Book Presentation this Friday at the Centro Segoviano
Dear friends,
This Sunday we are discussing: Are we alone in the crowd?
Ceit has written us a few lines about her topic and Ruel has sent us links to some of his work that
is relevant to the topic. I also include a few lines on the topic which you'll find after Ruel's info.
Hi Lawrence,
Just a couple of thoughts on the topic:
It's a question about our connections to other human beings in this age of connectivity and
seemingly easy communication. We have the power to talk to anybody almost anywhere in the world and
forge relationships through the internet with people we would never have known existed only a couple
of decades ago. We can make friends with those who share our interests thousands of miles away. With
more than 7 billion people on the planet, how could we not be surrounded by friends? Yet, many
people in modern society feel isolated from others. We have many "friends" on forums, on Facebook,
or through other social media, but few or even no close relationships in "meatspace". We spend more
and more time in virtual lives and less sharing time and space with flesh and blood people. Are we
evolving into "virtual" beings? Will we eventually have online relationships that are as fulfilling
as we believe our real life relationships to be? Will our physical society move entirely into
cyberspace given enough time? How will this change what it means to be a human being, if in fact it
changes anything?
Ceit
---------
Hello Lawrence,
I have here three (3) articles related to next Sunday's topic, "Are we alone in the crowd?"
1. "BEING ALONE IN THE CROWD" . . . http://ruelfpepa.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/being-alone-in-the-crowd/
2. The Principle of Interconnectivity in Cosmic Reality: A Buddhist Rumination . . .
http://ruelfpepa.wordpress.com/2012/03/07/the-principle-of-interconnectivity-in-cosmic-reality-a-buddhist-rumination/
3. THE PRINCIPLE OF NON-ATTACHMENT AND THE PROBLEM OF HUMAN MEANINGFULNESS . . .
http://ruelfpepa.blogspot.com.es/2005/04/principle-of-non-attachment-and.html
See you on Sunday.
Ruel
-------
If we strip the language of the topic of its emotional and human content we would end up asking
ourselves: are we isolated individuals in a set (or a group) of other human beings? And to analyse
this question we can use two relevant models: group dynamics and the more challenging topic, quantum
mechanics. Is a football fan chanting on the terraces acting alone or is he she acting as part of a
group dynamic? And is a subatomic event the result of a wave of a particle?
However, alone implies a personal identification with others, and the meaning is one of not being in
the company of someone else; someone we have some or many things in common. And crowd implies a
group of people who are not interacting with us or at the very least an impersonal description of a
group of people we have no immediate connection with. For example, we describe ourselves as the
philosophy group, but other might easily describe us as the philosophy crowd (even if this is
stretching the numerical content of crowd a bit).
Maybe it is not a big deal if we are alone in a crowd since a crowd might not necessarily imply a
social grouping. It would, however, be a catastrophic disaster if a person was to join a group with
a determined purpose and no one in the group would socialise with that person: or, mind you, the
other way round, the person not wanting to socialise with the rest of the group.
Lawrence
-----------------------
----Centro Segoviano Presentacion de libro----
El Doctor Velasco: Leyenda y Realidad en el Madrid Decimononico.
Autor: Don Santiago Jimenez Roldan
Dia 8 Marzo 2013 Vierners
Centro Segoviano a Las 19:30pm .
------------
----Lunch at the Segoviano----
1) Last Sunday we discussed the possibility of organising a lunch at the centro and I asked Encarna
for details. However, we still have to organise the date so you can think about this lunch and find
a gap in your busy diary. I also have a pending appointment at the hospital and won't know the dates
until next week. What is sure is that we start lunch at 3:30pm and then start the meeting as usual.
In the meantime we can think about the menu:
-Starters (frituras variadas), Entrecot o Cochinillo con ensalada, Postre- cafe-bebida. 25 euros per
person.
-Alternative option 1: fish or vegetarian but you will have to speak to Encarna about this, I've got
her number so please ask me or her when you come to the meeting. 25 euros per person
-Alternative option 2: cochido completo (plus the extras above) 20 euros per person.
(Looking at the menu you might think this is a challenge to this week's subject, but I am assured
that the food is very good!!!)
---Raquel---
Os paso la información de algunos eventos en los que os comenté que participo como soprano por si os
apetece alguno...
RÉQUIEM NEGRO
de Enrique Muñoz Molina
Ignacio Vento, narrador
Coro de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Ensemble Vocal Soli -Tutti
Denis Gautheyrie
6 de marzo-20.30 horas
Teatros Canal
Entrada: 5 euros (subvencionada)
Más información en www.madrid.org/artesacro
VOCES PARA LA PAZ
10 de marzo-
Auditorio Nacional
Entrada : 20 euros (recaudación para proyectos en países en vías de desarrollo)
Será retransmitido por TVE
Más información en http://www.vocesparalapaz.com/
VOCES POR LA JUSTICIA SOCIAL
Grupo de investigación y transformación del mundo a través de la música de la Universidad Autónoma
9 de marzo
La Universidad en la calle
Lugar y hora por confirmar
Abierto a la participación de cuantos vengan
Raquel
-----------
********* Cementerio Ingles********************
Redacto el presente mensaje tanto en inglés como en español para comunicar al máximo mi programa de
visitas comentadas antes de Semana Santa, los sábados por la mañana :-
Hora : a las 11 de la mañana
Lugar : en la entrada del Cementerio, c/ Comandante Fontanes 7, 2007 Madrid ( distrito de Carabanchel )
*sábado, día 16 de marzo con las explicaciones en inglés
*sabado, dia 23 de marzo con las explicaciones en español
Le dejo a su elección cual día acuda y no hay necesidad de avisar
Si prefiere hacer la vista en otra fecha y está en situación de formar un grupo de 8 personas o más,
avíseme y haré lo mejor para llegar a un acuerdo sobre fecha y hora
NOTA IMPORTANTE
WEBSITE <www.britishcemeterymadrid.com>........ con detalles de la historia del Cementerio y el plan
de su ubicación
*********************************************************
I am writing this in both Spanish and English to provide the programme of guided visits on Saturday
mornings up to Easter
Time : 11 a.m.
Place: gatehouse entrance in C/ Comandante Fontanes 7, 28007 Madrid ( Carabanchel disrict )
*the visit on Saturday 16th March will be in English
*the visit on Saturday 23rd March will be in Spanish
I leave it to you which date you prefer and there is no need to check further, just turn up on the day
If you would like a visit on any other day, and you are able to make up a group of 8 persons or
more, I will do my best to arrange a date to suit you
IMPORTANT NOTE
WEBSITE < www.britishcemeterymadrid.com> with some details of the history of the Cemetery and a map
to show its location
*********************************************************
David Butler
--------
See you Sunday,
Take care
Lawrence
PhiloMadrid Meeting
Meet 6:30pm
Centro Segoviano
Alburquerque, 14
28010 Madrid
914457935
Metro: Bilbao
-----------Ignacio------------
Thursday's Open Tertulia in English
Important Notice: From December 1st, the Tertulia will take place at O'Donnells (ex-Moore's) Irish
Pub, c/ Barceló 1 (metro Tribunal)
http://sites.google.com/site/tertuliainenglishmadrid/
from Lawrence, Sunday PhiloMadrid meeting: Are we alone in the crowd? + NEWS
PhiloMadrid - Pub Philosophy Meetings in Madrid
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