Sydney’s Philosophy in the Café - Philo Agora.

A fortnightly exchange of ideas on the issues facing ourselves and our world within a philosophical format. A talk of 20 minutes relating to a philosopher, philosophy or philosophical theme.

We meet at the Fair Trade Coffee Company, 33 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, at 7.30pm on alternate Tuesdays.

On Tuesday, August 11, John Furedy discusses "Free Speech and the Issue of Academic Freedom - Is the Canadian velvet totalitarian disease coming to Australian campuses?"

John will argue, with detailed reference to Canadian universities and some preliminary comments regarding Australian campuses, that free speech is being stifled. That features of totalitarian regimes have appeared on Canadian campuses, and may appear on Australian ones:  uninterpretable laws; pseudo experts; status-defined ethics; fear of engaging in public discussion on controversial issues; demonization of dissidents.  The suppression is taking place on issues that are regarded as racist, sexist or otherwise socially unacceptable or uncomfortable.

John J. Furedy, Ph.D.is Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of Toronto with cross appointments at Ege University, Turkey; Bar-Ilan and Haifa Universities, Israel.

August 25:   Chris Pennington: Heaven is an ineffectual reward

September 8:  Mary Walker.  Parfit on Persons: Does it matter what we are?

September 22:  Helen Stas: Happiness and Philosophy

October 6:  Joffre Balce:   Markets? What Markets? When Philosophy Truly Meets Agora

October 20:  A Debate, Atheism will never win the battle with religion.

November 3:  Matt del Nevo :  Lou Andreas-Salome and Friedreich Nietzsche

Regards,

Sam, Peter, Hazel and Cara.