The Socrates Café — Philosophers Quotes Edition - Oba 7th floor.

This is a new edition of the Socrates cafe with a new format.

In this edition, the moderator will pick a specific quote, topic or question from a known philosophers (example; Voltaire, Kant, Marcus Aurelius, Hypatia of Alexandria, Rousseau, Machiavelli, Descartes, Plato and others).

A summary around a page will be provided in the event (See below - The topic of this Session)

Please take the time to read.

The Moderator will read the summary and give an introduction of the topic. Then, we will have an open discussion, and a final round when everyone will give their conclusions.

The topic of this Session

Iris Murdoch: "Love is the extremely difficult realisation that something other than oneself is real."

Meaning of the quote:

Iris Murdoch defines love not as a romantic fusion or mutual completion, but as the rigorous moral and artistic act of unselfing—overcoming the "fat relentless ego" to perceive the independent reality of another person.

This quote signifies that true love requires disciplined attention to strip away social conventions, neurosis, and self-centered fantasy, allowing one to recognize the sovereign otherness of the beloved.

Murdoch argues that art and morality share this same essence, as both demand the discovery of reality through the perception of individuals. By acknowledging that another exists independently of our own desires or projections, we engage in a "tragic freedom" that respects their irreducible difference.

Consequently, love is the foundational force that connects us to the Good and the real world, serving as the antidote to the solipsistic illusions that obscure human connection.

RULE

1. Please be on time! We will start at 19:00 so if you arrive late, please join quietly. If you are a first timer, make sure you take extra time for finding the location
2. If something unexpected happens, please cancel as soon as possible. There's lovely people on the waiting lis
3. If you repeatedly sign up and don’t show up, you can expect to be moved to the waitlist next time
4. You may disagree with others, but please do so respectfully without personal attacks
5. Please keep your attendance to one event per week to ensure everyone has an opportunity to attend
6. Just to meet expectations, this is a Philosophy event to discuss Philosophy and this event's PRIMARY function is NOT focused on Self Help/Psychology or Theology. Though those topics can be a point of discussion from time to time. Please take that into consideration when signing up

See you soon