HPL Great Books Reading and Discussion Group: November 2012

Friday, November 23, 2012

Henri Poincaré (1854-1912)

Our discussion of excerpts from French mathematician Henri Poincaré's "The Value of Science" takes place Monday evening. Does "science for science's sake" make any sense? Or must it serve some perceived "useful" purpose?

About Shared Inquiry

Also known as the "Socratic Method," the Shared Inquiry discussion technique championed by the Great Books Foundation is a nonauthoritarian approach to book discussion that values life experience as a important element of learning. Discussion leaders ask questions and do not give opinions.

Five rules of Shared Inquiry are:

1. Concentrate on the selection.
2. Address the question at hand.
3. Speak up (but one person at a time, please!)
4. Listen carefully.
5. Discuss the author's ideas, not the author's life and times.