What we’re about
[Note: This group is looking for a new owner! In the meantime, join the Toronto Philosophy Meetup to find many more online philosophy events and activities: https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/
The description below is from the previous organizer of the group.]
Welcome to the Calgary Philosophy Meetup! We're a local community for people interested in reading and discussing philosophy. We hold discussions and other events on a broad range of philosophical topics and problems. No previous experience is required for any of our meetups, only a willingness to engage with the works being discussed. The only basic ground-rule is to please, as with everywhere else in life, be polite and respectful during discussions.
Feel free to propose topics you would like to see (you can do this in the Discussions section), and please contact the organizers if you would like to host an event yourself, or organize events here on a regular basis.
Featured event
Classical Chinese Poetry: The Book of Songs / 詩經 (1046–771 BC)
The 詩經 or Shijing (alternately known as the "Classic of Poetry", "The Book of Songs", and other names) is the oldest collection of poetry in world literature and a cornerstone of Chinese cultural heritage. Compiled between the 11th and 6th centuries BC, it preserves 305 poems that capture the voices of early Zhou society — from folk songs sung in villages to ceremonial hymns performed at ancestral rites and political odes composed for rulers. Centuries later, the Shijing would become central to Confucian philosophy and re-interpreted (many would argue mis-interpreted) as a guide to moral cultivation, social order, and ritual propriety.
The collection's verses — simple yet profound — cover themes of daily life, love, family, longing, work, nature, and politics, offering insight into both the inner lives of common people and the ideals of rulers. It has deeply influenced Chinese literature, philosophy, culture, and aesthetics for over three millennia.
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This is a series of meetups hosted by the Toronto Philosophy Meetup to discuss the rich tradition of classical Chinese poetry. At this 4th meetup (Nov 9), we'll continue live reading selections from the 詩經 or The Book of Songs, a collection of poetry (mostly folk poetry) dated to 1046–771 BC from the cultural region of the Zhou Dynasty. If there's a poem from the collection you'll like us to discuss at this meetup, please let us know in the comments!
Various translations of the texts will be available on the main event page – https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/311759395/
Check our our calendar for daily philosophy events, talks, and discussions – https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/calendar/
Poems from the Shijing we've previously discussed:
- 1. The Ospreys Cry (關雎)
- 6. The Heavy Hanging Peach Tree (桃之夭)
- 21. Little Stars (小星)
- 23. In the Wilds There is a Dead Doe (野有死麕)
- 26. The Cypress Boat (柏舟)
- 31. Beating the Drums (擊鼓)
- 32. A Gentle Wind (凱風)
- 66. My Lord is on the March (君子于役)
- 96. The Cock Crows (雞鳴)
- 131. Yellow Bird (黃鳥)
Upcoming events
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•OnlineBataille's Erotism: Death and Sensuality
OnlineThis weekly group is currently reading through George Bataille's seminal Erotism: Death and Sensuality (1957). See below for a tentative reading schedule, a few questions for reflection and some notes on the text.
Tentative reading schedule:
Nov 1: Chapters III and IV (pp. 49-62)
Nov 8: Chapters V, VI and VII (pp. 63-88)
Nov 15: Chapters VIII and IX (pp. 89-109)
Nov 22: Chapters X and XI (pp. 109-128)
Nov 29: Chapters XII and XIII (pp. 129-148)You can find all texts in the Google folder linked at the VERY BOTTOM of this description. The Zoom link is also posted there.
👇 scroll all the way down for the links 👇Some reflection questions:
- Can Bataille be read as a radical Hegelian, who brings the dialectic out of its sterile academic context and into the messy world of sexuality, politics, art and religious practice?
- How can we articulate the relationship between death and sensuality, Eros and Thanatos? What is the link between them, if any,, and can it be understood? Or is this another case of an "unknowable = X", a perennial 'missing piece' or 'secret' that structures our human experience?
