Philosophy In Pubs – The Seasons

Philosophy in Pubs is a community philosophy group addressing big questions on a variety of topics in a relaxed, informal environment. We hold discussions twice a month in central Oxford and once a month. No experience of philosophical enquiry is necessary – the idea is that it is possible to talk about philosophical ideas without having to know a lot about what the ‘great’ philosophers thought about things. We are more interested in making progress through sensible conversation than having a heated debate where there are ‘winners’ and ‘losers’. We welcome anybody from any background, age, gender, faith, ethnic group, educational or social background etc.

The Seasons

It is cold and dark. In six months it won’t be.
Is that all seasons are, changes in the weather? Well the lack of daylight and the cold has an impact. It’s effect is hard wired into us on multiple levels, and the impact isn’t just a Northern European thing but occurs in different climates too, such as those countries with rainy seasons. It effects our bodies, our moods and our susceptibility to different diseases.. Seasons matter.. We, as animals, require the earth to produce food for us, which requires the growing cycle. But would seasons still have relevance when everything can be grown year-round in light and heat controlled poly-tunnels? With so many of us living in centrally heated houses and shopping in air conditioned superstores, what of seasons in 2025? There is certainly a clear cultural legacy of spring as a time of new beginnings, of autumn of death and decay. It is what lies behind many religious festivals. Jim Rohn, an American thinker (don’t let the Wikepedia description of him as a ‘motivational speaker’ put you off too quickly). developed a philosophy of the seasons of life. He used the changing seasons as a way to describe how life and businesses ebb and flow. People also use the seasons to describe different stages of life. But philosophically, does the reality of a cycle of growth, maturation then death tell us much beyond an inherited legacy of humanity’s particular moment, in the longer sweep of evolutionary history, of life on this particular planet? Materialists would likely say no. It’s obvious, we are a result of (and an integral and inseparable part of) the material circumstances that surround us. Plato, who thought that there were ideal forms of everything outside of our direct physical world (assuming the seasons being one such form) which were fixed and unchanging. So he, and most religions, would likely take a different view to the Materialists.
A thought experiment then, to stretch our thinking on seasons. If a fertile planet had several suns that equally heated and constantly lit that planet’s surface, could one assume that life would not evolve needing a growing then dying then re-growing cycle? With no winter, or night, would animals need to hibernate or sleep? Would/could life-forms be immortal? Does our seasonal conditioning blind us to very different biological possibilities that perhaps the Transhumanist movement could help us overcome? Transhumanism being the merging of our biology with manufactured technology. Bionic arms, chips in our brains etc. Or are we forever trapped within a seasonal cycle? . So, the seasons, and the cosmologically defined months, weeks, days… are they now, in essence, little more than whimsical cultural reference points, with fleeting and superficial biological influence, tenuously linked only to aesthetical philosophy? Or do they still have real significance, and if so, why and how? Do the seasons reflect a wider biological birth/death cycle implicit in nature, making it legitimate for Metaphysical inquiry and core to the material understanding of our particular existence? Would or could our evolutionary legacy be further overcome through Transhumanism and if so, what could a complete severing of our link to any seasonal rhythms result in?

Seasons greetings then, as we welcome you to this first session of 2025 in the James Street Tavern, the back room.

Anyone can attend. No experience in philosophy or knowledge of the subject is required in advance. Just come along and enjoy. Our events use the the 4Cs of community philosophy:

• Caring for others, making space for their contributions
• Collaborating to get a better mutual understanding rather than scoring points
• Critically assessing what we say, clarifying what is meant and asking what reasons support assertions
• Creatively coming up with alternative perspectives, rather than dogmatically sticking to our initial positions

We welcome everyone of a wide range of ages, social and educational backgrounds etc. Don’t worry if you don’t have a qualification in philosophy – almost no-one does. Occasionally, attendees will be asked to watch, read or listen to a short piece of material in advance of the session (as the ‘stimulus’ for discussion), but this will be minimal and will be made clear in the description of the session.