Philosophy
Our group is following a course of study in the history of philosophy from the Ancient Greeks to the 20th century. Our aims are philosophical
Philosophy
Our group is following a course of study in the history of philosophy from the Ancient Greeks to the 20th century. Our aims are philosophical
- to illuminate, from the way they have developed over time, the main themes of philosophical enquiry (how can we know the nature of the world and ourselves within it? how should we live as individuals and in society?); and to some extent historical- to understand the "history of ideas" and their interaction with the development of western culture and society.
Our course follows Bryan Magee's accessible, illustrated, but non-trivial history The Story of Philosophy. To cater for our wider interest in the history of ideas, we shall also look at some influential thinkers who are not considered primarily as philosophers, such as Darwin, Freud, and Einstein.
We cater for all levels: the main qualifications are an enquiring mind with a willingness to do some preparatory reading and thinking and contribute to our discussions. Most of us started as beginners in January 2003, following Nigel Warburton's introduction Philosophy: the Basics. Members read a section of Magee (usually on one philosopher) before each meeting and are encouraged to use it for extend their own interests. In our discussion we try to balance to participation by everyone with coherent discussion of important topics.
Hugh Davis, February 2007