BRLSI’s Philosophy Group meets at the beginning of each month, which often means that it kicks off the new year’s programme of events at the Institution. So it is this year on Tuesday January 4th when, in what’s becoming a New Year tradition for the group, it holds an evening of mini-debates on topics suggested by members.
Potential topics suggested so far are:
1) This house believes that there are no such things as intrinsic values. (from an unfinished interchange with one of our speakers last year.)
2) This house believes that those alive today have a duty to preserve the earth environment for the benefit of future generations (from a suggestion by John Bulman.)
3) This house believes that any philosopher who does not use plain words should be immediately dismissed as a charlatan. (Please read www.physics.nyu.edu/faculty/sokal/dawkins.html before the meeting!)
4) This house believes that the so-called problem of free will presents no philosophical difficulty.
5) This house believes that humans, together with all other life, are material entities whose complexity has been produced only by the algorithm of natural selection. There is no other input to our design and this must be important in the philosophy of knowledge and value.
There’s still time to make your own suggestions for topics – email them to BRLSI Philosophy Convenor Don Cameron at . Debates are strictly time-limited, so bring quick wits as well as your philosophical point of view!
The meeting starts at 7.30pm, and entry costs £4, or £2 for BRLSI members and students. For more information on the Philosophy Group, and details of how to subscribe to its emal newsletter, visit our Philosophy Group page.