GUEST SPEAKER Dominate Me, Recognize Me Hegel, BDSM, and the Erotic Struggle

🔥 Socrates Café: Dominate Me, Recognize Me
Hegel, BDSM, and the Erotic Struggle for Selfhood
📍 Hideaway Café, Chiang Mai
📆 Saturday, 20th September
🕐 12:15 PM – 2:45 PM
🍽️ Minimum spend: 300 THB on food or drinks
“The self only becomes itself through being recognized.” – G.W.F. Hegel
In his Phenomenology of Spirit, Hegel's iconic master-slave dialectic describes a violent struggle for recognition—where one yields and becomes the slave, the other claims the title of master. But power is a paradox. The master depends on the slave for validation. The slave, through labor and transformation of the world, discovers inner strength and self-consciousness that the master lacks.
This month at Socrates Café Chiang Mai, we're tying Hegel’s philosophy to the red-hot reality of BDSM and kink. What if submission is a path to empowerment? What if domination is just a cry for recognition? And in scenes of pain, pleasure, and protocol—who is truly in control?
We're thrilled to welcome Ari Chase-Ramos as our guest speaker:
Ari is a writer, storyteller, comedian, and podcast host whose work dives into human sexuality, power exchange, and the nuances of desire. He’s the author of over two dozen erotic novellas (including The Thai Mistresses, The Songkran Slave, and Domination Diaries) and has performed stand-up comedy across Asia. Ari brings both academic insight and lived experience to the conversation on kink, consent, and consciousness.
🗝️ Topics we’ll explore:
– Can submission lead to liberation?
– Why is recognition so central to our identity?
– How do kink dynamics reflect or subvert social power?
– What does it mean to be “seen” in erotic or emotional terms?
– Is Hegel secretly sexy?
Expect deep thought, raw honesty, and a safe, nonjudgmental space for open discussion on taboo and transformative ideas.
✒️ Limited seating – RSVP recommended
💬 Open circle discussion, no pressure to speak
📚 Suggested reading (optional): Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit – Section on Self-Consciousness