UPCOMING EVENTS: SPRING 2018
Event dates can also be found on our calendar pag
Wednesday Discussion: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas
Wednesday May 16th, 7:30pm
Paula and Ben’s home (RSVP for location details)
Let’s discuss three ethical dilemmas that will challenge our personal and societal norms of right and wrong. We’ll “attack” specific issues in the areas of education, science, and medicine that will confront us in the coming years. Molly leads.
Vegan dinner served at 6:30, discussion at 7:30. PLEASE do not bring any food or drink into the home.
Friday Discussion: Ethics and Privacy – Where Did We Go Wrong?
Friday May 18th, 10am to noon
Holder’s Country Inn (998 S. DeAnza Blvd, San Jose CA 95129)
Let’s talk about privacy and what it means in this age of exponential growth in technology. How much privacy do we want? How much can we expect? Does our constitution speak about privacy? What are our own ethics about the respect for privacy? Molly leads.
Please join this group, and feel free to invite others! Bring your unique point of view and add to the discussion. See you there!
Sunday Spotlight: Thinking Outside the Black Box
Sunday May 20th, 11am
Neutra House (181 Hillview Ave. Los Altos, CA 94022)
Join us one Sunday each month to hear from an inspiring, active speaker who will share information about working to make our community and our world a better place. Topics run the gamut from basic needs to social justice to the environment. We welcome you to participate by listening and engaging in thoughtful dialogue, with a little live music mixed in. We provide the coffee, tea, and a welcoming space for inquiring minds and open hearts to learn from one another.
Our guest in May is Shannon Vallor, philosopher of technology at Santa Clara University and author of “Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting.” Her Spotlight address is, “Thinking Outside the Black Box: How to Preserve the Space of Moral Reasons in an Age of Machine Judgment.”
The program begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m., and we’d love it if you’d stay after the program for light refreshments and to share your thoughts.
Wednesday Media Night
Ted Talk “The Third Side: The Walk from ‘No’ to ‘Yes’ “
Wednesday May 23rd, 6:30pm
Paula & Ben’s Home (RSVP for address)
The Third Side is a brief Ted Talk by William Ury, author of “Getting to Yes.” In this talk, Ury offers an elegant, simple (but not easy) way to create agreement in even the most difficult situations — from family conflict to, perhaps, peace among nations. Led by Molly
Vegan soup served at 6:30pm, video/discussion starts at 7:30pm and ends at 9pm. PLEASE bring no food or drink into the home.
ECSSV Book Club: Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology by Adam Alter
Sunday May 27th, 11am
Neutra House (181 Hillview Ave. Los Altos, CA 94022)
This month we’ll be discussing “Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked.” People have been addicted to substances for thousands of years, but for the past two decades we’ve also been hooked on technologies. We’ve adopted Instagram, Netflix, Facebook, Fitbit, Twitter, and email platforms because we assume they’ll make our lives better. While these inventions clearly do have some profound upsides, their appeal is no accident. Technology companies and marketers have teams of engineers and researchers devoted to keeping us engaged. They know how to push our buttons and how to coax us into using their products for hours, days, and weeks on end.
Please join us in discussing this book! All are welcome, although we do ask that you read the book first and bring along some ideas for discussion. If you have a chance, look over the list of potential books to help choose what to read for future meetings: http://ethicalsiliconvalley.org/ecssv-book-club/
Although it’s fine to just show up, it would be greatly appreciated if you RSVP so we have some idea how many people to expect and can set up the room accordingly. You can use our Meetup page if you have an account there, or you can use our contact form. Thanks!
Friday Morning Ethics Discussion
Friday June 1st, 10am to noon
Holder’s Country Inn (998 S. DeAnza Blvd, San Jose CA 95129)
This discussion group explores ethical issues of the day using situations from our lives and current events. The topic changes each month. Please join this group and feel free to invite others!
Sunday Study Group
Sunday June 3rd, 4pm
BJ & Lawrence’s home (RSVP for location details)
Curious about Ethical Culture? Have you attended some of our gatherings but don’t really know what Ethical Culture is all about? This series of discussions about The Ethical Culture Society is held the first Sunday of each month at a lovely private home in downtown San Jose. Address provided upon RSVP.
Coffee and Conversation
Sunday June 10th, 11am
Neutra House (183 Hillview Ave., Los Altos CA 94022)
Coffee & Conversation sessions are informal, inclusive, supportive gatherings. We just talk about things that are on our minds, things that make for, or detract from, a fulfilling human life in the real world for ourselves and for other people. We listen to each other, share our thoughts, sip our hot drinks, and enjoy being together. We do this at Neutra House in Los Altos the second Sunday of each month at 11:00 in the morning. Linda and John lead.
Although it’s fine to just show up, it would be greatly appreciated if you RSVP so we have some idea how many people to expect and can set up the room accordingly. You can use our Meetup page if you have an account there, or you can use our contact form. Thanks!