London Philosophy Collective

The Haunting is a 1963 supernatural horror film directed and produced by Robert Wise, adapted by Nelson Gidding from Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House. It stars Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, and Russ Tamblyn. The film depicts the experiences of a small group of people invited by a paranormal investigator to investigate a purportedly haunted house.

Please note we will not be showing the film at the meeting. Make sure you watch the film before you attend and then come and join in with the conversation. It’s just a discussion. It’s not a screening. 🙏

Prince of Darkness is a 1987 American supernatural horror film, written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter, and starring Donald Pleasence, Victor Wong, Jameson Parker, and Lisa Blount. The film follows a group of quantum physics students in Los Angeles who are asked to assist a Catholic priest in investigating an ancient cylinder of liquid discovered in a monastery, which they come to find is a sentient, liquid embodiment of Satan.

Please note we will not be showing the film at the meeting. Make sure you watch the film before you attend and then come and join in with the conversation. It’s just a discussion. It’s not a screening. 🙏

Philosophy in the Park is a philosophical discussion group. Open to all. No previous philosophical experience necessary.

We will meet at the Baroness Burdett Coutts Drinking Fountain in Victoria Park (East Park). It is marked down as "13" on the official maps found in the park.

Here's how it works:

• At the start of each hour vote on which questions to discuss. You can vote for more than one question if you'd like. The questions with the most votes are the questions we discuss.
• We then break up into groups and each group does a different question. The question is just a starting point and it's cool if you go on tangents and up end talking about different things. You're welcome to join in and participate or if you'd prefer you're welcome to sit back and enjoy the conversation.

After an hour we all come back together, take a quick break and then repeat all over again. So in 3 hours we go around 3 times.

The aim is to have fun, meet new people, generate interesting and thought-provoking conversations, have your horizons expanded, challenge your preconceptions and who knows - you might even learn something?

In order to make the conversations as fun, interesting and productive for everyone as possible please follow these simple guidelines:

1. Keep it Philosophical
   (No Science, no History, no Evolutionary Psychology, no contestable facts, personal anecdotes etc).
2. Think for Yourself
   (No phones, no looking up definitions, no name dropping Philosophers / books you've read).
3. Tangents are Cool
   (Don't worry too much if the subject drifts and you don't answer the question).
4. Keep it Succinct
   (Like this).
5. Be Excellent to Each Other
   (But of course).

Philosophy is about conceptual analysis. It's thinking about thinking. It's not about empiricism or the real world. It's about abstractions, concepts and ideas.

To terms of the right attitude: It's not about debating and trying to win - it's about listening to people and working collaboratively to increase our collective understanding.

No homework or prior knowledge or reading is necessary - simply come and enjoy the discussions.

After the event finishes most people stay. A bunch of us will go to the local supermarket for drinks and snacks. You are very welcome to join us.

If you would like to submit a question please join the Whatsapp group. Question submissions take place on the Thursday before the meeting.

We hope to see you there.

Nice one.

...

It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.

Available from all good libraries and book shops.

You don't have to have read it to join us - but it'll probably help.