[SydPhil] Philorum Group @ Redfern. 2013-04(Apr)-17 Wed. Why Philosophy can't help you. (Nathan Sinclair)

[John Bentley]

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