topic? ​The topic for the week is shared every Sunday in the Whatsapp group. We try to add the topic to the comment section on this event page as well but if you don’t see it, the topic and the jump-off points will be in our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hg7zL8ClpzM3agJCvw5HDS). * Do I need to study or read anything to attend? No preparation is necessary. This isn’t a study of other thinkers. We want to know what YOU think about the topic, not what an old philosopher thought. If you have a perspective from a religion or a school of thought to share, throw it on the table and we’ll discuss it, but it's not required. * Is there a specific philosophy that Practical Philosophy is focused on? The goal of our meet-ups is to not have dogmatic discussions, and flex our critical thinking muscles. Because of this, we want to hear from every realm of thought, and don't study a particular school. * Is it mostly men that attend? Surprisingly, no! Although philosophy is seen as a Candelabra affair in a dark room with a bunch of guys, our Practical Philosophy meetups are generally 50/50 between genders, and we don’t meet in any dark rooms. * Can I come alone? Of course you can, we encourage it :) * Can I be late? Please don't be! We do have a 15 minute grace period where we allow people to funnel in while we hang out, but after that if you arrive too late, it disrupts the flow of the conversation. * Where do you meet? The location is posted in Meetup and our [Whatsapp](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hg7zL8ClpzM3agJCvw5HDS) group for this location. It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you join the Whatsapp group! If you want to know what other cities have a Practical Philosophy Club, you can see our chapters on our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/practical-philosophy-locations/). **PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY - Making Philosophy Available To All.** ✨ Practical Philosophy hosts weekly, in-person meetups in over 20 countries, including Canada, Spain, Japan, Mexico and many more! 🗺️ \*\*\* Join our [Whatsapp group](https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hg7zL8ClpzM3agJCvw5HDS) 👈 Follow us on [Instagram](www.instagram.com/practicalphilosophyclub/) 👈 Our [website](https://www.practicalphilosophy.club/) 👈

Hello Everyone! Place to Meet: Orchard Boulevard MRT Passenger Service Centre Time: 5pm 1\. Dinner at Orchard Boulevard 2\. Walk along Holland Rd/Clementi Rd/Jalan Anak Bukit/Upper Bukit Timah Rd before ending at Hillview MRT The route may be modified during the walk to better suit the group’s pace and fitness levels. The organizers will make adjustments as needed to ensure the walk remains enjoyable and manageable for all participants. Do drop me a message via whatsapp or via meetup if you will be late. You may consider the following: 1\. Comfortable Clothing • Moisture-wicking fabrics: Avoid cotton, as it traps moisture and causes chafing. Instead, choose clothing made from materials like polyester, nylon, or merino wool, which keep you dry. • Comfortable socks: Opt for moisture-wicking socks with cushioning to reduce the risk of blisters. 2\. Proper Footwear • Well-fitting shoes: Ensure your shoes are properly broken in and provide enough support, especially if you're walking long distances. Sturdy hiking or walking shoes with good arch support are ideal. • Blister prevention: Consider blister-resistant socks or pack blister pads to address any discomfort before it becomes a problem. 3\. Hydration • Water bottle: Stay hydrated throughout the walk to maintain energy levels and prevent dehydration. 4\. Snacks • Energy bars or trail mix: Portable, nutrient-packed snacks high in carbohydrates and protein—perfect for refueling during breaks. • Nuts or dried fruit: Easy to carry and great for providing long-lasting energy. 5\. Umbrella • Umbrella: Bring one in case of rain to stay dry and comfortable. 6\. Optional Gear • Tissues or wet wipes: Handy for personal hygiene or cleaning your hands after eating or drinking. 7\. Small Backpack or Waist Pack • Use a small, comfortable bag to carry your essentials. Ensure it fits snugly and doesn’t rub or chafe over time. Disclaimer:
By participating in this walk, you acknowledge and accept that you are responsible for your own physical well-being. Please exercise caution while walking, and listen to your body. If you feel unwell at any point, please inform the organizer and discontinue participation. Walking involves inherent risks, including the potential for personal injury. By joining the walk, you accept these risks and agree that the event organizer(s) are not responsible or liable for any accidents, injuries, or incidents that may occur during or as a result of your participation in the walk.

