Pinner Philosophy Group
(Harrow, London)
Details of Autumn Term 2023
Timings will be 10.00am to 12.30pm with formal sessions starting at 10.15am. There will be a short interval at around 11.30am. The meetings will be hybrid, i.e., in person and simultaneously on Zoom.
The group is open to all ages. The cost is £20 per term. For details of how to pay the fee and for meeting venue and Zoom links please contact Paul Skidmore by email at paul_skidmore@yahoo.co.uk
The current programme is attached. Where appropriate, links will be made to contemporary issues in art, science, sociology, politics and philosophy.
Political Philosophy Strand (continued) |
||
Wednesday 20/09/23 |
Ethical Dilemmas in applying the Rule of Law in Courts and Tribunals | Jonathan |
Wednesday 27/09/23 |
Ayn Rand |
Paul |
Wednesday 04/10/23 |
GUEST SPEAKER: Animal Rights |
Natalia Doran |
Wednesday 11/10/23 |
The Frankfurt School and Cultural Theory |
Adrian |
Wednesday 18/10/23 |
GUEST SPEAKER: Maori constitutional thinking: law, ethics and ontology thinking: law, ethics and ontology |
Andrew Sharp |
Wednesday 25/10/23 |
HALF TERM |
|
| Wednesday 01/11/23 | Locke and Hobbes |
Derek |
| Wednesday 08/11/23 | A Cabinet meeting + press conference |
Peter K + cast |
| Wednesday 15/11/23 | GUEST SPEAKER: Human Rights and Direct Action | Peter Tatchell |
Reason and Imagination Strand – The Enlightenment and now |
||
| Wednesday 22/11/23 | Michel de Montaigne | Philip |
| Wednesday 29/11/23 | Renaissance Art: a new world view? | Paul (Chair) |
| Wednesday 06/12/23 | Philosophers' Christmas | Paul (Chair) |
| END OF TERM | ||
Location and times of sessions
Meets weekly at 10am Wednesdays
Venue: On request to Chairman
3 terms per year: spring, summer, autumn
Approximately 50 members
Further Details
Further details can be obtained from:
The Chairman on 020 8863 8202, email: paul_skidmore@yahoo.co.uk
Term structure
Each term usually consists of one or more philosophy strands.
Recent strands have been:
Philosophy of Mind
Theory of Knowledge (epistemology)
Aesthetics
Political Philosophy
Ethics
In addition, terms often include ‘one-off’ topics occupying one or two sessions. Recent examples are:
Play reading of Copenhagen by Michael Frayn together with presentation and discussion of philosophical questions raised by the play.
Presentation and discussion of the philosophy of individual philosophers, e.g. Pythagoras, Descartes, Rousseau, Kant, Nietzsche, Rawls, Nozick.
Presentation and discussion of key philosophical positions, e.g. phenomenology and logical positivism.
Presentation and discussion of wider philosophical topics in science and mathematics, e.g. special and general relativity and Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem.
Presentation and discussion of topics in religion, e.g. the existence of the soul.
Method of Presentation
Sessions are usually presented by a member of the group with interspersed discussion or by discussion at the end of the presentation.
The presenter may already have an interest in or professional knowledge of the topic. Topics selected for presentation are often based on chapters from one or more recommended books but are often researched in more detail. Group discussion occupies about half the session time.
There is a coffee break of about 15 minutes half way through the session.
Guest Speakers
Each term features one or two talks/lectures by professional philosophers or experts in their fields. Recent talks have been on:
Continental Philosophy
The Aesthetic Theory of Kant
The Penal System
Medical Ethics
The Nature of Time
Group Visits
The Group organises visits to events of philosophical interest. Recent visits or events attended have included: a lecture by Jürgen Habermas; visit to The Enlightenment Exhibition at the British Museum; visit to a Hare Krishna temple; theatre visit to see the play Galileo by Bertold Brecht.
Professor Timothy Chappell spoke to Pinner Philosophy Group on Wednesday, 22nd June 2011 on the subject 'Why Ethics is Hard' Download