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Join The Santa Monica Philosophy Now Meetup Group
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Vote now for the topic for the Philosophy Now Meetup, Jan 20, 5:00 PM! Also, pre-election meeting Feb 3 at 5 PM to discuss candidates/issues, & Speechifying this Friday (Jan 11, 7:30pm).
| From: | Brian |
| Sent on: | Thursday, January 10, 2008 2:02 PM |
Hi Everyone!
Our monthly Meetup ( http://philosophynow.meetup.com/30/ AND http://philosophy-in-LA.tribe.net ) is happening Sunday, January 20, 5:00pm - 7:45pm, at the usual location. This is NOT this Sunday, but the following Sunday. See below for the list of topics to vote on, and see the end of this email for detailed driving directions. For more info or to be on our regular emailing list, email me at [address removed]
I have a few special announcements/ events to mention this month, apart from the usual, so please read everything below.
First, in addition to our regular meeting on the 20th, our discussion group will have a rare (first time in over two years), non-philosophy, "pre-election" meeting so we can inform and persuade each other about the candidates. We'll meet Sunday, Feb 3 at 5 pm at the usual place, which is two days before the California primary (on Tues, Feb 5). If, like me, you often wait until the last minute to finalize your choices of whom and what to vote for, then this is your chance to talk out the issues and candidates with some thoughtful people in a semi-organized, civil (non-rancorous) fashion. On the other hand, if you've already made up your mind and are convinced that the rest of us would (or should) agree with you-- if you only had the chance to tell us what you think-- then come by and tell us!
If you don't like political discussions, skip this "optional" meeting (of course, ALL our meetings are optional?) and come to our usual, 3rd Sunday of the month philosophical discussions on January 20 at 5pm, February 17 at 5pm and March 16 at 5pm. Mark these dates on your calendar!
-----------------
Second, you may be interested in a presentation this Friday, January 11 at 7:30 PM in Santa Monica: one of our discussion group participants, Tad Daley, will speak on "Solving the Iran Crisis Without War and Envisioning the Road to Abolishing War." You may remember that Tad introduced the topic at our October meeting, "World Government: Yes Or No?" A bit about him: Tad Daley, J.D., Ph.D., is a Writing Fellow for International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (a Nobel Peace Laureate Organization), a Former Policy Aide to Senator Alan Cranston, and a Former Policy Director for Congressman Dennis Kucinich. The flyer for this event describes his speech as follows,
Dr. Daley will discuss why the Iran National Intelligence Estimate has NOT eliminated the possibility of an American attack on Iran during the last year of the Bush Residency. He will reveal the giant contradiction underlying the dispute: the nuclear double standard, what some call nuclear apartheid, what others call America's nuclear hypocrisy. And he will contend that we must do more than protest this war and that war, but begin to build a long-term movement for enduring world peace.
This will occur at the Unitarian/Universalist Church of Santa Monica, 18th and Arizona, this Friday. Parking is available in the structure on east side of 16th Street midway between Arizona and Santa Monica Blvd. Donations Welcome. For more Information, check out daleyplanet.org, ippnw.org, and/or uusm.org. I've also posted the flyer for this event on our club's website, http://philosophy-in-LA.tribe.net (see the event listing at the top of the discussion board called "Solving the Iran Crisis Without War and Envisioning the Road to Abolishing War").
-----------------
Third, here are the topics for this month's regular gathering on the 20th. Listed below are five questions or topics suggested during previous meetings or by email. Please reply to this email (soon) with the name of the topic(s) that you would most like to talk about. (Anybody can send in a vote, whether or not you have been to previous meetings.) I will send a meeting reminder sometime this weekend, give or take a day, letting you know which topic won the vote, and what optional readings we have.
1) MONOGAMY: is it realistic to expect our spouses and partners to remain monogamous? Can you stick to it? Should you try? Has monogamy become one of those ideals that the vast majority of people publicly claims to believe in (and encourages others to adhere to), though far fewer privately believe in or practice consistently?
Sexually, can one person truly complete another? If not, should we be open to "having our needs met" by a variety of individuals? Is the pain we feel when a partner cheats on us due mainly to the deception and the violation of our expectation of monogamy? Or, is it deeper than that; is the abandoning of monogamy a bad idea because it unavoidably yields so much jealousy and insecurity that it destroys relationships?
2) IS SCIENCE CONVERGING UPON THE TRUTH, or do our various, successful scientific theories merely provide us with ever more useful ways of looking at the world? Is it even necessary for our different theories to be consistent with each other?
3) IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE RATIONALLY PERSUADED TO CONVERT TO A RELIGION? It's often said that people accept their childhood religion, or convert to a new one, for reasons other than a rational appraisal of arguments and evidence. Is it ever rational to convert to a religion? Whether it is or not, some argue that one's religious choices don't need to be rationally justified, that such choices shouldn't primarily be a matter of intellectual justification. Decisions of this sort are, perhaps, akin to questions about one?s preferences for food, music, or jobs.
