The Toronto Philosophy Meetup

To access the group, I will ask participants to briefly show their face before admission, as we have recently experienced a high number of Zoom bombers and disruptions.

• COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES (WE ARE CURRENTLY USING THIS SITE)
• https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/
• Dante Study Documents: I have shared a folder containing all the copies and materials I have prepared for our Dante sessions. New documents will be added:
• regularly.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YZxvnwlqRM2oKZsqRd36n55p91LSyTKS?usp=share_link

📌 The Divine Comedy is more than a story — it’s a map of the inner self.

• It teaches about choices, responsibility, and consequences.
• It shows how struggle and self‑reflection can lead to growth and spiritual awakening.
• The journey mirrors our own personal transformation — confronting flaws, repenting, and aiming for higher understanding and compassion.

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## 🧍 Who Was Dante?

• Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) was a medieval Italian poet from Florence.
• He is considered one of the greatest writers in world literature and one of the founders of the Italian language.

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## 🔥 What Is The Divine Comedy?

• A long epic poem written in terza rima (a special rhyming scheme) in the early 1300s.
• It describes a symbolic journey through the afterlife: Hell → Purgatory → Heaven.
• 🌍 What the Three Parts Represent

### 1. ⚫ Inferno (Hell)

• Dante travels through the nine circles of Hell guided by the Roman poet Virgil.
• Each circle punishes a different kind of sin.
• Theme: Recognizing the consequences of wrongdoing and human weaknesses.

### 2. 🔺 Purgatorio (Purgatory)

• Dante and Virgil climb the mountain of Purgatory, where souls purify themselves.
• It’s full of hope and change — sinners repent and grow.
• Theme: Transformation and self‑improvement.

### 3. ☀️ Paradiso (Heaven)

• Beatrice (Dante’s ideal guide of divine love) leads him through the celestial spheres.
• Dante encounters angels and blessed souls.
• Theme: Divine love, spiritual fulfillment, and union with God.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. John Ciardi – (I HAVE PURCHASED THIS ONE). Best for a discussion group because it’s clear, accessible, and includes notes for each canto. Helps participants understand the meaning and context without getting lost in archaic language.
2. Mandelbaum (20th c.) – Modern, poetic, complete. Very readable and preserves the literary quality. Good if the group wants more literary flavor ''after understanding the basics''.
3. Longfellow (1867) – Historically respected, complete, but 19th-century English can be challenging.

## 📚 Links to the Book (Public Domain)

• ***1, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES (WE ARE CURRENTLY USING THIS SITE)
• https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/dante/divine-comedy/

The Metaphysics of Morals is divided into two halves: the first concerns rights and the second regards virtues. This was one of the earliest works of practical philosophy that Kant envisioned; however, he put it off to write foundational works to support it, such as Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals and even the Critique of Practical Reason. If you find it more helpful to start ethics discussions closer to their practice, the Metaphysics of Morals may be a more useful starting point than the meta-ethical works we have covered up to now.

At this meeting we'll be covering Chapter III, Public Right Section I (443 - 481; 38 pages)

Note: Meetings focus on developing a common language and friendship through studying Kant. The host will provide an interpretation of Kant; other interpretations will not be discussed until later in the meeting. Additional interpretations, topics, and questions can be addressed through the Jitsi chat feature.

No prior experience with Kant is necessary.

Reading Schedule (pages are from Cambridge's Practical Philosophy collection):

THE DOCTRINE OF RIGHT

Week 1 (29):
Preface, Introduction, Introduction to the Doctrine of Right (365 - 397; 32 pages)

Week 2 (30):
Private Right, Chapters I and II (401 - 443; 42 pages)

Week 3 (31):
Chapter III, Public Right Section I (443 - 481; 38 pages)

Week 4 (32):
Public Right Section II, III, and Appendix (482 - 506; 24 pages)

THE DOCTRINE OF VIRTUE

Week 5:
Preface and Introduction (509-540; 31 pages)

Week 6:
Part 1 Introduction and Book 1 on Perfect Duties (543-564; 21 pages)

Week 7:
Book 2 on Imperfect Duties (565-588; 23 pages)

Week 8:
Method of Ethics (591-603; 12 pages)

In Kant's Critique of the Power of Judgment, we see vague suggestions on how aesthetic judgments contribute to culture. In Friedrich Schiller's letters, we can see a more developed argument on how aesthetic education is required to promote the freedom of the individual as well as transition us between a state of nature and a state ruled by reason.

Hopefully, this reading provides an opportunity to compare Kant's interest in how aesthetic judgments (and moral judgments themselves) contribute to culture with Schiller and expand our interpretation of both.

At this meeting we will be starting at Letter XXIV, paragraph 1.

I've linked the Penguin edition of the book here, but please feel free to use whatever edition you have or want.