WHAT IS PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY

Our goal with Practical Philosophy is simply to offer an open space to encourage deep discussions. We pick a new topic each week and we yap about it. This gives us an opportunity to share our thoughts, hear new perspectives, and helps our ability to communicate with each other. In society it’s rare that people get to talk to others with differing opinions, and we suffer for it. Practical Philosophy is an opportunity to hear a diverse range of opinions while clarifying our own.

Philosophy literally translates to love of wisdom, and that’s why we are here, to bring our lived perspective to these discussions, share our wisdom and learn from others in an open, judgment free environment.

Because our goal is to bring people together for a good discussion, it doesn’t make sense if we meet in a group of 20-30 people. For this reason, we split into groups after the meeting introduction. This allows us to keep into groups of 6-9 people, so we’re able to maintain a conversational tone. Our goal is to create a space that encourages those deep conversations that you’d have with your friends in a backyard during the summer.

WHAT WE ARE NOT

We are not a philosophy group in the traditional sense of exploring the works of Plato or Descartes (we tried that and no one wanted to attend that style of meet-up again). Rather, we look to explore the particular personal philosophies of the members, to learn what ideas got us here in our lives, and see how we can get closer to our own truth and wisdom. 

If you do come from a specific school of thought and want to share that perspective on the topic, feel free. If you have a certain perspective on the topic that may be a little out there, throw it on the table. Our goal here is to be open to hearing all ideas and viewing them non-dogmatically. This allows us to see what resonates for us and what doesn’t. 

GENERAL MEETING AGENDA

Each Practical Philosophy meet-up follows the same general timeline. We’ll offer the itinerary based on a meet-up that starts at 19:00, but some may start at 18:00 or 18:30.  

• 19:00-19:15 – People arriving, get to know each other and catch up.
• 19:15-19:25 – Organizer gives the meeting introduction, cover the rules and weekly topic and split everyone into groups. If it’s a small group, we stay together, but when it gets too big we split up, as mentioned above.
• 19:25-20:45 – Break into small groups – introduce yourselves and general thoughts on the topic, open discussion afterwards. You can review the ‘jump-off’ questions that are shared in the Whatsapp groups when the topic is announced as needed.
• 20:45-21:00 – All groups come back together to discuss conclusions of the topic – each group gives a short 1-minute summary. You can also share ways to practically apply the topic in our own lives. Organizer concludes the meeting.

DISCUSSION GUIDELINES

The guidelines we have at Practical Philosophy are designed to allow us to have open-minded discussions and encourage new findings. Please keep these guidelines in mind and exercise them when the Philosophy Club begins. 

1. No side-talk, one conversation at a time.
2. Be open to hearing other points of view. Don’t immediately discount someone’s belief simply because you don’t agree with it. Listen to theirs and if you’re pushing back on it, do it respectfully.
3. Do NOT monopolize the conversation. We want to hear your point of view, but we also want to hear from everyone. Be aware of how much you’re talking and give others opportunities to share.
4. Keep an eye on some of the silent people. Not everyone wants to share, but if they do but can’t because we’re yapping too much, make room to get their opinion.
5. We have a topic to discuss, but we don’t need to stay on topic. The goal here is to have an interesting / deep conversation. If it starts going off track but in a way we’re all on board with, feel free. 
6. At the same time remember it’s Practical Philosophy, so if it starts getting too woo-woo, try to bring it back to practicality. 
7. Feel free to get as vulnerable as you’re comfortable with, but keep in mind that we don’t want to be trauma dumping either. It’s a balance between sharing your story and also keeping in mind if you’re sharing a little too much where your story isn’t relevant to the conversation. Self-awareness is key here.

Want to attend a meet-up? Find a club near you and join the WhatsApp group here: