When will Independence Day arrive for our nation’s youth?
In his opening stump speech for Hillary Clinton, President Obama also went out of his way to praise Bernie Sanders for “bringing young people into the process.” Which young people is he talking about? Presumably only those 18 years and older. But what about all the millions of disenfranchised young people younger than 18 who […]
Can family members be friends? Wisdom from a just-turned 8 year old
Check out this link. While celebrating my youngest’s 3rd birthday, I posed a question to a multilingual just-turned 8 year old Renaissance thinker. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a mini Socrates Cafe inquiry with him, what with his articulateness, keen sense of perspective and vision. Listen in as he differentiates between literal and emotional […]
Why I started Socrates Cafe — and why I’ll never finish
It’s going on 20 years since I first began Socrates Cafe. 20 years. And the first group I started, in Montclair, NJ, still meets weekly after all these years. My grandiose plan had been to have just one Socrates Cafe. But it resonated with people far and wide, not just in the U.S., but abroad, […]
Where I’m blogging mostly right now
If you come to this site for my blogs, then you must be wondering if I’m the least prolific blogger in history. I’ve been mostly blogging at my Childing site. So please go there — here’s my latest — or my Huffington Post column (which I’ve also been pretty remiss about, but willl get back to […]
on democratic evolution and revolution and socratizing
I was thinking today about how many people across the political spectrum tell me in my sojourns that think our open society is closing up more and more, to the point that they not only consider it in deep decline, but only a matter of time before some sort of cataclysmic upheaval occurs. They point […]
On tragedies — and the opportunity youth present us to avoid repeating them
This is not a Socrates Cafe-ish post, no timely-timeless exploration of matters philosophical per se, but more of the Democracy Cafe / Declaration Project variety — one that takes on more of the role of the Socratic citizen who challenges complacency against the darker forces that threaten today to undo the democratic mechanisms within our nation’s […]
20th Anniversary Socrates Cafe Symposium, Matching Funds Challenge, and More
Dear Friends and Supporters, We have a number of exciting tidings to report on the inroads we are making in advancing our mission of making ours a more inclusive, thoughtful and participatory world. As you know, we believe that civil conversation isn’t enough. Nor is it sufficient to construct ‘the right questions.’ Rather, a method […]
Philosophy?
What is philosophy? It translates as ‘love of wisdom,’ but what does that amount to? How do you love wisdom? What if we asked instead, What does philosophy do? Or, what should you do with philosophy? I find myself wondering: Is philosophy something that can only be done? And to the extent that it is […]
Interview on KBOO: Embracing the Qualities of Youth
Our founder and executive director, Christopher Phillips, was recently interviewed in KBOO by Paul O’Brien on “childing”—embracing the defining qualities of youth. You can listen to it here.