Philosophy Book Club?

Official website announcements are posted in this forum.

If you have questions, suggestions, or need support or help with anything, please email [email protected].
Post Reply
User avatar
MindForgedManacle
Posts: 135
Joined: June 8th, 2013, 1:16 am
Favorite Philosopher: Wittgenstein and Hume
Location: Texas

Philosophy Book Club?

Post by MindForgedManacle »

Would anyone be interested in starting a book club on the site, wherein we read some agreed upon philosophy book a chapter or two at a time over the course of a week or two, and then discuss what is talked about in them?
User avatar
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
The admin formerly known as Scott
Posts: 5765
Joined: January 20th, 2007, 6:24 pm
Favorite Philosopher: Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
Contact:

Re: Philosophy Book Club?

Post by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes »

We have one but it has been difficult to get participation for it. It's unfortunate because many people originally come to the site for the philosophy book club but are disappointed to find it is essentially defunct. I'm trying to brainstorm some ideas to build participation in the philosophy book of the month club, and then kind of roll out the new and improved version of it. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Some of the ideas I'm tossing around right now are:

-creating a subforum for each book rather than just a forum category
-buying a copy of the winning book for whoever nominated it
-having some other forum contests and giving a copy of the winning book as a prize
-lots of off-site advertising of the book club
-moving the book of the month forum to the top of the index
-limit nominations to relatively new released non-fiction books (maybe like the past 2 years)
-asking people during registration who do not regularly read non-fiction books to not join the forum

Any other ideas are greatly appreciated.
My entire political philosophy summed up in one tweet.

"The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master."

I believe spiritual freedom (a.k.a. self-discipline) manifests as bravery, confidence, grace, honesty, love, and inner peace.
Philobot
Posts: 370
Joined: October 27th, 2009, 6:45 pm

Re: Philosophy Book Club?

Post by Philobot »

Sorry to be a spoil sport but I think, most people, not all of them, but above all philosophers, do not like to have books shoved into their faces.

Scott, the fact that it doesnt seem to work very well should tell you something, and it is not that you are not trying hard enough. If we try to "force" people to do what actually we ourselves, and of course I mean out of selfish reasons, would like them to do, and I think this is not only philosophically but also empirically, historically and psychologically a fact, it will always end in a disappointment one or the other way.

That is why I personally do never advertise on any books and even rarely on philosphers: people are different, the books they 'need' are different. Let us put the energy we have to a more worthwile use than swimming upstream.

Edit: I just saw the discussion on "Beyond Good and Evil" and I felt the need to qualify my post: I did not mean that threads about books are 'wrong' or 'uninteresting', above all not those about 'classical' or 'canonical' books of the history of philosophy. What I mean is that they are just threads like any other thread in the forum and that it just makes no sense to shove them into peoples faces, i.e. declare them more important or more interesting than others, as this is purely subjective in my opinion.
Post Reply

Return to “Forum Announcements”

2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
by John K Danenbarger
January 2023

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023

The Unfakeable Code®

The Unfakeable Code®
by Tony Jeton Selimi
April 2023

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
by Alan Watts
May 2023

Killing Abel

Killing Abel
by Michael Tieman
June 2023

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead
by E. Alan Fleischauer
July 2023

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough
by Mark Unger
August 2023

Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
September 2023

Artwords

Artwords
by Beatriz M. Robles
November 2023

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope
by Dr. Randy Ross
December 2023

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes
by Ali Master
February 2024

2022 Philosophy Books of the Month

Emotional Intelligence At Work

Emotional Intelligence At Work
by Richard M Contino & Penelope J Holt
January 2022

Free Will, Do You Have It?

Free Will, Do You Have It?
by Albertus Kral
February 2022

My Enemy in Vietnam

My Enemy in Vietnam
by Billy Springer
March 2022

2X2 on the Ark

2X2 on the Ark
by Mary J Giuffra, PhD
April 2022

The Maestro Monologue

The Maestro Monologue
by Rob White
May 2022

What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great
by Bob Dowell
June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!
by Jerry Durr
July 2022

Living in Color

Living in Color
by Mike Murphy
August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel

The Not So Great American Novel
by James E Doucette
September 2022

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches
by John N. (Jake) Ferris
October 2022

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
November 2022

The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity

The Smartest Person in the Room
by Christian Espinosa
December 2022

2021 Philosophy Books of the Month

The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God's Plan

The Biblical Clock
by Daniel Friedmann
March 2021

Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe

Wilderness Cry
by Dr. Hilary L Hunt M.D.
April 2021

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
by Jeff Meyer
May 2021

Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power

Surviving the Business of Healthcare
by Barbara Galutia Regis M.S. PA-C
June 2021

Winning the War on Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure

Winning the War on Cancer
by Sylvie Beljanski
July 2021

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
by Dr Frank L Douglas
August 2021

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts
by Mark L. Wdowiak
September 2021

The Preppers Medical Handbook

The Preppers Medical Handbook
by Dr. William W Forgey M.D.
October 2021

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress: A Practical Guide

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress
by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD
November 2021

Dream For Peace: An Ambassador Memoir

Dream For Peace
by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
December 2021