Preparation

None.

What will we do?

Are humans progressing—or just getting better at pretending we are? John Gray, a British atheist philosopher, argues in his books “Straw Dogs” and “The Silence of Animals” that our belief in moral and social progress is nothing more than a religious myth repackaged by secular society. Philosophies such as liberalism think of humankind as a species whose destiny is to transcend natural limits and conquer the earth. John Gray argues that this humanist belief in human exceptionality is an illusion, that the core of human nature is unchanged and that only the technological means have changed. To him, the idea of collective progress is just a distraction, a coping mechanism for humans to justify their existence and that the idea of progress is the civil religion, blinding us to the costs of modernity.

In contrast, modern liberal and rational thinkers, such as Steven Pinker, have argued that the Enlightenment and the rise of science and rational thinking have drastically improved the state of humankind regarding health, literacy, rights and peace and that therefore, morally, human beings have progressed (and can continue to progress) by employing reason, scientific inquiry and humanist thinking.

In this meet-up, we will look into John Gray’s position on human progress and human nature, his critique of Western philosophies as well as his vision how human life could look like if we abandon these modern “myths”.

Organization

You are worried you have nothing to contribute? No worries! Everyone is welcome!

There always is a mix of German and English speakers and we configure the discussion rounds so that everyone feels comfortable participating. The primary language is English.

This meetup will be hosted by Mona.

There will be snacks and drinks.

We will go and get dinner after the meetup. Anyone who has time is welcome to join.

In the above map the location where you should leave your bikes is marked in blue and the entrance (at the end of the metal ramp) with a red cross.

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