What we’re about
P&G is more than just a group of people. It is a community. A community of philosophers, thinkers, book readers, paper readers, and folks that ask the foundational questions. What is the meaning of life? How do we know what we know? What makes us human? These are some of the questions that P&G members explore together through lively discussions and debates. But P&G is not only about intellectual pursuits. It is also a community of thoughtful people coming together to hike, and hangout. Whether it's enjoying the beauty of nature, sharing a meal, or playing games, P&G members bond over their common interests and values. P&G is a community where you can find friends who challenge you to grow and support you along the way.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Jonathan Schaffer: The Asymmetry of ExistenceLink visible for attendees
Reading for this Meeting: LINK
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Our Discord Group: LINK
WARNING:
We'll have a review of the paper so far at the beginning of the meeting. New to the paper? It's ok. I got you. A little warning: It is full of philosophical jargon, and crazy technical. If you are into that sort of thing, be my guest. After the review, we will start reading from page 30 onward...ABOUT:
We’ll dissect Schaffer’s “Atomless Gunk” argument: a world could be endlessly divisible with no fundamental simples. If that’s possible, pluralism (parts-first metaphysics) struggles to explain what’s basic—while priority monism shrugs and says the whole cosmos is the one fundamental thing. No woo, just clean metaphysics.
What we’ll cover (agenda)
- Gunk defined — matter with parts all the way down; no atoms, ever.
- Why gunk is possible — conceptual coherence + mereology + scientific live options.
- Pluralist escape routes — infinitism, mid-level basics, disjunctivism (and why they’re ugly).
- Monist payoff — the asymmetry of existence: wholes are guaranteed; simples aren’t.
- Pushback & counterpush — is “the cosmos” cheating? what about structure without simples?
- Key questions
- If there are no simples, what grounds reality on a parts-first view?
- Is foundationalism (no infinite dependence) negotiable—or non-negotiable?
- Does declaring the cosmos fundamental actually explain anything, or just move the goalpost?
- Are mid-sized “basics” principled, or metaphysical duct tape?
- Should metaphysics aim for modal robustness (work in atomistic and gunky worlds)?
- FTI: Universal Basic Income: Would it be a Smart Safety Net or Costly Mistake?Link visible for attendees
Universal Basic Income (UBI) proposes giving every citizen a guaranteed minimum income—no strings attached. Some argue it could end poverty and prepare us for an automated future. Others warn it could discourage work and bankrupt governments.
In this session, we’ll explore:- What real-world experiments in UBI (like in Finland or Alaska) have shown.
- Whether UBI could replace—or complement—existing welfare programs.
- The economic, ethical, and political arguments on both sides.
Whether you see UBI as a bold solution or a dangerous gamble, join us for a balanced discussion where conservatives, liberals, libertarians, and independents alike can explore the facts and debate what’s best for society.
Format: Lecture and discussion
Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zgAfter registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.
Here’s our legal notice: For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.
- Is there a self? PLEASE READ FULL EVENT DESCRIPTION and RSVP INSTRUCTIONS BELOWLink visible for attendees
Please go to Philosophy of Value meetup page via the link below, join Philosophy of value group and RSVP to this event there.
Do not RSVP here. If you RSVP here you just get put on waitlist - please go to the link below and RSVP there.
https://www.meetup.com/philosophy-of-value-workshops/# Is there a self? Or are we just bundles of thoughts, feelings and values?
Workshop # 21, The Self, Series 10,
This event begins at 7.30 pm S'pore & WA time, 12.30 pm UK, 7.30 am NY.You will need to view the relevant podcast below on YouTube before joining the meeting in order to participate in the discussion.
https://youtu.be/N3dTJsWSg60I know it's stupid, but please click 'like', as it promotes circulation.
Join this group at meetup.com/philosophy-of-value-workshops
The workshops include of a prior presentation of the topic by myself on YouTube. The meeting itself consists of a brief review of the topic followed by questions and discussion. The weekly topic is posted a week before the event, together with a suggested reading from my work The Pursuit of Value, available through Amazon Books or myself. Transcripts of the Youtube presentation are available by email.THIS WEEK:
The notion of a ‘self’ is an ancient and intuitively compelling idea. But it has been challenged by existentialism and postmodernism, and denied by philosophers like Hume, Dennett, Galen Strawson and Thomas Metzinger. Yet these philosophers are also sceptical about the related concept of consciousness, which is also a contentious concept that has been neglected. And as both these concepts are often approached through pre-suppositional assertions, their definition — as in the question of a ‘self’— is the paramount task that prefigures any arguments for or against a ‘self’. Reading: The Pursuit of Value; Ch. 6, Secn. i.
