# Philosophy club - Handbook

Philosophy club runs once a month, and [Charles Cook](/community/profiles/28625.md) organizes it. We spend each 30min session discussing one philosophical question in the Socratic tradition. A short text is shared in advance as light pre-reading from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. These can be a bit dry, so feel free to use alternatives - the [Crash Course videos](https://thecrashcourse.com/topic/philosophy/) are quite good.

If you're interested in joining, ask [Charles Cook](/community/profiles/28625.md) to add you to the recurring event in `#team-people-and-ops`.

## Structure

Each session is 30min:

-   5min — framing: one person summarizes the pre-read in plain language
-   10min — clarification: we define the terms in the question
-   10min — probing: share examples from real life
-   10min — synthesis: each person states if their belief has altered or not

The only rule is no observers - if you join a session, you should expect to take part.

## Topics

See below for the full roadmap, with a link to each pre-read. This is a 1 year commitment if you want to do the whole thing, but each question stands alone, and you can attend as many sessions as you want!

1.  [What counts as knowledge?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/#WhatKnow)
2.  [Can we trust our own reasoning?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/skepticism/#KnowJustSkep)
3.  [If behavior is shaped by causes, what does accountability mean?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/#DoWeHaveFreeWill)
4.  [Is success about happiness, achievement, or meaning?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/well-being/#TheWelBei)
5.  [Are habits more important than intentions?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/#Virt)
6.  [Should decisions prioritize results even when methods feel wrong?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consequentialism/#ClasUtil)
7.  [Is fairness equality, merit, or need?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justice/#JustFourDist)
8.  [When is challenging authority ethically required?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/authority/#TheConLegPolAut)
9.  [Is trust a rational calculation or a leap without evidence?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/trust/#NatuTrusTrus)
10.  [Does technology shape our behaviour or simply reflect it?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/technology/#SomeRecuThemEthiTech)
11.  [Should work be intrinsically meaningful or primarily instrumental?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/work-labor/#ValuWork)
12.  [Do we discover purpose, or create it through choices?](https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/existentialism/)

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