The Platypus Affiliated Society, established in December 2006 at the University of Chicago, organizes reading groups, public fora, research, and journalism focused on problems and tasks inherited from the “Old” (1920s-30s), “New” (1960s-70s), and post-political (1980-90s) Left, for the possibilities of emancipatory politics today. Our events offer the rare opportunity for curious and interested people of all political persuasions to elaborate their thinking. You can find more info about Platypus at
https://platypus1917.org (including our statement of purpose), our local page on the
University of Virginia club website, or the local
Discord linked below.
We aim to host the conversation on the Left.
All our events are public for all persons interested (Charlottesville community members, UVA and PVCC faculty, university staff, graduate students, undergraduate students, etc.). See the full list of events at the bottom of the page.
Every Wednesday in the spring semester, we will be holding a reading group on an introduction to the history of Marxism (syllabus here) from 7:30 to 9:30 PM in Cocke Hall 115 (the philosophy building on the UVA Lawn). Our spring 2025 coffee breaks and movie screenings have ended for the semester.
More information on our summer activities, including a weekly coffee break
to talk about politics, news, and the Left, will be publicized after finals season at UVA in mid-May.
You can find chapters in other cities and countries (including an online chapter) here:
https://platypus1917.org/chapters/.
Send an email to platypusvirtual@gmail.com if you are having difficulty finding a local chapter. 