Hello Leader-Readers Happy New Year! I hope the festive season has treated you well, filled with good food, rest, and joyful celebrations. What better way to kick off the new year than by coming back to the library for February’s Book Club session! In collaboration with Book Lovers Club, we will be discussing Mind Over Money by author and BBC Radio 4 presenter, Claudia Hammond. Registration for the upcoming session is available at this link: https://go.gov.sg/nlbblc. A few things to note: * Registration is through myLibrary ID, do have it ready before proceeding with registration. * If all slots are taken up, you will be able to register into a waiting list via the same channel. * As slots are limited, please be considerate - attend the slot you have signed up for and be punctual!. If you are unable to make it, please drop me an email. * Registration closes on 6 February, 12pm. Cheers, SG Self-Development Book Club

**Dates:** * 13, 27 Dec 2025 * 10, 24 Jan 2026 * 7, 14, 28 Feb 2026 (17 & 18 Feb are CNY) * 14, 28 Mar 2026 (21 March is Hari Raya Puasa) **Timing:** 2pm onwards **Venue:** HackerspaceSG **Address:** Textile Centre, #08-10, Singapore 199018 ​We'll be hanging out to practice some LeetCode questions together. **\#\# No food provided \#\# Bring your laptop \#\#** # ​Format: * ​Pick a random LeetCode question (easy or medium). * ​One volunteer will connect to screen and attempt the question within 40 minutes. * ​Rest of the group will either role-play as interviewer, collaborator or just observe. * ​At the end of the attempt, the group will provide feedback to the volunteer. # ​Format of Feedback: ## ​Soft skills * ​Ask good questions? * ​What should be talked about? What should demo thru code? ## ​Technical feedback * ​Quality of execution. # ​About JuniorDev SG: ​JuniorDevSG is a developer interest group that focuses on providing a place for junior developers to learn and network with each other. ​At the same time, we seek to be a support system to help junior developers break into tech, navigate their careers as well growing them to one day become senior developers or tech leaders in the tech industry.

Welcome! Gist below! :-) 1. Bring a book to the meet! 2. Buy a drink (and a bite if you're hungry). 3. Say hi to the folks. 4. Read! 5. We'll do a short round of intros and a short sharing at the end too. :) Come in and find us (we're probably the only reading group)! In the event that the place is full, we'll find a back up nearby. :-) This is a limited seats, small group event, so do try to update your RSVP early if your plans change! Thanks in advance!

As you may or may not know--I didn't until late last year--Aristotle wrote extensively on "friendship" in the Nicomachean Ethics. After 69 years the concept of friendship still creates questions and uncertainty. I had close friends in high school and for a few years after high school but our interests diverged and people moved all over the country so it was hard to maintain connections. * So if I/you haven't talked with a friend for several years, are you still friends? Are we friends who meet at Drunken Philosophy or Omnipresent Atheists? * Can you be friends with someone with whom you have virulently divergent political views? Sartre and Camus could not. * Aristotle regarded friendship as essential to a good life, not merely an added "bonus." Do you agree? * In the Nicomachean Ethics (Books VIII and IX), he claims that wealth and power are meaningless without friends. Trump has wealth and power but seems to have no real friends, but wealth and power seem meaningful to him in perverted ways. Can you have meaning in your life without friends? * Do men and women view and maintain friendships in different ways? * Aristotle categorizes friendship into three types, based on what forms the bond: * **Utility**: Based on mutual benefit, but this type is fragile and ends when the usefulness ceases. * **Pleasure**: Based on shared enjoyment (e.g., humor, hobbies). Common among youth but fades as interests change. * **Virtue (The "Complete" Friendship)**: Based on mutual respect for each other's character and goodness. You wish good for the other for their sake, not yours. * **Key Principles of "True" (Virtuous) Friendship:** * **Permanence**: Virtuous friendships last a lifetime whereas those based on utility and pleasure are fleeting. * **Reciprocity**: Requires mutual goodwill; secret or unreciprocated affection does not qualify. * **The "Second Self"**: A true friend is "another self"—their virtue helps you understand and improve yourself. * **Time and Intimacy**: Deep ("complete") friendships are few, built on time and shared experiences. * **Self-Love and Friendship:** * Good friendship starts with being a friend to yourself. * They distinguish shallow egoism (chasing honors) from real self-love (pursuing virtue). * A virtuous person’s pleasant self-company allows them to be a stable, good friend to others. * Aristotle argues that one's social circle ultimately reflects one's character—a view with striking relevance today. Well--the Drunken Philosophy social circle certainly reflects good character!

