Previous Philosophy Meetings

Left Is Not Woke

Our next meeting is on 16th April 2024 starting at 7.30 pm – the location is: 34 Waldeck Road, Carrington, Nottingham NG5 2AF - we will be considering the topics rasied in Left Is Not Woke by Susan Neiman

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All Is One

Wesley Milligan will introduce the topic for his new book: All Is One - in which he seeks to deconstruct the ways Christian theology underpins much of human thinking about Life, Death, the Universe and about Time itself.  Our next meeting is on 19th March 2024...

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Descartes and the Quest for Certainty

Just as Alfred North Whitehead once said that all philosophy was “footnotes to Plato”, much of post-Cartesian philosophy has been a response to Descartes’ bold claims. So what are Descartes’ ‘bold claims’? The next meeting of the Philosophy Club is on Tuesday 20th...

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Free Agents?

Scientists are learning more and more about how brain activity controls behaviour and how neural circuits weigh alternatives and initiate actions. As we probe ever deeper into the mechanics of decision making, many conclude that agency—or free will—is an illusion....

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Prejudice & Truth

Beliefs that determine behaviour are based on core survival instincts, received knowledge, and experience/observation. Sometimes this foundation is considered proof and sometimes prejudice. Philosophers from Cicero to the present time have suggested how to determine...

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Notes on Heidegger

Heidegger's perspective on truth is complex and deeply philosophical, and his writings on the topic have been influential in existential philosophy and hermeneutics, shaping discussions about truth and reality in the 20th century and beyond. Filosofen: Martin...

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Truth and Postmodernism

One might think that the central question of John D Caputo's book: Truth - would be “what is truth?” however, Caputo announces that this question has no answer, for “there is no such thing. Instead there are truths—many of them, in the plural and lower case.” Caputo...

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Philosophy of Fiction

The philosophy of fiction is a branch of philosophy that explores the nature, function, and significance of fictional entities, narratives, and the act of storytelling. It delves into questions about the nature of truth, the relationship between fiction and reality,...

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Sex & Gender

An opportunity to explore the latest thinking on the controversial topic of Sex and Gender Next meeting: Tuesday 15th August 2023 at 7.30pm Location: 107 Chalfont Drive, Nottingham NG8 3LS Reflections-on-the-Metaphysics-of-Sex-and-Gender-by-Jim-StuartDownload...

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On Evil – a review of the book by Terry Eagleton

In his book "On Evil" - Terry Eagleton explores the origins and nature of evil. He emphasizes that evil is not an external force or an inherent quality but rather a result of human actions and societal structures. Tuesday 18th July @ 7.30pm 34 Waldeck Road,...

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Dworkin on the Unity of Value

Ronald Dworkin, a prominent legal philosopher and scholar, has written extensively about the concept of unity of value in his work. According to Dworkin, unity of value refers to the idea that there is a fundamental connection between different aspects of human value,...

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Predestination: Does God Know The Future?

Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby God's omniscience...

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What Do Philosophers Mean By Virtue?

The concept of virtue has exercised philosophers throughout history. This meeting explores how philosophers have defined virtue through the ages, from the ancient thinkers to the modern day - and what it means to lead a good life. Tuesday 18th April 2023 @ 7.30pm 34...

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Philosophy of Authenticity

Philosophy of Authenticity

Jos Burton will introduce and explore the idea of authenticity in philosophy. The philosophy of authenticity is concerned with the nature of human existence and what it means to live an authentic life. It explores the idea that individuals should strive to be true to...

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Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Revisited

Zen & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Revisited

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is a book by Robert M. Pirsig first published in 1974. It is a work of fictionalized autobiography and is the first of Pirsig’s texts in which he explores his concept of Quality. ...

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The Joys of Mediocrity

So what is mediocrity? Being mediocre? And what is being mediocre? Being average. Being ordinary. Being the norm: so why is 'mediocre' considered disparaging whereas 'average' does not carry this opprobrium? The Joys of Mediocrity...

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The Myth of Meritocracy

America is said to be the land of opportunity, where any person can rise to be President no matter where in the USA or what background they come from.  In The Tyranny of Merit Michael Sandel says, in effect, fat chance!  The Myth of Meritocracy...

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The Women Are Up To Something

This book is about the joint power of circumstance and character: about four people who were in the right place and time—and in the right company—to do unprecedented and transformative things. How did Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch...

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Secularism

"I am a devout political secularist. Yet at the same time I am deeply opposed to so-called 'secular thinking'. How is this possible?" Secularism Secularism-Matt-McVeaghDownload

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The Library

A collection of papers from previous meetings: a treasure trove or a dumping ground - you decide.... Internalism-and-Externalism-in-Epistemology-Mark-LoweDownload Rationality-by-Steven-Pinker-Jos-BurtonDownload The-Problem-With-Plato-Peter-KingDownload...

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