2/28/2014 Collective Unconscious: A Philosophical Analysis of the Darkest Reaches of the Mind

by Kiriell Popienko

Carl Jung (pronounced Young) was a protegee of the famous Sigmund Freud, the man who pioneered the radical idea of that the subconscious is the principle force that drives a person.  Jung too was concerned with the subconscious, but he also took an avid interest in the fact that all mythology's across the world have similar themes and symbols.  He proposed the existence of a collective unconscious, an unconscious mind shared by all humans which has retained humanity's collective memories.  

Proceeding with the idea that philosophy is an activity, this week I will only briefly state Jung and his collective unconscious.  Jung like Freud was a proponent of psychoanalysis and dream interpretation, so with that in mind I have prepared a special activity that will allow us to actively analyze our subconscious.  Doing this will allow us to notice trends and patterns, more specifically Jung's famed Archetypes, in order to asses to possible of a collective unconscious.  I wish now mention that this activity has the potential to become highly personal, you are not required to share anything you do not want to share.  I will strongly encourage sharing in this discussion however, as to not only examine the idea of collective unconscious, but to show how similar people really are.    

2/21/2014 Change

by Manish Garg

 

If I had to call 2014 anything, I’d call it a year of change.  Good things have happened and bad things have happened.  The one thing we all seem to know about change is that it is difficult and, at times, terrifying.  Of course, this is not the case for all of us; change can also be a time for the end of a vicious cycle, the end of monotony, the beginning of something new, the opportunity to practice a side of us that we choose to forget about sometimes, and maybe strengthen it.  I thought I would take this opportunity to talk with the group about the idea of “change” in life, “change” in the world, “change” the color of one's shirt, change in anything really, big or small.

 

For those who weren't there for the last discussion I led, my format is generally very open and unstructured.  I will come and talk about my perception of change and then ask everyone about their perceptions of change, talk about the fear associated with it, how necessary it may or may not be, where it comes from, mythos associated with it, etc.  I may lead us into a stream-of-consciousness-like discussion that carries us through everything that has been on our minds, maybe a journey through change.  It is all very experimental, just like it was last time, and I hope it goes well.



2/14/2014 LGBTQ+ Valentine's Day

by Nat Duranceau

          This week brings one of America’s best recognized holidays: Valentine’s Day.  There are flowers, and chocolate, taking your special someone out to dinner or to a movie, and much more, but it’s all built around heterosexual couples.  So this Valentine’s Day, I want to challenge us as a club to think about how we can expand awareness of the LGBTQ+ community and how we can make it so that they are right alongside us in enjoying this holiday.  I want to address language, bias incidents that have been seen on campus, what we can do to make this campus a friendlier place, and what we can do to be allies to the LGBTQ+ community and what it means to be an ally.  There can also be general open discussion, if anyone has topics they would like to discuss or questions they would like to ask.  The space will be a safe space for open and comfortable discussion.  The meeting will go with what the group is feeling, and where people are at, so no real enforced structure.  

2/7/2014 Sho’ah: Holocaust and Covenant Theology

by Kiriell Popienko

“I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God.” –Exodus 6:7

The foundation of Judaism is God’s covenant with Israel, a promise from God that he will protect and cherish the Israelites as long as they obey his commands.  The horrors of the Holocaust however caused many Jews to lose both their faith in God and the covenant.  The theological implications of the holocaust are worthwhile to examine because they are specific to a singular faith.  Why was God not there when his people needed him most? Was it because God doesn't exist? Was it a test of faith? Or was it because the Israelites broke their covenant with God?

I will first break down the covenant into its necessary and sufficient conditions, both for God and for the Israelites. By translating the covenant into a logical form more suited for philosophical discussion, we will then hope to discover through inquiry the role God and subsequently his people played during the Holocaust.  There will also be a section of bible trivia which may or may not involve confectionery treats, but seriously don’t get your hopes up.  

“Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul.” –Elie Wiesel