| Status: | Temporarily inactive |
| Leader: |
Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, & language.
It involves critical examination of beliefs & concepts, aiming to understand the nature of reality & our place within it.
Philosophers seek to clarify ideas, explore ethical dilemmas, & examine the principles that guide human thought & behaviour.
It's fun, come & join us!
The Philosophy Group are taking a break.
If you would be interested in joining the Group when it resumes, please click on the link to contact Tricia Stevenson & register your interest.
No prior philosophical background is required - just curiosity & a willingness to listen & share your views IF you wish, some members prefer just to listen & that’s fine.
We intend to take this opportunity to take a fresh look at how the Group is run.
A u3a Philosophy Group can run successfully as a collaborative, peer-led discussion circle where members share research, explore classic texts, & debate big ideas together without needing a formal expert.
We could use one of the formats below, or a combination of two or more formats.
Or maybe you have a suggestion?
Possible Formats
- Shared Leadership/Co-ordination: Rotate responsibilities or share planning duties rather than relying on a single "teacher".
- Text-Based Study: Work systematically through introductory books like ‘What Does It All Mean?’ by Thomas Nagel & ‘Philosophy: The Basics’ by Nigel Warburton chapter by chapter.
- Member Presentations: Assign different philosophers, ethical dilemmas, or movements (such as existentialism or logic) to different members to research & present each month.
- Thematic Discussions / Socrates Café: Pose a broad question (e.g. ‘What is Justice?’ or ‘Free Will vs. Determinism’) & use open, respectful dialogue to unpack it.
- Multimedia Integration: Listen to episodes of ‘Philosophy Bites’ or watch a ‘Crash Course Philosophy’ YouTube segment, then discuss the core arguments.
We have access to the national u3a Subject Advice & Guides at https://www.u3a.org.uk/members-area/subjects/philosophy for recommended reading toolkits & discussion frameworks.
If you would like to join the Philosophy Group when it resumes, please click on the link at the top of the page to contact Tricia Stevenson & register your interest.
Dates For Your Diary
| Date | Topic |
| 2026 | The Philosophy Group are taking a break. |
2026
January
February 23rd Knowledge
March 23rd Dualism
April 27th Rabindranath Tagore
2025
January 13th What is Awe?
February 10th Viktor Frankl's book ‘Man's Search for Meaning’
March 10th The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
April 14th continuing The Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
May 12th
June 9th
July 14th Should we Kill Healthy People for Their Organs?
September 8th Fee Will
The Philosophy Group didn't meet in October, November or December.
2024
January 8th Is there such a thing as a Just War?
February 12th
March 11th Let food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food
April 8th The Future of the Philosophy Group
May 13th Pierre Hadot : John Draper
June 6th Is there a God? : Sheila Carr
July 8th Multiculturalism/Assimilation - or what ...
September 9th Do Angels Exist? : Renate Goddard
If a man says something in a forest & his wife is not there to hear it, is he still wrong?
Descartes walks into a café and sits down ready to order. A waiter comes up to him and asks, "Do you need a menu?" Descartes replies, "I think not," and he disappears!
The First Law of Philosophy - For every philosopher, there exists an equal and opposite philosopher.
The Second Law of Philosophy - They're both wrong.
Philosophy exam:
Q: Is this a question?
A: If this is an answer!
God is dead - Nietzsche 1883
Nietzsche is dead - God 1900
How many philosophers does it take to change a light bulb?
"Hmmm... well there's an interesting question isn't it?"
"Define light bulb"
"How can you be sure it needs changing?"
How many philosophers does it take to change a light bulb? Three.
One to change it and two to stand around arguing over whether or not the light bulb exists.