Philosophy Cafe London

Guest speaker Agne Zo explores why we are so quick to avoid suffering—and whether it might instead deepen awareness and change how we understand ourselves.

We live in a culture that is both preoccupied with suffering and uneasy about it—quick to pathologise it, numb it, or put it on display, yet rarely willing to ask what it might be for.

This talk approaches suffering not simply as something to avoid or fix, but as something to understand in its own right. Drawing on philosophical and spiritual traditions, it explores the idea that suffering can change how we perceive and attend to our experience, deepen awareness, and under certain conditions become a source of transformation.

The question is not simply whether we can suffer less—but whether we know how to suffer well.

Where: Downstairs room, Square Pig, Holborn (private room)

NB: The event begins at 7pm, doors open at 6:50pm. Event ends at 9pm

Format: 10-minute intro talk → vote on questions → small-group discussion → share insights with the whole room

Discounts: If cost is a barrier, we want to make the session as accessible as possible. If you are a student, unemployed, or on a low income, please feel free to send me a direct message to get a reduced-price place.

Refunds: If you are unable to attend and would like a refund, please send me a direct message at least 48 hours before the event.
Unfortunately, I’m not able to offer refunds for cancellations made after this point, as it becomes difficult to reallocate places at short notice.

This evening we will be looking at some of the key concepts of C.G. Jung, including the unconscious, the collective unconscious, archetypes, the shadow, personality types and individuation.

Jung may not be a philosopher in the usual academic sense, but his ideas raise deeply philosophical questions. What is the self? How far are we transparent to ourselves? Are our lives shaped only by reason and conscious choice, or also by symbols, myths and unconscious patterns?

Although some might see Jung as philosophy-adjacent, this evening we will approach him as philosophers: by examining, questioning and debating his concepts.

You do not need to have studied philosophy or arrive with specialist knowledge. Curiosity and a willingness to join the dialogue are enough.

The conversation does not have to stop when the formal part ends. People often stay afterwards for a drink and a chat, and that informal part helps Philosophy Cafe become a friendly community rather than just a series of events.

Where: Downstairs room, Square Pig, Holborn (private room)

NB: The event begins at 7pm, doors open at 6:50pm. Event ends at 9pm

Format: 10-minute intro talk → vote on questions → small-group discussions → share insights with the whole room

Discounts: If cost is a barrier, we want to make the session as accessible as possible. If you are a student, unemployed, or on a low income, please feel free to send me a direct message to get a reduced-price place.

Refunds: If you are unable to attend and would like a refund, please send me a direct message at least 48 hours before the event. Unfortunately, I’m not able to offer refunds for cancellations made after this point, as it becomes difficult to reallocate places at short notice.

Open Forum gives participants the chance to steer the evening: suggest a question, vote with the room, and then explore the chosen questions through discussion. Bring anything that might open up a good philosophical conversation.

Instead of beginning with a pre-announced theme, this session is a chance to explore the questions people actually bring on the night: questions about ethics, culture, beauty, meaning or anything else that might lead somewhere interesting.

You do not need to have studied philosophy or arrive with specialist knowledge. Curiosity and a willingness to join the dialogue are enough.

The conversation does not have to stop when the formal part ends. People often stay afterwards for a drink and a chat, and that informal part helps Philosophy Cafe become a friendly community rather than just a series of events.

Where: Downstairs room, Square Pig, Holborn (private room)

NB: The event begins at 7pm, doors open at 6:50pm. Event ends at 9pm

Format: Participants propose questions → vote on questions → small-group discussions → share insights with the whole room

Discounts: If cost is a barrier, we want to make the session as accessible as possible. If you are a student, unemployed, or on a low income, please feel free to send me a direct message to get a reduced-price place.

Refunds: If you are unable to attend and would like a refund, please send me a direct message at least 48 hours before the event. Unfortunately, I’m not able to offer refunds for cancellations made after this point, as it becomes difficult to reallocate places at short notice.