Plato famously observed that “philosophy begins with wonder.” Etienne Gilson, in the 20th century, wrote, “Philosophy in its exact sense does not mean a body of doctrine, but a love of wisdom.” These are among many enduring phrases of encouragement in appreciation of reflection and thought. In the spirit of Socrates’ saying that “the unobserved life is not worth living,” many philosophical community discussion groups have formed around this country and throughout the world. Philosophy groups are no longer confined to university campuses.
Here at the Library, we launched Philosophy Forum last August, which is held on the 2nd Wednesdays of the month, in the Portland Room (2nd floor of the downtown library, Monument Square), from 6:30pm-8pm. All ages are welcome, and there are no reading assignments required- nor any prior experience necessary in a philosophy group.
Very much in the spirit of a “Socrates Cafe,” or an informal campus group (I was part of the philosophy Symposium at UMass-Boston, as a graduate student), our gatherings are essentially collaborative discussions, sharing our ideas based upon a central topic open-ended enough to invite the insights of all present! Rather than being a debating society that seeks consensus, our purpose is to inspire Socratic exploration through the discussion of the evening’s question. Thus far, our topics have included such questions as: * How do you discover and define meaning in your life?
* Do each of us have a responsibility to contribute to society?
* What are the best ways to measure or evaluate a society’s well-being?
* What determines our convictions?
* How much of the action in our lives’ paths do we really choose?
* What causes our cultural self-centeredness?
* How can we explain society’s general fascination with “the dark side?”
* What is the significance of discomfort, and what we deem to be “unproductive?”
* Why philosophize? Why ask “why?”
* What is perseverance, and why do we persevere?
* How does life exist without desire? What is significance?
* How essential are shared values to a society?
* What are our responsibilities as private citizens?
These community conversations have been very enjoyable for the entire group. As moderator I’ve been reminded of how much groups like these added to my education, and how grateful I am to host this at my place of work!
We hope you’ll join us for these monthly gatherings. See you soon!
