Anvil Discussion Group

A new discussion group has been established in Martock called “Anvil” which meets on the fourth Friday of the month at 10am to 12noon in the Function Room of The George coffee shop. It is a continuation of a group of the same name which met successfully for seven years in Wincanton. We intend to discuss serious, important subjects, mostly in the areas of Philosophy, Science and Current Affairs, and often controversial. No prior knowledge is necessary, and the speakers will be aware of that. We welcome those who wish to participate in the discussions in a non-confrontational manner, but also those who wish to just listen. The format is that in the first period we have a talk, followed by a short refreshments break, and then a general discussion. We aim to conduct penetrating and enlightening discussion which is not confrontational, to understand other opinions even if we disagree, and perhaps in so doing to modify our own opinions.

The first meeting was a talk and discussion on the Anthropic Principle, a key concept in both Philosophy and Science, and the next meeting will be a talk by John Baxter, the founder of Anvil in Wincanton, giving his views on the Hamas-Israel conflict, on 23rd February. We welcome adults of any age from Martock and beyond who have free time during the day. There will be a small charge levied at each meeting to cover the cost of room rental and refreshments, probably £3 to £5 depending on attendance; other than that there will be no subscription, no cumbersome committee and no other associated bureaucracy. At least initially, John Baxter and I will organise events between us, and any other decisions will be taken by the whole group at meetings.

Further details may be obtained from Prof Greg Atkins: gatkins@tcd.ie

Open to all adults of any age.