Not surprisingly, the ever-popular Think! @ Oxford philosophical discussion event has again been forced online by the pandemic restrictions.
Instead of a weekend at Balliol College in Oxford, Think! will this year feature five diverse weekly talks by a number of the presenters who were going to speak at Think! in 2020. The first talk will be this Sunday, April 11, starting at 4pm.
The theme, which continues from 2019, is 1980s Society & Science. Events will be held on Zoom and discussions will move into breakout rooms of smaller groups.
The five topics are:
The Philosophy of Curiosity. Sunday April 11, 4pm presented by Austin Caffrey
The High Frontier. Sunday April 18, 4pm presented by Amanda Uren
How Robert Johnson became the spice girls. Sunday April 25, 4pm presented by Keith Jones
Animal liberation. Sunday May 2, 4pm presented by Graham Kyle
Temporal Brevity. Sunday May 9, 4pm presented by Phil Jones
Think! @ Oxford presentations are from members of the Philosophical Discussion SIG, who typically are not academics or experts – instead, they have a strong, researched and informed interest in their topic. They have kindly volunteered their commitment, time and effort.
Participation is open to all, not just Mensans, so feel free to invite others if you think they would be interested. Just click the links above to register your interest.
Organiser Austin Caffrey said: "In 2019 we started to look beyond the 1970s. For 2021 we will endeavour to move into the 1980s, a decade that saw Britain (and much of the world) change more dramatically when compared with the decades between which it was sandwiched. The 1970s is often considered a decade of striving and, certainly from a British point of view, one where the end of the decade did not seem much better than how it had started.
"The same cannot be said for the 80s. We saw the rise of City culture, which contributed to it being known as the “decade of greed”. Those who remember it will be aware of the property bubbles, the 1984/5 miners’ strike, the mid-80s ‘Big Bang’ of deregulation in the City (by which we are referring to financial markets within the UK, although primarily focused on London). Fundamentally, it is remembered as a decade that embraced the rise of capital ventures and the fall of union power. A shift from industrialisation that could not compete in a modern globalising market of competitive labour and production to one of financial know-how and intellectual capital.
"The aim and themes are, at core, the nature of our beliefs and knowledge. What we are exploring in the history of ideas is that ‘ideas about ideas change’. What was viewed in history as important or essential at the time is not necessarily viewed in the same way today.
"As always, we will pause for conversation and allow time to ponder how these events and ideas continue to impact upon us today. So, do join us for what looks to be a fascinating perspective on some of the major ideas and developments of the 1980s."