4) WHAT IS A PSYCHOANALYTIC VIEW ON ATTEMPTING TO BE RATIONAL ABOUT ETHICS? If subconscious desires, wishes, beliefs, fears, and so on exist in the way that psychoanalytic theory says, does that make it difficult or impossible to take a rational approach to one's ethical choices and deliberations?
5) WHAT MORAL OBLIGATIONS DO WE HAVE TO OBEY THE LAWS AND LEGAL RULINGS OF OUR GOVERNMENT? Socrates, for example, seemed to think that we are obliged to obey the laws and court judgments of our society, even when we disagree with them or think them unjust. Yet, if we do think a law unjust, we are also obliged to protest against it and suffer the consequences of doing so. Do you agree with these claims?
---------------------------
Send in a vote for your favorite topic(s) now! If you have any suggestions for future topics, send those, too.
Feel free to join us for dinner and more conversation after the meeting at the nearby and good "Earth, Wind and Flour" restaurant.
-----------------
DIRECTIONS to the Community Room of the Yahoo! Center (formerly the Colorado Center), 2500 Broadway, at 25th st, between Cloverfield & 26th, Santa Monica, 90404-3065, 310-453-0333. From the 405 fwy, take the I-10 fwy toward Santa Monica - go 2.2 mi. Take the CLOVERFIELD BLVD exit, turn Right on CLOVERFIELD BLVD. Go a half mile, turn Right on BROADWAY, go a quarter mile, park near 25th st. Parking is free on Sundays on Broadway & nearby streets, but most of 25th st is off limits; they will ticket you!
The Community Room is directly on Broadway at 25th st, at the corner of the building, a few feet from the "HBO Symantec" sign, right across the street from the LA Art Institute and a bicycle shop. The room is not labeled, but you will notice its glass doors and plenty of windows with blinds on them. If you have trouble finding parking on the street, ample free parking is available in the parking garage beneath the building. The garage entrance is on the other side of the Colorado Center, so take Broadway to 26th st, turn right, take your first right (Colorado ave); the garage entrance is at 2401 Colorado, on your right, just before Cloverfield. When you enter the garage, go straight as far as you can, turn right, go as far as you can and park near the 2500 building, where the "HBO" sign is. Walk up the stairs or take the elevator to "G" (the ground level), exit the building, take the short pathway until you can take a left (tennis courts will be in front of you), stop when you reach Broadway. The Community Room is a few feet to your left. If you input your address & "2500 Broadway" at http://www.mapquest.com or http://maps.yahoo.com/, a map and driving directions will magically appear.
----
If you weren't with us last time, you missed our discussion of what it means to be irrational. Don't miss this month's meeting!
Brian
Our monthly Meetup ( http://philosophynow.meetup.com/30/ AND http://philosophy-in-LA.tribe.net ) is happening Sunday, January 20, 5:00pm - 7:45pm, at the usual location. This is NOT this Sunday, but the following Sunday. See below for the list of topics to vote on, and see the end of this email for detailed driving directions. For more info or to be on our regular emailing list, email me at [address removed]
I have a few special announcements/ events to mention this month, apart from the usual, so please read everything below.
First, in addition to our regular meeting on the 20th, our discussion group will have a rare (first time in over two years), non-philosophy, "pre-election" meeting so we can inform and persuade each other about the candidates. We'll meet Sunday, Feb 3 at 5 pm at the usual place, which is two days before the California primary (on Tues, Feb 5). If, like me, you often wait until the last minute to finalize your choices of whom and what to vote for, then this is your chance to talk out the issues and candidates with some thoughtful people in a semi-organized, civil (non-rancorous) fashion. On the other hand, if you've already made up your mind and are convinced that the rest of us would (or should) agree with you-- if you only had the chance to tell us what you think-- then come by and tell us!
If you don't like political discussions, skip this "optional" meeting (of course, ALL our meetings are optional?) and come to our usual, 3rd Sunday of the month philosophical discussions on January 20 at 5pm, February 17 at 5pm and March 16 at 5pm. Mark these dates on your calendar!
-----------------
Second, you may be interested in a presentation this Friday, January 11 at 7:30 PM in Santa Monica: one of our discussion group participants, Tad Daley, will speak on "Solving the Iran Crisis Without War and Envisioning the Road to Abolishing War." You may remember that Tad introduced the topic at our October meeting, "World Government: Yes Or No?" A bit about him: Tad Daley, J.D., Ph.D., is a Writing Fellow for International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (a Nobel Peace Laureate Organization), a Former Policy Aide to Senator Alan Cranston, and a Former Policy Director for Congressman Dennis Kucinich. The flyer for this event describes his speech as follows,
Dr. Daley will discuss why the Iran National Intelligence Estimate has NOT eliminated the possibility of an American attack on Iran during the last year of the Bush Residency. He will reveal the giant contradiction underlying the dispute: the nuclear double standard, what some call nuclear apartheid, what others call America's nuclear hypocrisy. And he will contend that we must do more than protest this war and that war, but begin to build a long-term movement for enduring world peace.
