Philosophy/ general discussion group in pubs

A lot of us enjoy a bit of banter here on Forumosa, and in the pub (though I’ve never done the latter with any of you, to my knowledge). Sometimes it descends into abuse, other times into drivel and in the pub you risk boring the guy next to you at the bar who just wanted a quiet drink or to talk about what was on TV last night.

So I’ve been thinking about the possibility of something more formal - i.e. a meeting in a pub with a prearranged subject, possibly a motion and either someone who knows a little or has done some research to introduce it, or speakers on either side to lead a debate.

As I’ve said, this would avoid the risk of boring your mates or the conversation slowly moving on to other topics without feeling you’ve really got your teeth into this one. My motivation is to learn from others who know more than me, and a spot of intellectual exercise.

The individual meetings could be based on broad topics - philosophical, ethical, political, economic etc, or on writers/thinkers and their ideas. Some ideas for the former might be “what can we know?”, “what is right?”, globalisation, new age ideas/ the decline of reason, crises of capitalism, etc. The latter could be any thinker/writer we came up with.

It would probably require a minimum of organisation - a time and a place obviously, an agreed program for x number of meetings ahead, someone to take responsibility for researching and introducing individual topics and perhaps producing a reading list for it.

I have one or two venues in mind. One good thing about it would be a regular, organised, ‘worthy’ opportunity to go the pub to ‘talk shit’.

If there is enough of a response, I shall take it further.

Or you might just have a billiards and backgammon evening. Less work, more beer. )

Master debating is public is usually frowned upon.

Let’s have a mass debate.

Well, the response has been overwhelming so far! This is an idea with legs.

The thing to do is invite people you know personally. A broadcast invitation for this kind of thing won’t work.

The idea was to cast the net a bit wider and find new people with specific knowledge or interests.

Tell you what. Visit me for a nice curry and I’ll give you some pornography. Hell, I’ll even throw in some scrabble. You want Kant? (How cool is that name?), go to Luxy.

I think the idea is great, but it has to be well-fashioned. I used to be part of an “intellectual discussion group” back in Canookistan, and it went pretty well. Each event would have two people give a presentation on a theme - philosphical ones, or current affairs issues that had a strong philosphical component - and then there would be general discussion.

This kind of thing needs a certain organizational structure, but with lots of free space for windbaggery. If you actually do it, I’d be happy to participate.

that’s what I need: Kant. Always puts me to sleep, and it’s now 2:30 am.

Hmmm… seems quite an amazing idea… given anyone here who doesn’t actually know anyone else here wants to socialize.

How about add in some spontaneity, and some running like a hash, then everyone shows up ready to talk about an unexpected compelling subject, then have to run while drinking beer to the next stop, where everyone talks about another unexpected compelling subject. Everyone who wants to talk gets 2 minutes to expose their view, with a 1 minute rebuttal.

Kind of like a running drinking club, with a philosophy discussion problem.

[quote=“tango42”]Hmmm… seems quite an amazing idea… given anyone here who doesn’t actually know anyone else here wants to socialize.

How about add in some spontaneity, and some running like a hash, then everyone shows up ready to talk about an unexpected compelling subject, then have to run while drinking beer to the next stop, where everyone talks about another unexpected compelling subject. Everyone who wants to talk gets 2 minutes to expose their view, with a 1 minute rebuttal.

Kind of like a running drinking club, with a philosophy discussion problem.[/quote]

Philosophy on the hash? Sounds a bit sketchy to me.

[quote=“BigJohn”][quote=“tango42”]Hmmm… seems quite an amazing idea… given anyone here who doesn’t actually know anyone else here wants to socialize.

How about add in some spontaneity, and some running like a hash, then everyone shows up ready to talk about an unexpected compelling subject, then have to run while drinking beer to the next stop, where everyone talks about another unexpected compelling subject. Everyone who wants to talk gets 2 minutes to expose their view, with a 1 minute rebuttal.

Kind of like a running drinking club, with a philosophy discussion problem.[/quote]

Philosophy on the hash? Sounds a bit sketchy to me.[/quote]

Say that again.

Tango, jeez, with ideas like that it’s no wonder you need to be running off every few minutes! :slight_smile:

fruitloop, good idea. If I lived in Taipei rather than darkest Chiayi County, I’d be in quicker than you can say “Jackoff Robinson,”

A Lefting Workshop would be a very tempting idea if i did not have to swim 600 miles to attend.

Have fun!

WRT Tango’s comments, hash always made me wax philosophical.

[quote=“urodacus”]A Lefting Workshop would be a very tempting idea if i did not have to swim 600 miles to attend.

Have fun!

WRT Tango’s comments, hash always made me wax philosophical.[/quote]
600 miles is nothing. Better than having to swim 965,606.40 meters!

[quote=“BigJohn”]I think the idea is great, but it has to be well-fashioned. I used to be part of an “intellectual discussion group” back in Canookistan, and it went pretty well. Each event would have two people give a presentation on a theme - philosphical ones, or current affairs issues that had a strong philosphical component - and then there would be general discussion.

This kind of thing needs a certain organizational structure, but with lots of free space for windbaggery. If you actually do it, I’d be happy to participate.[/quote]

“but it has to be well-fashioned”

Well, I have to admit that is part of my motivation. I’ve never organised anything like this before. Hell, I’ve never organised anything in my life. I wasn’t a member of any clubs or societies at university, not realising that they were a practice run for membership of middle class civic society. In retrospect, the school debating society looks like fun.

I have been wondering about what I would “do” if and when returning to the UK (other than work). Drinking is a good hobby among globetrotters here in Taiwan, but get back home and you discover all your mates have kids and are lucky to get out for a couple of hours every fortnight or so (and those that are out as regularly as many of us here are so because they’re alcoholics). Membership of some kind of organisation seems pretty likely, so I may as well get some practice in here.

So, if nothing else, ideas about how it might work would be helpful.

Commitment to turning up would obviously help. Perhaps through subs, which could then be spent collectively on beer or food.

The meetings would have to be regular - every week, fortnight or month.

Individual members would have to take responsibility for introducing topics. I can’t quite see too many guest speakers getting involved, but you never know - if this idea does take wings and fly (to mix my earlier metaphor).

The venue would be a pub that had either a back room, a secluded area or wasn’t too busy on certain (hopefully predictable) nights. I have at least one place in mind.

10-20 people might work well. The more people there were, the more critical the role of chair would be.

If the first speaker was just introducing an idea or topic, they might be the chair. If they were making a case for something, there should be a separate chair.

p.s. I like the hash idea, but it might get us into trouble.

I suppose I could come in a sub rather than swimming. Might even sink me a Korean warship on the way!

Look at Toastmasters for talk ideas.