What we’re about
We're a community that practices and discusses philosophy, being free and open to all levels and backgrounds. We offer seminars, a variety of discussion formats, and the occasional lecture / guest speaker.
Many meetings will have fewer RSVPs than people who actually attend. This is because overtime people stop making use of Meetup.com and instead communicate with their groups via Discord, Slack, Zoom, E-mail, or similar You can think of the list of events hosted on this Meetup as advertisements for groups seeking new participants.
Our philosophy offerings are organized and facilitated by volunteers. If you have a philosophy offering - or an offering that compliments the study of philosophy, such as in literature, the sciences, and so on - that you'd like to advertise through this Meetup, please contact the organizer. We're grateful to those who want to enrich Seattle with study and discussion!
Participants must speak, write, and act in a considerate, professional, and respectful manner, and be prepared for the meetings that they attend, having reviewed the materials to the degree necessary to participate. If you haven't reviewed the materials but still wish to attend an event, please consult the event facilitator regarding the best manner for you to be present.
We look forward to studying philosophy together!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Aristotle's On Interpretation - Live-Reading--European StyleLink visible for attendees
April 29 - We are reading chapter 13 on the relationships among modal-state assertions. What are possible, admissible, impossible, necessary?
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Aristotle grapples with competing notions of "possibility"--metaphysical possibility concerning a thing's capacity and ability versus epistemological possibility concerning whether the evidence justifies a predication. In this chapter he sides with the latter.
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Here is an example: A child wonders whether all dogs go to heaven. The unit of thought being entertained is, “All dogs go to heaven.” The child is not asserting it as true (or as false); his judgment of the thought is being suspended while he looks for evidence. He evaluates the possibility, admissibility, impossibility, or necessity of his activity to put together the thought from its component-parts. He finds that he does not have sufficient evidence, but on the foundation of what he already knows, he can provisionally make a judgment, not on the unit of thought itself, but on his wondering activity of its formation. Thus, his modal-state assertion is, “That all dogs go to heaven is possible”; and he believes it to be true.
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----Organon means "instrument," as in, instrument for thought and speech. The term was given by ancient commentators to a group of Aristotle's treatises comprising his logical works.
Organon
|-- Categories ---- 2023.02.28
|-- On Interpretation ---- 2023.12.12
|-- Prior Analytics
|-- Posterior Analytics
|-- Topics
|-- On Sophistical Refutations
|-- Rhetoric*(* Robin Smith, author of SEP's 2022 entry "Aristotle's Logic," argues that Rhetoric should be part of the Organon.)
Whenever we do any human thing, we can either do it well or do it poorly. With instruments, we can do things either better, faster, and more; or worse, slower, and less. That is, with instruments they either augment or diminish our doings.
Do thinking and speaking (and writing and listening) require instruments? Yes. We do need physical instruments like microphones, megaphones, pens, papers, computers. But we also need mental instruments: grammar, vocabulary words, evidence-gathering techniques, big-picture integration methods, persuasion strategies. Thinking while sitting meditatively all day in a lotus position doesn't require much instrumentation of any kind, but thinking and speaking well in the sense of project planning, problem-solving, negotiating, arguing, deliberating--that is, the active doings in the world (whether romantic, social, commercial, or political)--do require well-honed mental instruments. That's the Organon in a nutshell.
Are you an up-and-coming human being, a doer, go-getter, achiever, or at least you're choosing to become one? You need to wield the Organon.
Join us.
- FTI: Educational Session: Residential Solar – What You Need to KnowLink visible for attendees
Speaker: Albie Delgado
Join us for an informative session on Residential Solar and how it can benefit homeowners. This non-sales educational event will cover essential topics to help you make informed decisions about solar energy and upcoming changes in utility costs.
Topics Covered:
> Utility Rate Increases (June 1st) – Understand how upcoming price hikes from utility companies may impact your energy bills.
> Benefits of Residential Solar – Learn how solar can reduce energy costs, increase home value, and provide energy independence.
> Solar + Roofing Solutions – Discover how a new roof can be seamlessly integrated with a solar installation.
> $0 Out-of-Pocket Options – Explore financing solutions that allow you to go green with no upfront costs.
> Donation Program – Find out how your switch to solar can contribute to a good cause.This session is designed to educate and empower homeowners—no sales pitch, just valuable insights! Whether you’re considering solar or simply want to understand your energy options, this is a great opportunity to learn.
Date & Time: April 29, 2025 6:45 pm to 9:00 pm EST
Reserve your spot today!
Format: Lecture and discussion
Note: social time for our community 15 minutes before the presentation.
To get familiar with our past events, feel free to check out our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmixGB9GdrptyEWovEj80zgAfter registering via zoom, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
We publish our event recordings on our Youtube channel to offer our help to anyone who would like to but can’t attend the meeting, so we need to give this clause. If you don’t want to be recorded, just remain on mute and keep your video off.
Here’s our legal notice: For valuable consideration received, by joining this event I hereby grant Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns, the irrevocable and unrestricted right to use and publish any and all Zoom recordings for trade, advertising and any other commercial purpose, and to alter the same without any restriction. I hereby release Free Thinker Institute and its legal representatives and assigns from all claims and liability related to said video recordings.
