About us
Do you enjoy deep, honest and respectful discussions of fundamental human questions? If yes, then you will love this meet up!
We ask questions and discuss ideas to stimulate critical thinking. We enrich ourselves with the perspectives of others, not to convince others about our own perspectives.
Our meetups are about our own philosophies of life and not necessarily what the great philosophers and academics have said or written. It is not a debating club or a platform for proselytizing. Instead, we place the emphasis on questioning, open mindedness and challenging our own assumptions while listening to and considering the views shared by others.
A Socrates Café meeting typically ends with participants leaving with many more questions than they had at the beginning.
WHAT TOPICS ARE DISCUSSED?
At the start of each meeting, the Facilitator invites participants to suggest topics. We then vote and choose that evening's most popular topic for discussion. No academic training in philosophy necessary; just enthusiasm for exchanging ideas and points of view.
A few examples of subjects chosen at past meetups:
• What ideals, if any, are worth dying for?
• What is the best form of government?
• What makes you "you" despite physical and experiential changes over your lifetime?
• What is beauty, and how important is it?
• What are ethical pricing and greed?
• What is the "best" education?
• What is true friendship?
• What would the world be like if women were in charge?
WHO SHOULD JOIN?
Everyone is welcome! Our events include women and men from different cultural backgrounds, ages, native languages, careers, and educational levels. No formal philosophical training is mandatory. The only requirements are a willingness to listen respectfully, and to be open to what people have to say even if you disagree. Putting down others is absolutely not allowed. You would also need at least minimal understanding of spoken English to participate. No one is required to speak, although sharing is encouraged within the supportive environment of the group.
Our usual participants are people that have a hunger for deeper understanding of themselves and the world.
THE FACILITATORS
The Socrates Café is run by a team of facilitating members. With more facilitators we can have more people joining the meet ups. If you like this meet up and want to help out making it available to more people, let us know.
FEEDBACK
If you have any feedback regarding our events, different facilitation styles, or anything at all, reach out to the facilitator you want to give the feedback to or to the organizer of the group. You can message us using meetup private messages. We regularly check our inboxes.
Upcoming events
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The Socrates Café — Sunday Morning at Motion Coffee
Motion Coffee, Eerste Van Swindenstraat 547, Amsterdam, NH, NLPhilosophical discussions about fundamental human questions.
It’s not a lecture! It’s participants like you who make the discussion a success, organizers just facilitate it.
We bring our most puzzling questions - along with creativity, curiosity and genuine interest to enrich ourselves with perspectives of others. This usually makes Socrates Café event a truly inspiring one for people with very different backgrounds. We discuss, we inquire, we think aloud - respect is the main rule.
Here is a list of questions we have previously discussed:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/133sfywQ81G2jcQ4acXESK2-BCosHipvMNQ7w1pj1WL8/edit?usp=sharingSome practical stuff:
- Please try to arrive on time so that you can participate in the whole discussion. For those on the waitlist, an overflow group is possible at a nearby cafe. Please let us know if you're on the waitlist when you arrive so that we can make the arrangements.
- The cafe has reserved 16 seats for us because we have a good relationship with the owner. We would appreciate it if you help us maintain that and treat the space with the same respect you would when you use other cafes.
- Please note that the purpose of Socrates Cafe is first and foremost for collaborative philosophical discussion. It is not meant to be used as a pulpit, a dating app, or a self-help group. Participants who consistently push their own agendas to the detriment of the discussion and of other participants' comfort will be asked to take a break from the group.
- It is sometimes necessary to challenge others' ideas in the process - you are welcome to challenge ideas as long as it does not turn into something personal with the person who presented the idea.
You can read more background about Socrates Café in the Meetup group description, and if you have any questions - feel free to ask.
- Jim and Nora
16 attendees
Past events
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