- Is there something like a logic of transgression emerging from Bataille's text? If so, what are its parameters and its mode of operation? Isn't it already perverse to speak of a 'logic' of sexuality at all?
- How can we compare Bataille's approach to sexuality with that of his two eminent contemporaries, Sartre and Lacan? Is Eros a "useless passion", as Sartre might say? Is a sexual relationship necessarily impossible, as per Lacan, rendering the sexual act a masquerade and a pretense?
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ABOUT THE TEXT
Heavily influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis and the anthropology of Marcel Mauss, Bataille's Erotism offers a look at erotic practice and its place in civilization. We come across familiar Bataillean notions as points around which the book is organized, viz*. sacrifice, taboo, transgression, the sacred* and personal sovereignty. Bataille's view of erotic activity revolves around a number of oppositions that could perhaps be called dialectical. The continuous / discontinuous is one of these pairs, taboo and its transgression another. Something like a logic of transgression could be said to emerge from Bataille's analysis, supporting the argument that Eros is finally inseparable from its opposite, death or Thanatos. Our perennial fascination with the themes of sexuality and mortality is in fact a single interest, rooted, as Freud observed, in the depths of the unconscious. The biological explanation for this would be evident: we are hard-wired, as a matter of instinct, with a natural concern for all issues that bear on survival and procreation. Bataille, however, aims to go beyond such a restricted economy of natural needs. For him death and sensuality are practices of sacrifice that enact unconditional expenditure and partake of ek-stasis that invokes the sacred and the religious.Note: Bataille's texts, while philosophically important, discuss difficult themes such as mortality, violence, the unconscious, eroticism, rituals of sacrifice, etc. Discretion is advised as you approach him, especially if this is your first experience with French philosophy.
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ABOUT THIS READING GROUP
This is a comprehensive reading group focusing on the works of French writer Georges Bataille. We are reading key texts from Bataille himself, as well as tracing his relationship with other major thinkers such as Hegel, Nietzsche, André Breton/Surrealism, Blanchot, Lacan, Foucault, Deleuze, Derrida, etc.Some familiarity with Bataille's mode and style of thought is helpful but not necessary. You're welcome to join the group in medias res at any time. See, however, the group rules below.
Please take the time to read and reflect on the reading prior to each meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend, but speaking priority will be given to people who have read the text.
Topics to be discussed in the future:
- Erotism and the 'logic' of transgression
- Foucault's "A Preface to Transgression"
- Bataille's critique of Hegel: the negative and general economy
- Derrida's reading of Bataille in "From Restricted to General Economy"
Past topics included:
- Bataillean transgression and Deleuzian line of flight: reading Fitzgerald's "The Crack-Up"
- Bataille's aesthetics: the rift with Surrealism
- Susan Sontag on avant-guarde literature
- Bataille's novel Blue of Noon
- Inner Experience and a-theological mysticism
- Bataille's reading of Nietzsche and critique of fascism
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MORE ABOUT BATAILLE
Georges Bataille stands out as an eclectic, fascinating and controversial figure in the world of French letters. A contemporary of Sartre and Lacan, he combined ideas from diverse disciplines to create a unique position that he called 'base materialism'. In the early 20s, Bataille abandoned Catholicism, embraced psychoanalysis and Marxism and initiated an unorthodox search for the sacred in late modernity. His obsessive pursuit of ecstatic liminal experiences took him across the boundaries of philosophy, sociology, political economy, mythology, poetry, literature and mystical theology. His works develop a libidinal economy of unconditioned expenditure, offer a critique of fascism and embrace marginal experiences in the style of the French poets. Though he remained largely outside the academic mainstream and worked as a librarian, Bataille is a formative precursor to the post-structuralist philosophers of the '60s -- and may well be more relevant to our time than ever.In this group we look at a significant cross-section of Bataille's texts. Our aim is to understand his thought on its own terms as well as place him in the context of his predecessors and the French thinkers who followed his lead. In view of Bataille's early relationship with Surrealism, the referenced artworks will spotlight this movement.
