Philosophy & Hope Bookclub 7: How To Be A Dissident

Welcome to Lighthouse’s Philosophy Bookclub, where we will be reading contemporary philosophers that concern themselves with the social! The overarching theme will be readings that engage in social critique that can help take us towards new forms of social hope. We will be reading authors that offer powerful critiques of institutions, big tech, late-stage capitalism, as well as the central political concepts to those discussions (e.g. solidarity, freedom, justice, equality, etc) that, ultimately, equip us to re-evaluate the now in order to re-envision the future.

Why Philosophy & Who's This For?

Philosophy is first and foremost a social activity – it’s about thinking together in communities of inquiry, it’s about synthesising ideas, transforming the categories and concepts which guide our thinking. It is famously characterised as a space “to understand how things in the broadest possible sense of the term hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term” as one philosopher put it. This bookclub is for both philosophers and non-philosophers alike! For the philosophically initiated, the readings will be contemporary thinkers who you won’t find on a typical reading list. For the uninitiated, these readings will also be highly accessible, short, and relevant to the world we find ourselves in today. It's an inclusive reading club, welcoming as many people from as many different backgrounds to help give us the best chance of seeing how everything hangs together!

Meetings:

Meetings will be hosted by Nic and take place every 5-6 weeks on Monday at Lighthouse from 7pm-8:30pm.

Use the code HOPE-PHILOSOPHY-SOC to get 10% off the bookclub books!

What We Are Discussing This Month:

How To Be A Dissident by Gal Beckerman

An invigorating guide to fighting back – part philosophy, part history and part how-to guide for living with integrity in an age of authoritarian drift. How do we push back in a world where political leaders wield fear and where social media misinforms? We need role models to show us how, and here, acclaimed writer Gal Beckerman goes looking for them.

Drawing on the stories of dissidents from around the globe and across time, from Socrates to Ai Weiwei, and Hannah Arendt to Iris Murdoch, Beckerman reveals the defining characteristics these extraordinary figures share and how they might equip anyone navigating the pressures of modern tyranny.