The Toronto Philosophy Meetup

07/17/2026

07/16/2026

When is good or bad? Is there anything that's always or bad? Join us for a new live reading & discussion group on 's Lesser ! 🎭

👉 RSVP for the 1st meeting on 7/18 here - https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/314990583/ Meetings will be held weekly on Saturday.

The host is Constantine Lerounis, a distinguished Greek philologist and poet, author of Four Access Points to Shakespeare’s Works (in Greek) and Former Advisor to the President of the Hellenic Republic.

TIP: When reading Plato, pay attention to the details of the drama as much as the overtly philosophical discourse. Attentive readers of Plato know that he is often trying to convey important messages with both in concert.

All welcome!

🗓 Check out our calendar for daily events!



══════════════════════════════

About the text:

In Plato's Hippias Minor, Socrates appears to defend the trickster Odysseus, and in the course of doing so he argues for outrageous claims: the honest person and the liar are no different, and the good person is one who does wrong voluntarily. Socrates’ questionable behavior may be no coincidence in a dialogue about deception and he may be examining what counts as deception and how it reflects one’s character. More broadly, the dialogue is about the relationship between the speaker and what is said, between agent and action. Thus, the dialogue marks an important contribution not only to Socrates’ thinking about virtue and voluntary action but also to Plato’s portrait of Socrates. The dialogue further defines the sometimes thin line between Socrates and his contemporaries, the sophists.

This modern translation brings fresh clarity to Plato's subtle reasoning and dark humor. What appears at first to be a playful literary debate soon becomes an unsettling philosophical inquiry into truth, virtue, and the nature of agency. Socrates' relentless questioning destabilizes easy answers and encourages readers to consider whether moral goodness requires not just right action — but understanding and control over one's intentions.

In Plato's *Hippias Minor*, Socrates appears to defend the trickster Odysseus, and in the course of doing so he argues for outrageous claims: the honest person and the liar

06/30/2026

Happy Pride!

06/27/2026

🎙️ Ancient Greece and Rome are often invoked as the foundations of Western civilization, democracy, and political thought. But what happens when these traditions are mobilized to legitimize exclusionary and authoritarian politics?

In the new episode of the RevDem podcast, Alexandra Kardos speaks with Curtis Dozier, author of "The White Pedestal," about how white nationalists use the classical past, why these interpretations resonate beyond the political fringes, and what responsibilities historians and classicists have today.

🧑‍💻 Listen to it now:
https://tinyurl.com/5n9atzxu

06/26/2026

Does our reverence for beauty blind us to the truth?

The pull we feel towards beauty encodes a fantasy: that reality is ordered and familiar, fully accessible to reason and observation.

In this article, philosopher Jane Forsey argues that letting ugliness and disorder into our theories and aesthetic experiences lets us confront the world’s strangeness and our irredeemable disconnection from it.

And, Forsey argues, it also gives us better ways of understanding reality and intervening in it.

Tap the link to read more. https://iai.tv/articles/the-pursuit-of-beautiful-theories-has-become-an-obstacle-to-genuine-discovery-auid-3552

06/26/2026

How do , , and work? Join us for a 16 week series on the intersections of neurobiology, and philosophy! All welcome! 🧠

▶ RSVP for the 1st meeting on 6/30 here – https://www.meetup.com/the-toronto-philosophy-meetup/events/314649591/

🗓 Check out our calendar for daily events!



══════════════════════════════

INTRODUCTION TO : A 16-Week Guided Study Program

Have you ever wanted a systematic introduction to modern neurobiology but felt overwhelmed by the complexity of the field?

This sixteen-week study program is designed for curious beginners, philosophy enthusiasts, psychology students, and lifelong learners who want to understand how the nervous system works, from molecules and neurons to cognition, emotion, and behavior.

Our primary text will be Principles of Neurobiology (Second Edition) by Liqun Luo.

Rather than relying exclusively on formal lectures, participants will engage in a collaborative learning process in which we teach one another the key concepts, discoveries, and mechanisms presented in each chapter.

Each session will also include PowerPoint presentations, visual explanations, brain images, discussion, and opportunities for questions.

The goal is not merely to read the book, but to develop a working understanding of the fundamental principles that explain how nervous systems are built, how they process information, how they generate behavior, and how they support learning, memory, emotion, perception, and cognition.

Topics will follow the major chapter divisions of the book:

Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Neurons and Glia
Week 3: Ion Channels and Electrical Signaling
Week 4: Synaptic Transmission
Week 5: Neural Development
Week 6: Generation of Neural Diversity
Week 7: Neural Wiring
Week 8: Experience-Dependent Plasticity
Week 9: Sensory Systems
Week 10: Motor Systems
Week 11: Homeostasis
Week 12: Internal States
Week 13: Learning and Memory
Week 14: Higher Cognitive Functions
Week 15: Evolution of Nervous Systems
Week 16: Neurobiology in Health and Disease

This program is intended to provide a broad foundation in neurobiology and to prepare participants for more advanced study in neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science, philosophy of mind, artificial intelligence, and related fields.

No prior background in biology or neuroscience is required—only curiosity, willingness to read, and a desire to learn together.

Whether you are completely new to neuroscience or looking to strengthen your understanding of the field, this sixteen-week journey will provide a structured and engaging introduction to one of the most exciting areas of modern science.

INTRODUCTION TO NEUROBIOLOGY: A 16-Week Guided Study Program Have you ever wanted a systematic introduction to modern neurobiology but felt overwhelmed by the complexity of

06/25/2026

Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? We explore the negativity bias, and ways to rebalance our attention.

06/24/2026

06/24/2026

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has bestowed its Berkson Courageous Colleague Award on two philosophers. Those two philosophers are Mike Gregory and Charlie Kurth, both of Clemson University. After two faculty and a staff member at Clemson were fired for social media posts...