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GROUP RULES
- Please spend 1-2 hours per week reading and preparing for the discussion.
- Keep your comments concise and relevant to the text.
- Please limit each comment to a maximum of 2-3 minutes. You're welcome to speak as many times as you wish.
- Virtual meeting courtesy: let's not interrupt each other and keep mics muted when not speaking.
- We'll focus the discussion with key passages and discussion questions. Be sure to bring your favorite passages, questions, comments, criticisms, etc.
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Join the Facebook group for more resources and discussion:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/755460079505498
If you have attended previous meetings, please fill out a brief survey at this link: https://forms.gle/tEMJ4tw2yVgnTsQD6All readings can be found in this Google folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VPRdvZYmUKBY3cSxD8xC8sTYtSEKBXDs
Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81251109319?pwd=R3hVQ2RqcVBvaHJwYnoxMFJ5OXJldz09Art: L'Heure de l'Observatoire: les Amoureux (Observatory Time: The Lovers) (1932-1934) by Man Ray
1 attendee
(In-Person) General discussion on insights gained through stoic practice
Central Library, 800 3 St SE, Calgary, AB T2G 2E7, Calgary, AB, CAA general meet and greet, followed by a discussion of personal insights gained through stoic practice. The format is flexible, just hoping to encourage discussion. Calgary Central Library, Third Floor, Room 3-17B This event is advertised in two groups "Stoic Meditation" and "The Calgary Philosophy Meetup" with an attendee limit of five in each. If the event looks full in one group, please join the other group to see if there is a spot available there.
2 attendees
•OnlineHeidegger & the Measure of Truth: Themes From His Early Philosophy
OnlineWelcome everyone to the next meetup series that Jen and Philip are presenting! This time around we are reading the book: Heidegger and the Measure of Truth: Themes From His Early Philosophy by Denis McManus.
Click here for the publishers' book description. Due to limited characters, I could not include here. Thank you for your understanding.
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CHAPTERS
Click here for a list of chapters.
The plan is to cover 1 chapter per meeting.***
MEETING DETAILS (2-WEEK ROTATION)
· Starting April 21
· Meetings run every 2 weeks (every other Sunday)
· Accelerated live read format, with live readings to be done on chosen paragraphs
· Read roughly 30-40 pages beforehand
· Pick a few paragraphs to discuss
· 1pm reserved for book topic
· 3pm reserved for free for allAll are welcome. However if you want to speak in the meetup, please be sure to do the assigned reading.
NOTE: We'll be joined by numerous other participants from the Toronto Philosophy Meetup at these meetings –
https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/calendar/***
PURPOSE OF COVERING THIS BOOK
Please note that in this meetup we will be doing philosophy, not history of ideas. We will be trying to find flaws in Heidegger's reasoning and in his mode of presenting his ideas. We will also be trying to improve the ideas in question and perhaps proposing better alternatives. Historians of ideas are people who try to understand ideas from the past. Of course philosophers must try to do this too, but they then go on to critically assess the ideas in question. In this meetup, we will be philosophers and not historians of ideas!
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CLARIFICATION OF THIS MEETUP'S ATTITUDE TO HEIDEGGER'S RACISM
Philip writes: I feel that it is important to be clear up front about how the topic of Heidegger's racist politics will be dealt with in this meetup. Throughout his life (starting as a very young man) Heidegger was drawn to far right wing, nationalist, racist views which any reasonable person should find loathsome. Yet when it comes to thinking about the way the world is and what it means to be a human in that world, Heidegger is arguably the most important philosopher of the twentieth century. Some meetups rule out any discussion of Heidegger's politics, even though this is a core aspect of Heidegger's way of thinking. This meetup will not do that. In this meetup, we will make room for discussion of how Heidegger's politics may relate to his ideas on ontology and being human. Also, it will be possible in this meetup to consider whether Heidegger's ideas on ontology and being human shaped his politics. These questions will certainly not be the main focus of the meetup (far from it). But these questions will not be ignored either.
