The Socrates Café — Philosophers Quotes Edition - Oba 7th floor.

This is a new edition of the Socrates cafe with a new format.

In this edition, the moderator will pick a specific quote, topic or question from a known philosophers (example; Voltaire, Kant, Marcus Aurelius, Hypatia of Alexandria, Rousseau, Machiavelli, Descartes, Plato and others).

A summary around a page will be provided in the event (See below - The topic of this Session)

Please take the time to read.

The Moderator will read the summary and give an introduction of the topic. Then, we will have an open discussion, and a final round when everyone will give their conclusions.

The topic of this Session

Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a Danish philosopher, theologian, and writer often considered the father of existentialism. He focused on the individual’s experience of freedom, anxiety, faith, and the search for meaning in life. Kierkegaard argued that truth is subjective and must be lived personally rather than accepted abstractly. His work deeply influenced existentialist thinkers and modern philosophy.

Søren Kierkegaard - “Truth is not something you can inherit or learn. Truth is something you must discover yourself,”

Søren Kierkegaard’s quote means that truth isn’t just about facts or inherited beliefs—it’s a personal, lived experience.

• Not just knowledge: You can’t truly understand truth by just reading or being told—you must engage with it yourself through your choices, struggles, and experiences.
• Subjective and active: Truth requires personal commitment—like faith, love, or morality—where you live it, not just believe it.
• Rejects passive acceptance: Kierkegaard critiques blindly following tradition or authority. Real truth comes from your own journey of doubt, reflection, and action.

In short: Truth is authentic only when you discover and embody it yourself.

About the Philosopher
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Soren-Kierkegaard

RULES

1. Please be on time! We will start at 19:00 so if you arrive late, please join quietly. If you are a first timer, make sure you take extra time for finding the location.
2. If something unexpected happens, please cancel as soon as possible. There's lovely people on the waiting list
3. If you repeatedly sign up and don’t show up, you can expect to be moved to the waitlist next time.
4. You may disagree with others, but please do so respectfully without personal attacks.
5. Please keep your attendance to one event per week to ensure everyone has an opportunity to attend.
6. Just to meet expectations, this is a Philosophy event to discuss Philosophy and this event's PRIMARY function is NOT focused on Self Help/Psychology or Theology. Though those topics can be a point of discussion from time to time. Please take that into consideration when signing up!

See you soon!