|
Classes
Ethical development is a lifelong process. To support this development
the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia offers courses for adults and children
which help participants enhance their sense of meaning and purpose in
life and to improve the ethical quality of their relationships with
family, friends, co-workers and the larger community.
We offer the following classes. If you are interested or need
more information, call the Society Office at 215-735-3456.
Hosted by Leader Hugh Taft-
Morales, this month’s focus
will be “ethical relationships.” Members and
first-time visitors will share
questions and reflections. Wine
and cheese will be served. Open
to the public. Please RSVP to
leaderhugh@phillyethics.org.
"Constitution at Work" examines current social debates in the
context of the Constitution, law, and ethics. The series began in the fall and continued this spring with
additional constitutional issues on April 8 and May 6. We will have additional
special guests for our grand finale in May.
The schedule is as follows:
Monday, April 8, at 7:00 PM - Capital Punishment
Our April installment considered the death
penalty and questions including: what
is the current legal status of capital
punishment, and what does the future
hold? Should we consider it “cruel and
unusual punishment?”
Monday, May 6 at 7:00 PM - Reproductive
Rights
Joining Hugh and our co-host for the
season, Prof. Kim Roosevelt of the
University of Pennsylvania Law School will
be Prof. Dorothy Roberts, an acclaimed
scholar of race, gender and the law who
spoke at the Ethical Society platform last
month. Her major books include Fatal
Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big
Business Re-create Race in the Twentyfirst
Century; Shattered Bonds: The
Color of Child Welfare; and Killing the
Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the
Meaning of Liberty. In addition, we will be
welcoming Prof. Kimberly Mutcherson who
teaches courses on bioethics, torts, family
law, South African constitutional law, and
health law policy at the Rutgers School of
Law. She has served as a board member for
the Women’s Law Project in Philadelphia
and is a faculty advisor for OutLaws,
Rutgers' association for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender law students.
We will explore questions like: “What
is the current status of a women’s right
to choose to use contraception and
abortion? Where are these rights in
gravest danger? What does the future
hold?” A panel discussion, Q & A session,
and refreshments follow. Free and open
to the public!
In collaboration with the Ben Franklin Thinking Society, the Ethical Humanist Society will host events entitled Democracy on Trial. Our goal is to
foster a more enlightened approach to social and political issues.
At these forums/debates, groups representing various political philosophies will
offer their positions on certain issues. The audience, acting as a jury, will judge the
merits of the arguments. A moderator will offer guidelines to promote constructive
exploration of the ethical implications and rational substantiation for all arguments.
Come to these events prepared to contribute to democratic dialogue. The first installment began Sunday, September 16. It focused on “the role of government.”
Another forum in this series took place on Monday, April 22. It focused on “Social Evolution,”
starting with the questions: “What is the best society? How do we build a society that is more harmonious, more successful, and, in short, works better?”
The final forum in this series, "Economics and Moral Philosophy," will be Sunday, May 19, at 2PM.
This "Social Evolution"-themed meetup will explore how economic systems
and issues impact a society's potential for long-term success and well-being.
We will examine the tradeoffs between economic models in terms of their
productiveness vs. how they affect relationships between individuals and social
harmony. We will take up the question of how economic models can change and
evolve to deliver a more successful, more harmoniously functioning society.
Western philosophy, particularly metaphysics and epistemology, can be esoteric and mind-numbing. But taught imaginatively and with a sense of humor, it can be enriching and even fun! Join Hugh Taft-Morales, Leader of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia, for a rigorous exploration of some of the major philosophical themes from Plato through Sartre. Other philosophers to be touched upon include Descartes, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Bradley, Bergson, James, and Camus.
Tuesday nights from 7:00-9:00PM - March 5, March 19, April 9 and April 23.
Next up: On April 9 we will explore “Questions of
Mind,” including theories of truth,
and the source and limits of knowledge.
On April 23 we will conclude with “Living
Philosophically: Questions of Meaning” when we
examine the philosophy of self and various themes
in existentialism.
|
