What we’re about
Welcome to the Toronto Philosophy Meetup! This is a community (online and in-person) for anyone interested in philosophy, including newcomers to the subject. We host discussions, talks, reading groups, pub nights, debates, and other events on an inclusive range of topics and perspectives in philosophy, drawing from an array of materials (e.g. philosophical writings, for the most part, but also movies, literature, history, science, art, podcasts, poetry, current events, ethnographies, and whatever else seems good.)
Anyone is welcomed to host philosophy-related events here. We also welcome speakers and collaborations with other groups.
Join us at an event soon for friendship, cooperative discourse, and mental exercise!
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Bluesky and join our new Discord.
Feel free to propose meetup topics (you can do this on the Message Boards), and please contact us if you would like to be a speaker or host an event.
(NOTE: Most of our events are currently online because of the pandemic.)
"Philosophy is not a theory but an activity."
— from "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus", Wittgenstein
"Discourse cheers us to companionable
reflection. Such reflection neither
parades polemical opinions nor does it
tolerate complaisant agreement. The sail
of thinking keeps trimmed hard to the
wind of the matter."
— from "On the Experience of Thinking", Heidegger
See here for an extensive list of podcasts and resources on the internet about philosophy.
See here for the standards of conduct that our members are expected to abide by. Members should also familiarize themselves with Meetup's Terms of Service Agreement, especially the section on Usage and Content Policies.
See here for a list of other philosophy-related groups to check out in the Toronto area.
Please note that no advertising of external events, products, businesses, or organizations is allowed on this site without permission from the main organizer.
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Make a Donation
Since 2016, the Toronto Philosophy Meetup has been holding regular events that are free, open to the public, and help to foster community and a culture of philosophy in Toronto and beyond. To help us continue to do so into the future, please consider supporting us with a donation! Any amount is most welcome.
You can make a donation here.
See here for more information and to meet our donors.
Supporters will be listed on our donors page unless they wish to remain anonymous. We thank them for their generosity!
If you would like to help out or support us in other ways (such as with any skills or expertise you may have), please contact us.
Note: You can also use the donation link to tip individual hosts. Let us know who you want to tip in the notes section. You can also contact hosts directly for ways to tip them.
Welcome everyone to this meetup presented by Scott and Philip. Every second Friday we will get together to talk about this book: The Twenty-Five Years of Philosophy: A Systematic Reconstruction (2017, Harvard University Press) by Eckart Förster.
Here is the description from the back cover of the book: ⬇️
Kant declared that philosophy began in 1781 with his Critique of Pure Reason. In 1806 Hegel announced that philosophy had now been completed. Eckart Förster examines the reasons behind these claims and assesses the steps that led in such a short time from Kant’s “beginning” to Hegel’s “end.” He concludes that, in an unexpected yet significant sense, both Kant and Hegel were indeed right.
“Presents a novel interpretation of the development of German idealism that is rich in both historical depth and philosophical insight… Förster sets forth a historically nuanced and philosophically discerning interpretation of the central debates of the era.” ― Peter Yong, Philosophy in Review
“[Förster’s] book does not disappoint… The amount of material covered by Förster is impressive… Förster’s book is rich in specificity… Wherever the discussion goes, it is going to have to go on by taking Förster’s big picture and all his detailed accounts into account.” ― Terry Pinkard, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
“Förster’s command of the historical sources is most impressive. Moreover, this book is clearly written, and Bowman’s translation is commendable. Scholars and graduate students will welcome this masterpiece.” ―J. M. Fritzman, Choice
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The format will be Philip's usual "accelerated live read" format. What this means is that each participant will be expected to read roughly 10-15 pages before each session. Each participant will have the option of picking a few paragraphs they especially want to focus on. We will then do a live read on the paragraphs that the participants found most interesting when they did the assigned reading.
People who have not done the reading are welcome to attend this meetup. However if you want to TALK during the meetup it is essential that you do the reading. We mean it! It is essential that the direction of the conversation be influenced only by people who have actually done the reading. You may think you are so brilliant and wonderful that you can come up with great points even if you do not do the reading. You probably are brilliant and wonderful – no argument there. But you still have to do the reading if you want to talk in this meetup. REALLY.
Please note that this is a "raise hands" meetup and has a highly structured format, not an anarchy-based one. This is partly for philosophical reasons: We want to discourage a simple-minded rapid fire "gotcha!" approach to philosophy. But our highly structured format is also for disability related reasons that Philip can explain if required.
