Philosophy
At Green Centre, Doris Hunt Room, postcode WR2 5QS on Wednesday 1015
Dates for this year:
12/09 26/09 10/10 24/10 07/11 21/11 05/12 09/01 23/01 06/02 20/02 06/03 20/03 03/04 17/04 01/05
Leader and Contact: Steve Kennewell (Please quote 'Philosophy' in any enquiry)
The Philosophy group welcomes all who are interested in understanding the important ideas which underlie current issues and timeless questions.
We examine issues using the work of current thinkers and consider the influence of great philosophers and key ideas from the past. We do not take ourselves too seriously, however. Our approach is to share knowledge and ideas gained from our reading and experience in an entertaining way. This involves talks, discussions and small group activities concerning stimulating questions and scenarios, so that sessions are interesting and enjoyable for members at all levels of experience – no previous knowledge of philosophy is needed!
There will be a 'taster' session on August 28th, designed for those who have not attended the group to gain an idea of the sort of content and ways of working that are involved. If you are interested in joining this session, please contact me or go to the web page.
This year we have covered the following:
- Chinese philosophies
- Consciousness
- Intention
- Perception
- Justice
- Rights – natural, moral, legal
- Self
- Systems thinking
- Taxation
- Where is the philosophy in current political thinking?
- Women in Philosophy
We do not follow a particular text, but the following books are useful in supplementing the sessions.
- Philosophy: Key Themes by Julian Baggini and Gareth Southwell
- Philosophy: The Basics by Nigel Warburton
- Philosophy: The Classics by Nigel Warburton
- What Does It All Mean? A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy by Thomas Nagel
- Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy by Simon Blackburn
- Being Good: A Short Introduction to Ethics by Simon Blackburn
- The Meaning of Things: Applying Philosophy to life by A.C. Grayling
- Ideas That Matter: Key Concepts for the 21st Century by A.C. Grayling
There is also a great deal of material on the web, and these sites are fairly reliable in their quality:
- The Basics of Philosophy website
- Institute of Arts and Ideas
- TED Talks
- School of Life
- Nigel Warburton Philosophy Bites podcasts
Steve Kennewell
September 2018