What we’re about
The Greater Philadelphia Thinking Society is a Meetup group that brings together thoughtful people for stimulating and civically minded conversations.
We meet in a relaxed setting on almost every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 AM and occasionally in the evening. Most of our events aim for a small group ambiance with about 10-12 participants. Sometimes we use larger spaces with different group dynamics and formats.
Almost all our events engage participants in a group conversation to explore a wide range of topics including society & culture, philosophy & religion, design, science & technology, psychology, politics, economics, and current events.
We organize a safe, facilitated forum of inquiry and exploration.
Our interactive format engages participants to speak up and be heard, to explore our assumptions, to listen and hear others, and to find and build meanings.
We value topics that matter, diverse points of view and ways of knowing, sensitive listening, and your contributions to our explorations.
In addition to ideas and resources posed by the event host(s), our conversations are informed by participants exchanging experiences, interpretations, understandings, beliefs, feelings, values, thoughts, and ways of thinking.
Through discourse and consideration these ideas can reveal a web of relationships which participants can form into meaningful insights and new possibilities.
We start the conversation so come participate and accept your own genius.
We are always looking for new discussion leaders and other volunteers to bring new and interesting topics and perspectives to our group. Please see https://www.meetup.com/thinkingsociety/pages/14433542/Discussion_Leader_Guidelines/ if you are interested.
For more information about our group including our list of Frequently Asked Questions, please visit About the Greater Philadelphia Thinking Society.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- The Recent Surge of Antisemitism in America (SHANNONDELL Valley Forge)Shannondell - Bradford Clubhouse, Audubon, PA
The rise in hate speech and hate crimes against Jews, especially since 2023, is alarming. We will discuss antisemitism, from several perspectives:
- Who are the perpetrators?
- Who are the victims?
- Why are university students protesting on U.S. campuses?
- How does the ongoing war in Gaza contribute to antisemitism?
- How does anger against Israel and Israeli politics get redirected to anger against all Jews?
- How have current and past U.S. policies under Biden and Trump affected antisemitism?
We will discuss the rapid growth of violence and threats against Jews – the number of incidents reported and the impacts on victims and the Jewish community, drawing from several sources:
- Watch a short CBS video news clip about the Anti-Defamation League report, “ADL reports record number of antisemitic incidents in 2024” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgY-X8uY2RU&list=RDNSxgY-X8uY2RU&start_radio=1.
- Read about the experiences and fears of American Jews, as reported by the American Jewish Committee, “AJC’s State of Antisemitism in America 2024 Report: Behind the Numbers” at https://www.ajc.org/news/ajcs-state-of-antisemitism-in-america-2024-report-behind-the-numbers.
- Watch a short NBC video clip of an ADL spokesman connecting the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack to an immediate rise in American antisemitic activities online and on campuses, including acceleration of pro-Palestine and anti-Israel protests on campuses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaJCqS0ElN8
- Read a New York Times guest opinion essay by Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University. He discusses political implications of campus antisemitism from the perspective of a Jewish university president of a traditionally Christian univerisity. Here is a free gift link for “Trump Is Selling Jews a Dangerous Lie” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/opinion/trump-jewish-antisemitism-wesleyan.html?unlocked_article_code=1.DU8.pV0d.GQPXHjK1OcpA&smid=url-share