Our group, KIND MEALS, will be picking up the tab for pizzas, at MIKEY'S LATE NIGHT SLICE, on Sunday, February 8th from 12-2pm. We will be trying out MIKEY'S Vegan Fake-ass BBQ Chick'n pizza and Vegan Fake-ass Pepperoni pizza, as well as some other special vegan pizzas that are served there. All the vegan pizzas are covered with Selfish Cow vegan cheese. The pizza is free, drinks on your own. Join us to learn more about **[KIND MEALS](https://kindmealscolumbus.org)** (a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Cols. Ohio, providing hunger relief services to those in need). All of the food we serve is fresh and vegan! If you love working with community, being of service, looking to hang with some fun like-minded people, and just love to socialize on a Sunday afternoon, join us for some FREE vegan pizzas at MIKEY'S LATE NIGHT on 4th and Main. Mikey said the more the merrier!

Start the year surrounded by Love From the Earth—with delicious vegan eats, sweet treats, artisan goods, and a chance to win one of our raffle baskets filled with plant-based goodies. Support small businesses, enjoy great food, and spend a cozy day with the community. We will reserve a table for this group if there is enough interest. Just comment "interest" below. Don’t miss out—see you there! Check [event page](https://www.facebook.com/events/893838639773267/) for a vendor list.

We will have our certified mediums available and you can receive 3 10-minute readings for $20. To keep you safe, we will be following all CDC and Health Dept. guidelines at our psychic fair today. Sitters and readers required to wear a mask. We will maintain a minimum of 6 foot physical distance during readings. Please, if you can, bring your own portable chair to use during your readings. Please note that we are at our wonderful new home at Unity of Columbus, 4211 Maize Road, Columbus, OH

Is doing good really its own reward? To look around the world and see wrongdoing, injustice, and seemingly-gotten-away-with crime, people have often wondered whether or not it is "worth it" to do the right thing. These are not new questions--going back at least 3,000 years, human beings have wrestled with such questions, and the Psalmist, ca. 1,000 BC, sought such answers as well. He came to the conclusion that there was, indeed, an answer, and one that brought hope: God sees, God knows, and God will not allow evil to triumph, nor will He allow the wicked to escape justice. In addition to God's justice, He also promises mercy and blessing to those who humble themselves and follow Him. Psalm 1 and 2 address the underlying concerns of both of these questions--will wrong one day be righted, and is it worth it to do right, in spite of so much evil--with a resounding, "Yes, indeed!" Doing rightly is always good and *will* be blessed. Doing wrongly is always wrong, and those who think they have "gotten away with it" will one day understand the truth: God will not be mocked, and justice *will* prevail. Come join us, **6:30 pm, Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at True Food Kitchen, Easton Town Center**, and be encouraged by ancient truth that is still vitally essential today! Get your tickets on [EventBrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/columbus-a-study-in-psalms-psalm-1-and-2-tickets-1982202015588)! Connect with us on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/events/1409497500869578)!

How do we recover from having had a toxic or narcissistic ex? How do we move on from the past, especially something as traumatic as a divorce or breakup? How do we avoid anxiety and depression? How do we have more self esteem? In this meeting, you will learn the mental health secrets to help you quickly get over the past and heal your mind. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics & Scientology life improvement center.