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Here is the reading schedule for the first few get togethers (pdf here):
- Sept 12th, Please read the Preface and Prologue (up to page 13)
- Sept 26th, Please read up to page 31
- Oct 10th, Please read up to page 40
- TBA.....
After that, the readings will be posted. A pdf of the text is available here.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- 1984 by George Orwell (virtual)Link visible for attendees
We will meet for a discussion of the book 1984 by George Orwell (one of the most upvoted books in a previous "Bring Your Own Book" event).
To attend this event, you should have read this book and be able to partake in discussions on this book.
From the publisher:
1984 has become a classic literary example of political and dystopian fiction. That Orwell's book was published in 1949 and remains completely relevant today is a testament both to his powers as a prophet and to the possibility that the future he envisioned may yet come to pass. The story takes place in London in 1984, a world of perpetual war, pervasive government surveillance, and incessant public mind control, dictated by a political system euphemistically named English Socialism (Ingsoc) under the control of a privileged Inner Party elite.
In 1984, Orwell presents a chilling vision of totalitarianism through the story of Winston Smith, a low-ranking member of the ruling Party in the nation of Oceania. Winston works at the Ministry of Truth, where his job is to rewrite historical records to match the Party's ever-changing version of events. The novel explores themes of truth, freedom, and individuality as Winston struggles against a system designed to crush the human spirit through constant surveillance, propaganda, and the manipulation of language and thought itself.
Bring an open mind and a smile! I hope to see you there.
- Kant's Doctrine of Transcendental Illusion by Michelle GrierLink visible for attendees
Welcome everyone to the next meetup series hosted by Jen and Philip! (Please scroll to the bottom for the reading schedule and materials! 👇👇👇👇👇)
We are lucky at the Toronto Philosophy Meetup to have a lot of excellent meetups on Immanuel Kant. In this blurb I (Philip) will try to give you a sense of what our Kant meetup is (and what it isn't) so you can make an informed decision about which Kant meetup is right for you. Honestly, you cannot go wrong. Erik and Gerry both do excellent Kant meetups and several other people do as well.
But that being said, this meetup Jen and I will be doing will also have its merits and this blurb will, I hope, help you understand what those merits are.
First, the basics:
This will be a 3 hour meetup. For the first 2 hours we will be talking about:
- Michelle Grier's wonderful book Kant's Doctrine of Transcendental Illusion**.
- For the 3rd and final hour we will be talking about Manfred Kuehn's book Kant: A Biography.
In both portions of the meetup, the format will be our usual "accelerated live read". What this means is that each participant will be expected to read roughly 15 pages from Grier and roughly 20 pages from Keuhn before each session. Each participant will have the option of picking a few paragraphs they especially want to focus on. We will then do a live read on the paragraphs that the participants found most interesting when they did the assigned reading.
People who have not done the reading are welcome to attend this meetup. However if you want to TALK during the meetup it is essential that you do the reading. We mean it! It is essential that the direction of the conversation be influenced only by people who have actually done the reading. This is KANT after all — arguably the most important western philosopher of all time! So do yourself a favour and do the reading. You will get so much more out of this meetup if you do. You may think you are so brilliant and wonderful that you can come up with great points even if you do not do the reading. I'm sure you are brilliant and wonderful — no argument there. But you still have to do the reading if you want to talk in this meetup. REALLY.
Please note that this is a "raise hands" meetup and has a highly structured format, not an anarchy-based one. This is partly for philosophical reasons: We want to discourage a simple-minded rapid fire "gotcha!" approach to philosophy. But our highly structured format is also for disability related reasons that Philip can explain if required.
After we have spent a few sessions reading and talking about the Michelle Grier book, we may feel the need to focus on a few select passages from Kant himself. When we do this we will be using the Guyer and Wood translation of the Critique of Pure Reason. We also may feel the need to situate Grier's claims within a broader interpretive context and, if we do, we may spend some time dipping into Graham Bird's magisterial book The Revolutionary Kant. If you are new to Kant I urge you to start at the beginning of the Guyer/Wood translation of the Critique of Pure Reason and read it (slowly!) all the way through; either on your own or with a group. If you do this, the Graham Bird book can function as a helpful guide. I know the Critique of Pure Reason is not an easy book, but even if you just do 2 pages per day it will help you enormously (in all of your studies in Philosophy).
