The Center for Inquiry–DC (CFI–DC) offers an opportunity to put your principles into practice by joining other rationalists to work for positive change in society. In addition, the D.C. Center sponsors social events for freethinkers as well as intellectual programming. CFI provides an ethical alternative to religious and paranormal worldviews. In this time of rising religiosity, anti-intellectualism and political turmoil on ethical issues, it is critical that rationalists and freethinkers join t …

Just as clarification, "Goddess" isn't in reference to spiritual, holistic or new age beliefs. Just a fun group of women who like to drink some wine, have a good time, discuss interesting topics, laugh and develop friendships. Now... the original description... Meet other women in their 30's and 40's in our community who celebrate being smart, beautiful, fun, funny, adventurous, and independent. We are past the bar/club scene of our 20's but still enjoy going out on occasion, happy hours, girl t …

Cutting edge discussions yet timeless truths! Weary of the "same old same old"? Want to meet very interesting people outside the customary? Well come connect with others who are interested in Socrates Cafe, a philosophical community. Be a social thinker! Our basic guidelines, established centuries ago in Plato's Dialogues, are that all opinions expressed need to be supported by reasons, and that all assumptions need to be examined. Dialogue is not a competition, a sport or debate with winners an …

Enjoy reading brainy books? Classics of world literature? Philosophy? Something entertaining, yet intellectually stimulating? Do you actually CHOOSE to pick up novels by the likes of E.M. Forster, D.H. Lawrence, Emily Bronte, or maybe Toni Morrison? Does exploring philosophical classics (Plato's Symposium, maybe? Sartre? Hume?) actually appeal to you? If reading great literature with a friendly, laid-back, edgy intellectual crowd turns you on, then this is the meetup for you. We won't tak …

If you read a lot of contemporary fiction and nonfiction that is well-reviewed by respected critics, then this book club is for you! For simplicity's sake, we will be choosing our titles from the New York Times notable books list from the past 3-4 years. The book club will meet on the first Wednesday of the month, alternating fiction and non-fiction selections chosen by our rotating group of hosts.  If one month's pick doesn't interest you, wait until next month when we choose new titles! The me …

We explore a wide variety of topics in a conversational style always respecting each other's opinion.  You do not need a background in philosophy, only an interest in seeking truth and wisdom. The value of our discussons come from the combined perspectives of those that attend.  From student to Physicist we all have a unique perspective and can learn from each other; please join, attend and contribute your wisdom to ours? Steven Easley The DC Philosophy Cafe We are now holding bi weekly discussi …

I started this group because I want to keep up on the latest books on global affairs, international development, foreign policy, economics, or finance. I also wanted to meet other people out there with the same interests who crave stimulating intellectual discussions. I thought this group could serve as a way to motivate us to stay current on the latest literature and lead us into some fun discussions. You should join this group if you are one of the many Washington area professionals (like …

Did you take a philosophy class in high school or college and wish you had taken more? Do you read philosophy texts independently but have no one to discuss them with? Then this group is for you. We will read, in chronological order, major works from the history of philosophy. Although the majority will have been written by European and American authors, we will be open to texts from other cultures. Representative philosophers include Plato, Averroes, Descartes, Spinoza, Hobbes, Kant, Hegel, Sar …

Like that old, soulful U2 rock anthem, do you sometimes find yourself singing "I still haven't found what I'm looking for," and somehow the song's sentiment connects with your spiritual journey?  Perhaps you feel emotionally distant from the Christian spirituality and Sunday worship you grew up with.  Curious to find out why you’re having these feelings/thoughts/disconnect?  But more importantly, curious if there is a better way to think about, experiment with, and practice faith in the 21st Cen …

So here's my idea. I'm looking to start a group for people that generally feel blah right now. Not depressed, but a little apathetic. I mean, life's good. Decent job, decent pay, but maybe something's missing. You have some fickle passions, or maybe even an overwhelming passion, but it won't pay well enough to quit the professional career you've already spent so much time pursuing. Maybe you'd like to get a dog, but you realize it would be a pain to walk him in the winter every day after a …

The Dupont Circle Reading Railroad is a literature club centered on discussion, friendship, wine and exploration of various mediums (poetry, graphic novels, stories, film, theater).

I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there? … Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different. (Memento, 2000) No matter what anyone tells you - words and ideas can change the world. (Dead Poets Society, 1989) See, Mr. Gitts, most people never have …

We read pre-1920 history, a mix of world, economic, colonial period, military, ancient, biography, or member interest. Also non-fiction and business books (Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, etc). Emphasis on quality over a particular genre. All readers with a passion for the material are welcome, meet every 2 months.

