See below an annoucement on a series of talks to be given in TCD this month by Professor Berman on the topic of the logic and credability of after death existences. Berman is an extremely interesting and engaging lecturer. Those interested in attending will find details below.

“I am writing to announce that I plan to give six additional extra-mural lectures on ‘The Logic and Credibility of After-death Existences’,  to begin on  20 February 2016.  I have been encouraged to do so by many of those who did the course in 2015, also by those who were unable to join that course because of the quota I set, and also by an increasing number of other persons who have contacted me, asking whether I am planning to put the course on again this term.

What I am proposing is not to give again the original course of nine lectures*, but rather to continue with six additional lectures, in which I aim to review and revise the subject, but also deepen and extend what I have to say on various topics. For this reason I would advise anyone who didn’t do the original course to buy a copy of my workbook, ‘The Logic and Credibility of After-death Existences’ (available from me or Books Upstairs), upon which most of the original lectures were based.

Here I might also say a word about how I plan to deepen and extend the course; which I plan to do in two ways, both of which were touched on in the original course.  The first way can be described as the method of direct experience, which would be largely based on my workbook, ‘A Manual of Experimental Philosophy’ (which is also available from me or Books Upstairs), the second can be described as philosophical typology, especially distinguishing the monistic type, like Hume and Schopenhauer, who do not desire personal immortality, from those like Plato and Berkeley, who do.

As before the lectures are to take place in the Philosophy Department seminar room, 5012, in the Arts Building,  on Saturday mornings, from 10:00 to 11:30.  The first lecture is to be on Saturday, 20 Feb. 2016,  and extend over the next five weeks, to Saturday, 26 March 2016.  As before, I am setting a quota of 25 persons.

 

Those who wish to attend the new course, can do so by post, enclosing a cheque/draft/ postal money order made payable to Trinity College no. 1 account, to the Executive Officer, Ms Una Campbell, Department of Philosophy, Arts Building, Trinity College, or call into the Philosophy Department Office, and pay directly.  It might also be possible to pay and the course on the morning of the first lecture, outside the seminar room 5012.  But, as mentioned above, places are limited to 25.

The cost for the six lectures is €50.  A concession rate (€35) is available to students, unemployed persons and those in receipt of a social welfare pension.

Those wanting additional information can contact me at dberman@tcd.ie or 01 8961126.

 

I might also mention that I plan to give some talks on coffee tasting, on Sunday mornings at Gurman’s coffee house in the Stephens Green centre, which would involve actual tasting and empirical experience of various coffees, so going further than just talking about direct experience, hence a way of illustrating the experiential method in a hands-on way.  For information on similar talks I have given at the same venue on coffee and tea tasting, see my web-site:   coffeetastingandphilosophy.wordpress.com

 

*There is a summary of the 9 lectures in the TCD brochure of extra-mural lectures, p. 37, and on my web-site (see above), Review, Sept. 2015, number 4.”