Weekly Platform meetings are held on Sundays at 11 a.m. September (except Labor Day weekend) through May. Our Platforms are free and open to the public. A coffee hour follows for discussion and conversation. We have Ethics for Children classes starting each Sunday morning at 10:45AM; child care provided for children to seven years. Free parking is available with a permit you can get inside the Society's office. Classical piano interludes are performed by Rollin Wilber.

May 5, 2013
Pro-Choice and Pro-Life: Politics and Awe
Hugh Taft-Morales, Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia
Many humanists find inspiration in the wonders of nature; the beauty of biology and the poetry of physics can bring much joy. But often those defending reproductive rights avoid discussing the amazing process of human reproduction: from conception, through pregnancy, to birth. To avoid unintentionally providing fuel to those denying women the right to choose, they remain silent about this awe-inspiring process. Leader Hugh Taft-Morales explores this important and perplexing tension in honor of upcoming Mother’s Day.

May 12, 2013
Mother’s Day, 1972: Abortion before Roe v. Wade
Sharon Wallis
Sharon Wallis will give a first-hand account of the 1972 “Mother’s Day Incident,” in which 20 pregnant women from Chicago were brought to Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s abortion clinic, so that members of a Chicago women’s collective could learn how to conduct second-trimester abortions in a nonmedical setting. Philadelphia prochoice activists recognized dangers in this experiment, and tried to offer a hospital setting, which the Chicago women refused. The results included 9 of 15 women suffering serious complications, according to CDC, and one criminal prosecution (not of Dr. Gosnell). This incident will be presented in the context of the state of the law, and the availability of safe medical procedures to terminate pregnancy prior to Roe v. Wade. The talk will also focus on the ethical premises underpinning various approaches to increasing the availability of reproductive health services to low income women.

Sharon is an attorney and a member of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia. In 1972 she was the President of the Philadelphia Women’s Political Caucus and attorney for the Plaintiffs in Ryan v. Specter, a case challenging the constitutionality of the Pennsylvania law criminalizing abortion prior to Roe v. Wade.

May 19, 2013
Friendship
Hugh Taft-Morales, Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia
From Aristotle to Shakespeare to J. K. Rowling, writers through the ages have explored the power of friendship. There is something enduring and autonomous about it: through thick and thin, friends remain loyal. Most deep friendships endure differences in politics and religion, even if that means agreeing to disagree or even avoiding the subject. Is this a good thing? What happens when loyalty clashes with other ethical values? Hugh Taft-Morales explores what we can learn from Ethical Humanism that might nurture healthy, flourishing friendships. This platform will include a special welcome to new members who have joined in the past year!

May 26, 2013
Biotechnology and the Future (if any) of the Human Species
Kenneth B. Taylor (Ken)
Why is an economist talking about bioengineering? Prof. Taylor believes civilization is on an unsustainable path, that bioengineering will form the core of the next technology wave, and that its potential may be the only way humanity can remain central to the evolutionary project. He will discuss ethics and argue that those taking a Kantian deontological position against bioengineering will be outflanked by the contexts for early application of the science.

Professor Taylor is a faculty member of the Department of Economics at Villanova University and currently serves as Associate Director of the Center for Global Leadership. He has been Chairman of two economics departments, including Villanova’s. Taylor is Founder and President of Radnor Analytics, a firm specializing in financial consultation, programming and statistical analysis. He further serves as President of Gwynedd Fiduciary Corporation, managing institutional endowed funds. He has recently been appointed to the Board of Directors of Friends Health Care, Inc., a Philadelphia-based firm specializing in the rapidly growing long-term care insurance market.

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