This is a social networking group for Washington, DC-area public policy professionals. We will do a lot of the things that most of the other socially-oriented groups do, including happy hours, museum visits, etc. The key difference is that we are focused on public policy professionals, so talking about work is fine and encouraged! It's for making new friends and professional contacts at the same time. How very DC, right? Please Note: This group just launched on July 20. We will host our first ev …

Do you like digging into ideas that shape our world? The Freedom & Justice discussion group invites thoughtful people from all backgrounds to enjoy some friendly debate, impactful ideas, and good company at a cozy local pub. We will watch a short video from LearnLiberty.org and dig into the evening’s topic. First one up: “Liberty & Justice: Friends or Enemies?” No need to prep for discussion. We will kick off and moderate the discussion to make sure you can learn some new things and express your …

"Go to your bosom..." - Measure for Measure SHAKESPEARE LOVERS - Chevy Chase, MD The purpose of "Shakespeare Lovers"  is to  study and savor one play per season - via monthly meetings. Month 1 - 1st half of the Play; Month 2 - 2nd half; Month 3 - "DVD Party." Shakespeare's  insights into the human condition can be appreciated on many levels and the group hopes to facilitate discussions around the psychological, philosophical and sociological issues in the plays, especially in relation to our ow …

This is an anybody is welcome, social, discussion, group who enjoys the HBO series Game of Thrones (as well as the books) and once season three begins we're planning on meeting on Mondays in Crystal City to discuss.

Discussion group for INTJs and folks interested in chatting about the INTJ perspective. The goal of the group would be to increase the self-awareness of INTJs, help share INTJ-friendly coping strategies, and the general story-telling of INTJ experiences. Meetups would be in-person and through Google-hangout (free video/chat/audio capability by Google). INTJs generally have a very salient personality, and may have difficulty relating to other people INTJs have a myriad of traits and quirks, and …

This is a group for anyone interested in education technology and promoting education in the classroom for teachers, entrepreneurs, and policy makers in the Washington DC region. We will be organizing keynotes, panel discussions, and more. We will try to meet monthly to explore various topics at the intersection of education and technology; to learn about the latest technologies that are supporting teachers; and to hear from teachers about the problems in education that must be fixed now. In add …

There was one book in college that especially amazed and confounded me: James Joyce’s Ulysses. With a reader’s guide on my lap I eventually did made it to the final glorious yes, but I was fully aware that most of the novel’s depth and richness had washed right over the limited pathways of my mind. It’s been awhile, but I’d like to take another stab at it. This time I’d like to start by properly fortifying myself by doing some necessary supplemental reading. And while I’m at it, why not meet som …

This is a group for lovers of all things pertaining to the Ancient Greek and/or Latin languages, literature, philosophy, history, culture, etc. All skill and knowledge levels are welcome. This is a new group and I will form meetings based on the interests of the members. I hope to have meeting broken up into translation meetings and meeting devoted to discussing some area of classics, for which you don't need to know the language. Please let me know what your interests are and what you hope to d …

Hey, youngish Jews in Northern Virginia - let's meet each other. Are all of our peeps in Maryland or DC? I'm determined to create a Jewish community in NoVa. Let's get together, hang out, have cultured and dare I say, intellectual, discussions about life and and the World around us. This group is in no way, whatsoever, religious.

Young Professionals Amnesty International (YPAI) engages and supports Amnesty activists from diverse backgrounds entering the workplace. YPAI provides Amnesty and other human rights activists a space to network, organize, and contribute to the struggle for human rights in the U.S. and abroad. YPAI is structured around a monthly event that combines social and action-oriented activities focused on addressing human rights issues like Human Rights Happy Hours, Trivia Nights, Speed Networking events, …

This is a group for people who are looking to explore their creativity by interacting through novel activities that ask us to think outside the box and unriddle our minds. We believe in the power of collective brainstorming to inspire innovation and self awareness. This group welcomes free thinkers, artists, techies, social reformers, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between and around. Your hosts are entrepreneurs, economists, artists, writers, and engineers who want to create a space where socia …

The Humanities Council of Washington, DC (HCWDC) is a non-profit organization that provides grant support for community projects that enrich the lives of DC residents through the humanities disciplines. Additionally, HCWDC produces humanities programs, such as Soul of the City andLive to Read, with support from area non-profits, the NEH, and the DC government. The organization was founded in1980 as a private affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and is one of 56 similar i …

(1 minute video) This group is for people who value and enjoy deeper discussions with amazing people and who are also willing to rise to the occasion by joining us to help make these discussion opportunities an ongoing reality. The events held in this group are all about having fun nights of great people and 'deeper' discussions over dinner in a charming restaurant. This Meetup group was created by Glen Brauer as part of a non-profit global initiative using practical philosophy to bring togeth …

Join fellow liberals in their 30s and 40s for dinner and drinks at restaurants around the Washington, DC area and discuss current events, politics, and whatever other topics arise.

This group is open to anyone interested in discussing philosophy, perception, spirituality or just looking a little more deeply at the world around us, how it works and how we relate to it and each other. Some of the topics we will be discussing are: - What is life?  a gift from the divine, a chemo-electric byproduct, an interesting concept, or something else? - What do we know?  a discussion of knowledge and belief - Emotion and reason, the collaboration or conflict  between the mind and the …