Events for February 23, 2025 - February 23, 2025

Come for a casual gathering with Hugh Taft-Morales on this Presidents’ Day when he will try out a Presidential Trivia Quiz Game he is making up for the occasion! This is mainly a post-dinner (note the 7:30PM time) social gathering, so BYOB. Cheap munchies provided! RSVP to Hugh at LeaderHugh@phillyethics.org.

February's Topic: Is Civility Always Good? Come for a brown bag lunch discussion with Hugh Taft-Morales about this question: “Is Civility Always Good?” In today’s tempestuous times commentators bemoan the apparent loss of civility in social discourse. On TV, radio and on-line, sometimes it seems that people are competing to be rude. Discussion of “hot button [...]

A presentation by the Forum for Philosophy, Ethics, and Public Affairs of the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with the Philadelphia Ethical Society. Should universities design admissions policies to increase the representation of racial and ethnic minorities? Some argue that affirmative action is necessary to address inequality; others argue that affirmative action is racist. Come and discuss [...]

Alex Gutierrez, a senior at Haverford College majoring in philosophy, continues the philosophical conversations series with the question, What is Science? In today's society, science is viewed as the primary arbiter of knowledge. But what kinds of things are proper scientific objects? How does science work in producing knowledge? And how does science relate to [...]

Join the Philadelphia Stoics on February 9 and 23 for their continuing discussion of the lessons and exercises in “A Handbook for New Stoics: How to Thrive in a World Out of Your Control – 52 Week-by-Week Lessons by Massimo Pigliucci and Gregory Lopez.  In preparation for the meeting on February 9, you are encouraged to do the reading [...]

This month’s Introduction to Ethical Humanism focuses on the talk given earlier this day by Hugh Taft-Morales - “Deed Before Creed: Ethics and Non-Theism.” Come discuss how Ethical Humanism frames theological discourse in a world all too often shattered by metaphysical differences. How do we help heal a broken world despite our different perspectives on God?

Come discuss David Jaher’s exploration of Mina "Margery" Crandon (1888 - 1941), who claimed to be a psychic who channeled her dead brother. Margery, who was nicknamed “the Witch of Lime Street,” was promoted by author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of Sherlock Holmes fame, and publicly doubted by the magician Harry Houdini. Come discuss the first part (parts I-V; [...]