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Here is a bit about the guiding ethos of this meetup:
This meetup will be guided by the idea that to study Kant seriously it is essential to have a sense of the bewilderingly wide range of ways there are of interpreting Kant. The different ways of interpreting Kant do not present slightly different versions of the same basic Kantian themes. Not at all! The different interpretations are so different that it is sometimes hard to believe that everyone is reading the same German guy named Kant! And there is no indication that the various interpretations are converging. Again, not at all.
This frustrating situation is just the way things are in Kant Studies and we have to be realistic about it.
I (Philip) will always do my best to contrast Michell's Grier's claims with the different (sometimes wildly different) claims made by other Kant scholars. When we read passages from the Critique of Pure Reason I will do my best to alert you to the bewilderingly wide range of ways there are of interpreting every line Kant writes. This is what serious Kant scholars do (and serious people who are new to Kant do) and it is what we will do too.
This interpretive technique (of comparing your way of interpreting Kant with all the other ways of interpreting Kant) is, if anything, even MORE important if you are new to Kant. There is an alarming tendency in the history of Kant scholarship for people to (as it were) get "locked in" to whatever interpretation of Kant they encounter first, or whichever way of interpreting Kant has the most grip on their particular intellectual community.
It would be nice if we could just start reading Kant, one sentence at a time and formulate an interpretation of Kant as we went. Even though that way of reading works really well for some philosophers, centuries of hard-won experience has taught Kant scholars that it does not work at all well in the case of Kant. Or such, at least, is the guiding ethos of this meetup. New readers tend to see in the text whatever interpretation of Kant is prevalent in their particular intellectual community. In this meetup we will make sure that does not happen by constantly referring to the full range of ways there are of interpreting Kant.
Instead of reading Kant just one sentence at a time, the community of serious Kant scholars has learned (often they had to learn the hard way) that Kant must be read holistically. Each sentence must be read in the context of Kant's overall project, and in the context of all the myriad ways there are of interpreting Kant and (indeed) even of all the myriad ways there are of interpreting what exactly his overall project even is.
Don't worry, it is not as difficult as it sounds! And it is more profound, more illuminating and ultimately much more satisfying than supposedly "easier" ways of engaging with Kant — even for (especially for!) beginners.
I will do my best to be your guide to reading Kant holistically. And don't worry, we'll make it fun too. Whether you are new to Kant or have been reading him for decades, this meetup is for you!
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READING SCHEDULE
For the first get together (September 7), please read:
- In Michelle Grier: Read the Introduction, 1-13 (pdf here)
- In Manfred Keuhn: Read the Prologue, pages 1-23 (pdf here)
For the second get together, please read:
- In Michelle Grier: Read pages 17-32
- In Manfred Keuhn: Read the first half of chapter 1, pages 24-42
(A pdf of Grier's Kant's Doctrine of Transcendental Illusion is available here. A pdf of Keuhn's Kant: A Biography is available here.)
After that we will post the readings as we go (once we get a better sense of what pace works best for our group and the particular people in it). And don't forget that sometimes we will take a break from Grier and instead read from the Guyer/Wood translation of the Critique of Pure Reason.
Jen and Philip have a very clear division of labour. If you have issues or concerns about the choice of texts, or the pace of the reading (or other "content" concerns) please contact Philip. If you have technology related questions please contact Jen. If you have complaints please direct them only to Philip.
- Is Thinking All It's Cracked Up To Be? (Notes from Underground - Dostoevsky)Link visible for attendees
Learn more about Premise. 🟡 Space is limited. Please register directly with Premise here: https://www.premiseinstitute.com/event-details/is-thinking-all-its-cracked-up-to-be-1
It helps us keep things organized—participants join from multiple places! Use code `torontomeetup` to attend at no cost.👉 Use the code "torontomeetup" if you are unable to pay, the session will be no cost. All registration fees go directly to expanding Premise to communities nationwide.
Texts:
- Notes from Underground - Short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky
We will email you the reading after sign up.
⏱️ Preparation: Approx. 3 hours (*this reading is slightly longer than most Premise session but well worth the time!)Session Description:
We consider how excessive self-consciousness can become both a form of insight and a trap.
###### "Notes from Underground" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Dostoevsky's underground man is a character tormented by his own hyper-consciousness, unable to act spontaneously because he analyzes every thought and motive. His endless self-reflection leads to paralysis, spite, and isolation rather than wisdom or peace. The story explores how intellectual sophistication can become a prison that separates us from natural human connection and authentic action.
The underground man embodies the dark side of excessive thinking and self-awareness. Dostoevsky asks: Can consciousness become a curse rather than a gift? What happens when self-analysis replaces genuine engagement with life and other people?
