How We Operate

Membership

We have about 50 members, with about 30 people attending our meetings each week. Most members try to attend in person, although we do have some “country members” who have moved away from the area who still manage to join us on Zoom.

Location and times of sessions

We meets weekly at 10am Wednesdays

Venue: On request to Chairman

3 terms per year: Spring (Jan-Mar), Summer (Apr-Jul), Autumn (Sep-Dec)

Term structure

Each term usually consists of one or more philosophy strands.

Recent strands have been:

In addition, terms often include ‘one-off’ topics occupying one or two sessions. Recent examples have been:

…

[Perhaps add this comment: Where appropriate, links will be made to contemporary issues in art, science, sociology, politics and philosophy.]

 
Method of Presentation

Sessions are usually presented by a member of the group with interspersed discussion or by discussion at the end of the presentation.

The presenter may already have an interest in or professional knowledge of the topic. Topics selected for presentation are often based on chapters from one or more recommended books but are often researched in more detail. Group discussion occupies about half the session time.

There is a coffee break of about 15 minutes half way through the session.

 Guest Speakers

Each term features one or two talks/lectures by professional philosophers or experts in their fields. Recent talks have been on:

Group Visits

In the past the group has organised visits to events of philosophical interest. 

Now that we are through Covid we may do the same again.

 Archive and Library

We have an extensive online archive of the 20 years of our past talks, going all the way back to 2002.

And we have an impressive library of a wide range of books on philosophy covering all levels of knowledge.