How can we know right from wrong, in view of contrary intuitions?

We recently discussed a range of philosophical topics touching on knowledge, ethics, perception, film, and logical construction: the nature and challenges of moral knowledge and justification (from moral epistemology); the psychoanalytic-philosophical theories of Jacques Lacan; the problem of how perception connects to reality (the problem of perception); issues about philosophical meaning and value raised by film (philosophy of film); the difficulty of framing logic or conceptual systems from first principles (the “hard problem of logical construction”); long-standing arguments for realism and common sense realism via G. E. Moore’s “Proof of an External World” (and defenses against skeptical doubts such as those in William Lycan’s Moore Against the New Skeptics); and a normative-metaethical view like in Philippa Foot’s Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives, which interrogates the nature of moral imperatives and morality’s structure. Common themes affirm undercurrents of realism — realism about moral facts, realism about the external world, realism (or realism-informed frameworks) about perception — while challenging skepticism, subjectivism and reductive naturalism in ethics and epistemology.

Each of us has his or her own philosophical history and journey, and during these walks, we introduce each other to our recent questions and reflections. There is no assigned reading, no required text. Bring your own recommendations, or see what has been recommended by others before. In this dropbox folder you'll find texts and videos that have been discussed on previous occasions. You'll also find a list of recommended texts, if you are new to philosophy.

We gather at Flywheel Coffee, near Stanyan and Page. At exactly 11:15am, we'll be just outside the front door, and begin a hike through Golden Gate Park, returning to Flywheel by 1:00pm. During the walk, we'll discuss your philosophical topics, whatever they may be. If it looks like it'll rain, we'll dip into a restaurant instead.