About us
In a culture that rewards speed, optimization, accumulation, and individualism, we dare to challenge the prevailing trends by the simple acts of thinking slowly, reading deeply, discussing critically, and cultivating community. We meet weekly to discuss a shared reading and help each other gain a deeper understanding of a wide variety of philosophical texts. Members are expected to complete the readings beforehand, bringing their own questions and opinions to a lively discussion. Join us as we peel back the layers of assumptions we take for granted every day, expecting to ask more questions than we can ever fully answer, in order to expand our minds and feed our curiosity. Check the calendar for upcoming meetings and times.
Upcoming events
2
Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind Week 1
Pier 57, 25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA, New York, NY, USThe early analytic tradition combined empiricism, which had been present in philosophy for some time, with the new tools of logic in an attempt to place mathematics, science, and philosophy more broadly on a firmer foundation than ever before. By the middle of the twentieth century, these initial ambitions seemed overly extravagant, as many of the problems that had long plagued empiricism were resurfacing. In 1956, Wilfrid Sellars responded to this state of affairs with Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind, encouraging analytic philosophy to enter its Kantian phase and move beyond a Humean empiricism. His central target was the “Myth of the Given,” the idea that experience can justify belief without already involving concepts. The work was highly influential on Richard Rorty and Robert Brandom, who later wrote the introduction and study guide, respectively, for the 1997 edition, and who helped usher in a new wave of ideas in the analytic tradition.
Participants should read the entire reading before attending this in person meeting. We will read pages 1-64 for the first week which is equivalent to the intro and Chapters 1-6. I will be reading from this version here.
For questions please send me a message or post to meetup.
Best,
Brian
6 attendees
Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind Week 2
Pier 57, 25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA, New York, NY, USThe early analytic tradition combined empiricism, which had been present in philosophy for some time, with the new tools of logic in an attempt to place mathematics, science, and philosophy more broadly on a firmer foundation than ever before. By the middle of the twentieth century, these initial ambitions seemed overly extravagant, as many of the problems that had long plagued empiricism were resurfacing. In 1956, Wilfrid Sellars responded to this state of affairs with Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind, encouraging analytic philosophy to enter its Kantian phase and move beyond a Humean empiricism. His central target was the “Myth of the Given,” the idea that experience can justify belief without already involving concepts. The work was highly influential on Richard Rorty and Robert Brandom, who later wrote the introduction and study guide, respectively, for the 1997 edition, and who helped usher in a new wave of ideas in the analytic tradition.
Participants should read the entire reading before attending this in person meeting. We will read pages 64-117 for the first week which is equivalent to the intro and Chapters 7-16. I will be reading from this version here.
For questions please send me a message or post to meetup.
Best,
Brian
5 attendees
