The tendency of modern academic philosophers to avoid supposed larger issues of human existence is not due to cowardice or having somehow lost their way, but is a principled response to their understanding of the limits of reason and knowledge. Not only is the demand for a more "meaningful" philosophy from the general public (and university administrators) misplaced it is actively damaging. Vainly disguising philosophy as a sort of church of rationality while in fact assisting to reducing philosophy to a mere form of cultural expression. This view is most pithily expressed by Wittgenstein: "The correct method in philosophy would really be the following: to say nothing except what can be said, i.e. propositions of natural science - i.e. something that has nothing to do with philosophy - and then, whenever someone else wanted to say something metaphysical, to demonstrate to him that he had failed to give a meaning to certain signs in his propositions. Although it would not be satisfying to the other person - he would not have the feeling that we were teaching him philosophy - this method would be the only strictly correct one."
Dates: 3rd Wednesdays of the month. Nights. 18:15 for a 18:30 Start. Finish 21:30 (Feel free to come and go at any point during the night.) Club Redfern, The William Redfern Room. 159 Redfern St (The corner of Redfern St and Gibbons St) Redfern NSW 2016 Sydney, Australia Cost: Free (Patronize the bar and/or the bistro). Dress Code: Alas Club Redfern the venue, not Philorum, imposes a dress code. See http://www.clubredfern.com.au/about-the-club www.philorum.org View a google map at http://www.philorum.org/redfernNextMeeting.html Subsequent meetings: Philorum Group @ Central, 2013-05(May)-07 Tue. Open Forum, http://www.philorum.org/centralFutureCalendar.html Philorum Group @ Redfern, 2013-05(May)-22 Wed. (Joffre Balce?), http://www.philorum.org/redfernFutureCalendar.html _______________________________________________ SydPhil mailing list: http://bit.ly/sydphil New archive: http://bit.ly/SydPhilArchive To UNSUBSCRIBE, change your MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS, find ANSWERS TO COMMON PROBLEMS, or visit our ONLINE ARCHIVES, please go to the LIST INFORMATION PAGE: http://bit.ly/sydphil ... and if you can't get to that page, try the EMERGENCY PAGE: http://bit.ly/SydPhilEmergency
