Philosophy - a variety of philosophic forums all within the area
Issue date: 2/24/09 Section: Feature
Free Philosophic Groups: The Dallas Socratic Society
For those who would like to explore more philosophic avenues, there are several other groups in the Dallas area. The Dallas Socratic Society is located at 5010 Victor St., Dallas, Texas, 75214, in the Swiss Avenue neighborhood.
Founded in 2005, the society is for "anyone who would like to attend our monthly papers and discussions," the director and founder, Dr. Sloan Lee, explained. While its name is the "Socratic" society, Lee said that it is not focused around the thought of Socrates. Rather, "we call it the 'Dallas Socratic Society' because someone reads a paper at each meeting and then the author answers questions and objections to the paper from the audience. Usually, the friendly discussion that follows is interesting-and it is not unlike the Socratic dialogue or dialectic that one finds employed by Socrates. The group was founded in order to explore the intersection of analytic philosophy (and its methods, namely: logic, argument, evidence and reason) and the philosophy of religion (which might include issues such as God and time, arguments for and against the existence of God, the concept of divine simplicity, the nature of faith and reason, the divine attributes, the relation between science and religion, the epistemic status of theistic or religious belief, and other related issues)."
Although the focus of DSS is on the philosophy of religion, Lee said that, occasionally, there are other topics presented. "For example, we have heard papers on the thought of Heidegger, the political philosophy of Locke and Hobbes, and the question of free will vs. determinism."
DSS meets on the second Monday of every month from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. A typical meeting involves someone reading a paper for an hour and then an hour-long discussion follows. "DSS participants place a premium on clear argument, reason and evidence. The papers presented are intended to be both lucid and rigorous. The primary tools of investigation employed by the DSS are those of analytic philosophy, although other perspectives are welcome," Lee quoted from the society's website. Attendance is free, and there is no official membership list, but Lee says that meetings generally have around 15 participants and that in three years, there has never been a cancelled meeting.
For those who would like to explore more philosophic avenues, there are several other groups in the Dallas area. The Dallas Socratic Society is located at 5010 Victor St., Dallas, Texas, 75214, in the Swiss Avenue neighborhood.
Founded in 2005, the society is for "anyone who would like to attend our monthly papers and discussions," the director and founder, Dr. Sloan Lee, explained. While its name is the "Socratic" society, Lee said that it is not focused around the thought of Socrates. Rather, "we call it the 'Dallas Socratic Society' because someone reads a paper at each meeting and then the author answers questions and objections to the paper from the audience. Usually, the friendly discussion that follows is interesting-and it is not unlike the Socratic dialogue or dialectic that one finds employed by Socrates. The group was founded in order to explore the intersection of analytic philosophy (and its methods, namely: logic, argument, evidence and reason) and the philosophy of religion (which might include issues such as God and time, arguments for and against the existence of God, the concept of divine simplicity, the nature of faith and reason, the divine attributes, the relation between science and religion, the epistemic status of theistic or religious belief, and other related issues)."
Although the focus of DSS is on the philosophy of religion, Lee said that, occasionally, there are other topics presented. "For example, we have heard papers on the thought of Heidegger, the political philosophy of Locke and Hobbes, and the question of free will vs. determinism."
DSS meets on the second Monday of every month from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. A typical meeting involves someone reading a paper for an hour and then an hour-long discussion follows. "DSS participants place a premium on clear argument, reason and evidence. The papers presented are intended to be both lucid and rigorous. The primary tools of investigation employed by the DSS are those of analytic philosophy, although other perspectives are welcome," Lee quoted from the society's website. Attendance is free, and there is no official membership list, but Lee says that meetings generally have around 15 participants and that in three years, there has never been a cancelled meeting.
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