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OTHER PHILOSOPHERS IN THIS BOOK
Please note that Denis McManus's book refers to many other philosophers, both living and dead. No one should feel overwhelmed by the task of learning about these other philosophers since Philip will fill in the relevant background information on these philosophers as they come up.
The one possible exception is Kant. The Denis McManus book does mention Kant from time to time. Although Kant is the philosopher that Philip knows best, Kant's philosophy is so vast and intricate that it just does not lend itself to easy summarization. Philip will do his best to explicate Kant when Kant's name comes up – but it is a Herculean task!
There is an awful lot of nonsense written about Kant which is widely circulated (and widely believed) in the English speaking world. Anyone who wants to explore in any depth the parts of the McManus book which deal with Kant should consider reading one of the following excellent books about Kant:
- Kant's Transcendental Idealism: An Interpretation and Defense (second edition, 2004) by Henry E. Allison. This book gives a great overview of many of the various ways of interpreting Kant. It also gives an interpretation which Philip thinks is (in broad outline) basically on the right track. However, even if you do not accept Allison's interpretation, this book is invaluable in helping the reader overcome the interpretations.
- Kant's Critique of Pure Reason: An Introduction and Interpretation
by James O'Shea.
2 attendees
•OnlineLive-Reading Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics – American Style
OnlineLet's try something new. For the next dozen weeks or so, starting 4/17/2022, we are going to live-read and discuss Aristotle's ~Nicomachean Ethics~. What is new and different about this project is that the translation, by Adam Beresford (2020), happens to be rendered in standard 'Murican English.
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From the translator's "Note" on the text:
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"This translation is conservative in interpretation and traditional in aim. It aims to translate the text as accurately as possible.
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"I translated every page from scratch, from a clean Greek text, rather than revising an existing translation. ... I wanted to avoid the scholars’ dialect that is traditionally used for translating Aristotle.
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"I reject the approach of Arthur Adkins, Elizabeth Anscombe, and others who followed Nietzsche in supposing that the main elements of modern thinking about right and wrong were unknown to the Greeks, or known to them only in some radically different form. My view of humanity and of our shared moral instincts is shaped by a newer paradigm. This is a post-Darwinian translation. (It is also more in line with the older, both Aristotelian and Christian view of human character.)
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"Having said that, I have no interest at all in modernizing Aristotle’s ideas. All the attitudes of this treatise remain fully Greek, very patriarchal, somewhat aristocratic, and firmly embedded in the fourth century BC. My choice of dialect (standard English) has no bearing on that whatsoever. (It is perfectly possible to express distinctively Greek and ancient attitudes in standard English.) ... I have also not simplified the text in any way. I have translated every iota, particle, preposition, noun, verb, adjective, phrase, clause, and sentence of the original. Every premise and every argument therefore remains – unfortunately – exactly as complex and annoyingly difficult as in any other version in whatever dialect.
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"Some scholars and students unwarily assume that the traditional dialect has a special connection with Greek and that using it brings readers closer to the original text; and that it makes the translation more accurate. In reality, it has no special tie to the Greek language, either in its main philosophical glossary or in its dozens of minor (and pointless) deviations from normal English. And in my view it certainly makes any translation much less accurate.
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"I will occasionally refer to the scholars’ dialect (‘Gringlish’) and its traditional glossary in the Notes."
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Here is our plan:
1. Read Intro excerpts or a summary to gain the big picture.
2. Read a segment of the translated text.
3. Discuss it analytically and interpretively.
4. Repeat again at #2 for several more times.
5. Discuss the segments evaluatively.
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Zoom is the project's current meeting platform, but that can change. The project's cloud drive is here, at which you'll find the reading texts, notes, and slideshows.2 attendees
Past events
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