What we’re about
"Those who can be made to believe absurdities can be made to commit atrocities."
- Voltaire
Come and join a friendly group of people in Fairfax, Virginia for monthly Sunday discussions of the ideas of the European Enlightenment, also known as the “Age of Voltaire.” These ideas include the following:
- A critical attitude toward religion
- A profound respect for reason and science as sources of knowledge
- The idea of individual rights and a free society
- The importance of freedom of speech for a free society
- Human happiness or flourishing as a moral standard
We’ll look at the writings of Voltaire and his contemporaries (such as Diderot, d’Alembert, and Paine), as well as much more recent writings that may fit into the Enlightenment tradition (including works by Steven Pinker and Richard Dawkins).
Our first project was a set of discussions on Steven Pinker’s book Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.
The group host is Frederick Seiler, author of God Versus Nature: The Conflict Between Religion and Science in History.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- The Rise of Ancient Greece: A Discussion with Dr. Steve JolivettePanera Bread, Vienna, VA
RESCHEDULED FROM DEC 8:
Please join us for a very special discussion with Dr. Steve Jolivette, who has been developing a theory about what enabled Ancient Greece to develop a pro-reason and pro-human culture -- and thereby create philosophy, science, drama, and all the rest that got Western Civilization going.One week before the meeting, Dr. Jolivette will make available a paper he has written on this topic. At the meeting, he will present a short overview of his theory, and then we will have an open discussion.
The paper is available here: (It is not necessary to read this before the meeting.)
LINK TO GOOGLE DOCSAfter the meeting, several of us usually stay for lunch.
Fred