This will occur at the Unitarian/Universalist Church of Santa Monica, 18th and Arizona, this Friday. Parking is available in the structure on east side of 16th Street midway between Arizona and Santa Monica Blvd. Donations Welcome. For more Information, check out daleyplanet.org, ippnw.org, and/or uusm.org. I've also posted the flyer for this event on our club's website, http://philosophy-in-LA.tribe.net (see the event listing at the top of the discussion board called "Solving the Iran Crisis Without War and Envisioning the Road to Abolishing War").
-----------------
Third, here are the topics for this month's regular gathering on the 20th. Listed below are five questions or topics suggested during previous meetings or by email. Please reply to this email (soon) with the name of the topic(s) that you would most like to talk about. (Anybody can send in a vote, whether or not you have been to previous meetings.) I will send a meeting reminder sometime this weekend, give or take a day, letting you know which topic won the vote, and what optional readings we have.
1) MONOGAMY: is it realistic to expect our spouses and partners to remain monogamous? Can you stick to it? Should you try? Has monogamy become one of those ideals that the vast majority of people publicly claims to believe in (and encourages others to adhere to), though far fewer privately believe in or practice consistently?
Sexually, can one person truly complete another? If not, should we be open to "having our needs met" by a variety of individuals? Is the pain we feel when a partner cheats on us due mainly to the deception and the violation of our expectation of monogamy? Or, is it deeper than that; is the abandoning of monogamy a bad idea because it unavoidably yields so much jealousy and insecurity that it destroys relationships?
2) IS SCIENCE CONVERGING UPON THE TRUTH, or do our various, successful scientific theories merely provide us with ever more useful ways of looking at the world? Is it even necessary for our different theories to be consistent with each other?
3) IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE RATIONALLY PERSUADED TO CONVERT TO A RELIGION? It's often said that people accept their childhood religion, or convert to a new one, for reasons other than a rational appraisal of arguments and evidence. Is it ever rational to convert to a religion? Whether it is or not, some argue that one's religious choices don't need to be rationally justified, that such choices shouldn't primarily be a matter of intellectual justification. Decisions of this sort are, perhaps, akin to questions about one?s preferences for food, music, or jobs.
4) WHAT IS A PSYCHOANALYTIC VIEW ON ATTEMPTING TO BE RATIONAL ABOUT ETHICS? If subconscious desires, wishes, beliefs, fears, and so on exist in the way that psychoanalytic theory says, does that make it difficult or impossible to take a rational approach to one's ethical choices and deliberations?
5) WHAT MORAL OBLIGATIONS DO WE HAVE TO OBEY THE LAWS AND LEGAL RULINGS OF OUR GOVERNMENT? Socrates, for example, seemed to think that we are obliged to obey the laws and court judgments of our society, even when we disagree with them or think them unjust. Yet, if we do think a law unjust, we are also obliged to protest against it and suffer the consequences of doing so. Do you agree with these claims?
---------------------------
Send in a vote for your favorite topic(s) now! If you have any suggestions for future topics, send those, too.
Feel free to join us for dinner and more conversation after the meeting at the nearby and good "Earth, Wind and Flour" restaurant.
-----------------
DIRECTIONS to the Community Room of the Yahoo! Center (formerly the Colorado Center), 2500 Broadway, at 25th st, between Cloverfield & 26th, Santa Monica, 90404-3065, 310-453-0333. From the 405 fwy, take the I-10 fwy toward Santa Monica - go 2.2 mi. Take the CLOVERFIELD BLVD exit, turn Right on CLOVERFIELD BLVD. Go a half mile, turn Right on BROADWAY, go a quarter mile, park near 25th st. Parking is free on Sundays on Broadway & nearby streets, but most of 25th st is off limits; they will ticket you!
The Community Room is directly on Broadway at 25th st, at the corner of the building, a few feet from the "HBO Symantec" sign, right across the street from the LA Art Institute and a bicycle shop. The room is not labeled, but you will notice its glass doors and plenty of windows with blinds on them. If you have trouble finding parking on the street, ample free parking is available in the parking garage beneath the building. The garage entrance is on the other side of the Colorado Center, so take Broadway to 26th st, turn right, take your first right (Colorado ave); the garage entrance is at 2401 Colorado, on your right, just before Cloverfield. When you enter the garage, go straight as far as you can, turn right, go as far as you can and park near the 2500 building, where the "HBO" sign is. Walk up the stairs or take the elevator to "G" (the ground level), exit the building, take the short pathway until you can take a left (tennis courts will be in front of you), stop when you reach Broadway. The Community Room is a few feet to your left. If you input your address & "2500 Broadway" at http://www.mapquest.com or http://maps.yahoo.com/, a map and driving directions will magically appear.
----
If you weren't with us last time, you missed our discussion of what it means to be irrational. Don't miss this month's meeting!
Brian
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