Foucault Society Reading Group: Introduction to Postmodernism

The Foucault Society's long-running informal reading and discussion group will start up again on Tuesday, January 6, 2009, and meet every Tuesday night from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. We will be reading and discussing essays from the book: The Routledge Companion to Postmodernism, Stuart Sim, ed. (Taylor & Francis, 2004). No prior knowledge of philosophy is required.

First meeting:
Date: January 6, 2009, 7:00-9:00pm.
Location: 235 West 48th St., Apt. #33-C, New York, NY 10019

First Reading Assignment: Please read the first essay in the book: "Postmodernism and Philosophy" by Stuart Sim.

About the Book:
The Routledge Companion to Postmodernism offers introductory articles on the impact of postmodernism on a variety of issues, including film, feminism, culture, politics and power, along with a collection of analytical techniques. Articles draw from primary and secondary sources, and are readable while not being superficial. The average article length for our book is from 8-12 pages, but nearly every page is sprinkled with words in boldface representing entries in an extensive encyclopedia, covering half the book, defining terms such as meta-narrative, semiotics and structuralism, and also containing biographies of major philosophers with recommended reading lists.

About the Group:
Participants should commit to reading one to two articles, which will be chosen by vote prior to each meeting. Moderators, who volunteer for each article, take the extra step of keeping the conversation going with questions for discussion and references to the text. Our objective is not just talking about but doing philosophy. We can also bring in additional articles from other sources, but the book will remain the foundation of the discussions.

People can enter the group at any time, and need not purchase the book until they first check out the discussion. Those who attend most meetings should be able to detect the "architecture of thought" that postmodernism claims to be.

Anyone with an interest in philosophy and what it has to offer is welcome. Students of the humanities or cultural, historical or media studies should be especially interested.

Cost:
Free, but participants are asked to bring light food and drink to share, so as to create a relaxed, convivial atmosphere. If a location is later chosen to accommodate more people, a small fee of a few dollars may be charged.

To register:
This reading group is organized through Meetup.com. To sign up, go to: http://philosophy.meetup.com/234/calendar/9061844/

If meetup is full, please sign up on the waitlist, so we can better assess the interest.

Contact:
Host: Kevin Holley: kholley@rcn.com. Phone: 212.397.1685
Assistant Organizer: David Lane, davide.lane@att.net

Learn more here:
http://philosophy.meetup.com/234/calendar/9061844/