About us
This group is meant for anyone who loves to philosophize and who thrives on the experience of philosophizing together in an informal setting. Philosophy lives not only in the written word, but also in the spoken word.
The spirit of these meetups is to explore broadly and deeply themes and topics we might consider to be important and meaningful, using the tools of critical and creative thinking.
Although some/many of us may have studied philosophy at university or elsewhere, this meetup group presupposes no formal study of philosophy or of the history of philosophy. Ideas of great thinkers of past and present do however end up naturally in our talks and these of course always serve as valuable material during our discussions.
Note: although we use English as common language, it is not at all necessary to speak it perfectly. 90% of our participants speak English as a 2nd language. Our meetups have proven to be wonderful opportunities to meet philosophical others from many diverse backgrounds!
Follow our group also on Facebook: "The Brussels Philosophy Meetup" \
Upcoming events
1
History Repeats Itself... Or Not?
THE SISTER BRUSSELS CAFÉ, 3, rue Chair et Pain, Brussels, BE"History teaches us that we do not learn from history”... Was Hegel (to whom this quote is frequently attributed) right?
What about our own individual lives and personal development? Does our personal experience teach us that we do not learn from personal experience?
In this session's discussion, we will have an opportunity to explore the interdynamics between individual change and collective/historical change.
If a critical threshold of people in the world would achieve during their lifetimes a critical threshold of success in personal development, would this lower the probability of history "repeating" itself?
Would a collective culture that encourages personal self-development help prevent history repeating itself?How quickly or slowly can/do family cultures mutate from generation to generation?
Can it (not) be argued that history and culture of any region in the world is both driven and changed (during critical periods even transformed) by the cultures of the families/clans who inhabit the region?
What roles might intergenerational traumas within families play in determining the course of general history?Patterns by conceptual definition imply recurrence. Yet it could be argued (or not?) that changes in patterns are also observable. What things should we individually and collectively encourage, even fight, to change in this present moment in our lives in order to "alter the future course of history"? Which elements should we allow, even encourage, to remain unchanged so that they will naturally recur in the future?
How different (or the same) are humans nowadays compared to ten thousand years ago?
A few (optional) preparatory links for inspiration...
Do we truly change during our lifetimes?
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/12/can-people-change-harvard-thinking-podcast/
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/can-you-change-your-personality/How is family culture passed down generations?
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mindful-metaphors/202503/the-shade-of-the-family-tree-intergenerational-influenceDoes history repeat itself?
https://www.curiousquantum.com/does-history-repeat-itself/
https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_pinker_is_the_world_getting_better_or_worse_a_look_at_the_numbersNot intending to be repetitive... please show up early enough that there's enough time for us all to get our drinks and/or food before we begin 😉 And of course, our sessions are always free of charge and open to all - everyone is welcome to participate or just to sit in as listener (without having to decide in advance which of these! ☺️) We only ask you to please sign up beforehand.
Illustration: concept by Alan Woo, realization by ChatGPT
25 attendees
Past events
179
