The Limits of Freedom
Wednesday, March 31st
ib3.307 from 4-5.30pm
The Deakin Philosophical Society this week will discuss a brief article by Alain de Botton, ‘The Limits of Freedom’. The article is one in a series published in the UK Guardian on the topic of citizen ethics. Wednesday’s meeting will complete our discussion of civil liberties and conceptions of liberty.
I would like to thank Kristian Schutz for introducing the articles last week and for ensuring that a lively discussion ensued.
There will be no meeting on Wednesday, April 7 due to the intra-trimester or Easter break. When we reconvene on April 14 we’ll discuss a piece by Dr Tamas Pataki, who will be speaking on the topic of religion and violence at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus on Thursday, April 15.
Philosophy Café
Wednesday, March 31st
The Barking Dog Hotel, 126 Pakington st Geelong West from 7-9.30pm
Wednesday, March 31 is also Philosophy Café night.
Dr Hans Baer, Senior Lecturer in the School of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Social Inquiry, presents ‘Production and Consumption as Sources of Global Warming’.
See you Wednesday,
Dylan Nickelson,
President, Deakin Philosophical Society.
Civil Liberties and the Proposed Internet Filter
Wednesday, 24th March 2010
ib3.307 from 4-5.30pm
This week the Deakin Philosophical Society will look at the debate over the proposed Internet filter in Australia. Discussion will be based around two brief articles:
- Clive Hamilton (2009) ‘Web doesn’t belong to net libertarians‘, The Age, February 16; and,
- ABC News (2009) ‘Green light for Internet filter plans‘, ABC Online, December 15.
These articles contain a number of arguments for and against the filter. Both articles refer to Electronic Frontiers Australia, a group for online civil liberties.
This discussion will continue the topic of Civil Liberties and Conceptions of Liberty.
I hope to see you there for another week of lively discussion,
Dylan Nickelson,
President, Deakin Philosophical Society.
Following on from AC Grayling’s presentation last Thursday on the topic of civil liberties and conceptions of liberty, tomorrow, Wednesday 17th March, from 4-5.30pm the Deakin Philosophical Society will meet in ib3.307 to further discuss Professor Grayling’s position.
The discussion will focus on both Grayling’s presentation and a short article by him entitled ‘Tolerating Intolerance’ [1].
I hope to see you there,
Dylan Nickelson,
President, Deakin Philosophical Society.
1. AC Grayling (2007), ‘Tolerating Intolerance’, Index on Censorship, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 124-130
In trimester one, 2010 the Deakin Philosophical Society weekly meetings will be held on Wednesdays from 4-5.30pm in ib3.307 (third floor of the Business & Law building). The first weekly meeting is next Wednesday, 10th March. This first meeting will be a relaxed meet and greet — an opportunity for new members to meet returning members and vice versa.
Special presentation by Professor AC Grayling
On Thursday, 11th March from 3-4.30pm in ib3.307 there will be a free presentation by Professor AC Grayling from Birkbeck College, University of London, on ‘Civil Liberties and Conceptions of Liberty’.
Professor Grayling is in Melbourne for the 2010 Global Atheist Convention and has kindly accepted our invitation to give a presentation at Deakin’s Waurn Ponds campus. His recent books include Against All Gods and Liberty in the Age of Terror.
If you would like to familiarise yourself with Grayling’s position on liberty and civil liberties before you hear his presentation, there are two very brief and easy to read articles freely available. They are:
- AC Grayling (2005), ‘A Matter of Principle’, Index on Censorship, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 17-21
- AC Grayling (2007), ‘Tolerating Intolerance’, Index on Censorship, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 124-130
This presentation is the first of what we hope will be many presentations hosted by the Deakin University School of International and Political Studies and the Alfred Deakin Research Institute in association with the Deakin Philosophical Society.
If you have any questions about the weekly meetings or the presentation by Professor Grayling you can email me at mail@deakinphilosophicalsociety.com
I will see you next week. But until then, enjoy the first week of T1 classes for 2010.
Dylan Nickelson,
President, Deakin Philosophical Society.
