The Ethical Culture Society of Silicon Valley (ECSSV) is an affiliate of the American Ethical Union. Ethical Culture is a humanistic religious, philosophical, and educational movement inspired by the ideal that the supreme aim of life is working to create a more humane society. Our focus is on how we live our lives. Our faith is in the capacity and responsibility of human beings to act in their personal relationships and in the larger community to help create a better world.
The Ethical Culture Society of Silicon Valley is a vibrant, caring community dedicated to cultivating ethical growth and action in its members and in the larger world. We are a democratic fellowship for people seeking a rational, compassionate philosophy of life without regard to belief or nonbelief in a supreme being.
We discuss ethical dilemmas that arise in our lives and in the world around us; hold programs to learn about ourselves, each other, and the issues of the day; and seek to be engaged citizens of our nation and our world. We collaborate with other organizations working for a more just and humane world.
Sunday Spotlight: Communicating What Matters At The End Of Life
Sunday, September 17, 2017 11am to 12:30pm
Neutra House, 183 Hillview Ave., Los Altos, CA 94022
Join us one Sunday each month to hear from an inspiring, active speaker who will share information about an organization 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.
This month’s speaker is Karen Storey, and the theme is “Communicating What Matters At The End Of Life.” The program begins at 11 a.m. and ends at 12:30 p.m. We hope you can join us for the event, and we’d love it if you stay afterward for a beverage and light refreshments and to share your thoughts. It’s OK to just show up, but it always helps to know how many people to expect. You can use our Meetup page if you have a Meetup account, or you can contact us by email or this site’s contact form .
By the way, we’d love your input on our programs! If you have an idea for a topic or speaker for Sunday Spotlight, please let us know. The easiest method is to use our contact form and write something like “spotlight suggestion” in the subject line.
UPCOMING EVENTS: SUMMER/FALL 2017
Event dates can also be found on our calendar page
Wednesday September 20, 2017 7:30pm to 9pm
Ethics Discussion and Food: What Do I Owe An Elderly Parent?
This month’s discussion is drawn from the book “Ethics for Everyone” by Arthur Dobrin (p.131). Dobrin writes that honoring your mother and father “finds its validation not in a biological necessity…” but rather in ethics, replacing the brute realities of nature with morality. “This attitude,” he continues, “is a mark of human civilization [because] unlike other animals, humans don’t leave the infirm behind when they move. There is no biological advantage for children to honor their parents. It is purely an ethical notion, serving not the needs of the species but our personal, religious, and social sense of what it means to be human.”
The naturally raises questions such as: What do children owe their parents? Are adult children responsible for their parents’ well-being? Are positive feelings a necessary basis for obligations? Join us and add your perspectives to the discussion.
Soup is served at 6:30pm, discussion starts at 7:30. Please RSVP for location details, as this event is held at a private home. Use our Meetup page if you have a Meetup account, or you can contact us by email or this site’s contact form .
Sunday September 24, 2017 11am to 12:30pm
Book Discussion
Location: Mitchell Park Library, 3700 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto CA 94303
Our book this month is “Man’s Search For Meaning” by Victor Frankl. We try to reserve the Greenbriar Room upstairs in the Mitchell Park Library. There room has limited space, so please RSVP via our Meetup page if you have a Meetup account, or contact us by email or this site’s contact form .
Wednesday September 27, 2017 7:30pm to 9pm
Media Night: Ted Talk: Let’s End Ageism by Ashton Applewhite
It’s not the passage of time that makes it so hard to get older. It’s ageism, a prejudice that pits us against our future selves — and each other. In his Ted Talk, Ashton Applewhite urges us to dismantle the dread and mobilize against the last socially acceptable prejudice. “Aging is not a problem to be fixed or a disease to be cured,” she says. “It is a natural, powerful, lifelong process that unites us all.”
Soup is served at 6:30pm, video starts at 7:30. Please RSVP for location details, as this event is held at a private home. Use our Meetup page if you have a Meetup account, or you can contact us by email or this site’s contact form .
Sunday October 1, 2017 4pm to 6pm
Sunday Study Session
Please RSVP for location details, as this event is held at a private home. Use our Meetup page if you have a Meetup account, or you can contact us by email or this site’s contact form .
Friday October 6, 2017 10am to noon
Friday Morning Ethics Discussion
Location: Holder’s Country Inn, 998 S. De Anza Blvd., San Jose CA 95129
Please join this group and feel free to invite others! Bring your unique point of view and add to the discussion, which starts around 10:30. Arrive early if you’d like to order food (highly recommended!). It’s OK to just show up, but it always helps to know how many people to expect. You can RSVP via our Meetup page if you have a Meetup account, or contact us by email or this site’s contact form .
Sunday October 8, 2017 10:30am to noon
Coffee And Conversation
Location: Ada’s Cafe, 3700 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA. 94303
This recurring event happens on the second Sunday of every month at the Cafe in front of the library at Mitchell Park Community Center. There is no predetermined theme, just friendly and respectful conversation. RSVP if possible so we can arrange the tables. If it’s raining or too chilly to be out in the open, we’ll be in one of the conference rooms inside the library or on the second-floor covered balcony that overlooks the library entrance. Look for the little blue Ethical Culture Society sign and you’ll know it’s us! You can RSVP using our Meetup page if you have a Meetup account, or you can contact us by email or this site’s contact form .