New York Philosophy

From PhiloWiki

New York Philosophy (nyphilosophy.com) is a social group that meets twice a month at bars and restaurants around Manhattan to discuss interesting and challenging topics. The intent of the group is to make philosophy accessible and fun for people who like to participate in spirited discussions. New York Philosophy (NYPhi) holds three types of meetings - general discussion meetings, mixers, and political cafes.

General discussion meetings

General discussion meetings are usually held on Mondays, but occasionally on other days to accommodate various schedules. The meetings are conducted at public and private locations around Manhattan as selected by the organizers or suggested by members. NYPhi prefers locations that serve reasonably-priced food and drinks and offer private rooms or quiet areas to gather. Each meeting begins with a happy hour at 6:30 PM so members can show up a bit early and mingle. Dinner and discussion begin at 7 PM. The meetings typically last several hours - as long as members are still hanging around and debating.

Since the group's founding in June of this year, NYPhi has held general discussion meetings on Philosophy, Ethics, Roulette (members' choice), War, the Meaning of Life, Deception, Objectivism, and Transhumanism. Upcoming topics include Sex, Truth, Chomsky, Happiness, Game Theory, and Aesthetics.

At the beginning of each meeting, the organizers briefly cover any administrative announcements. Then the topic leader (detailed below) gives an overview of the evening's topic. To facilitate discussions, NYPhi splits into groups of 8-10 people and rotate at least once throughout the evening.

Small groups

Each small group is led by a moderator selected by that small group. He or she is responsible for encouraging harmonious discussion and ensuring that everyone has a chance to contribute equally. The moderator kicks off the group discussion by soliciting everyone to briefly introduce themselves and give a brief (under a minute!) summary of their views on the evening's topic.

Topic leaders

Each meeting is kicked off by a topic leader. Topic leaders are group members who have interests in certain philosophical topics and want to share their passion and knowledge with the group by sponsoring a topic. Anyone can be a topic leader - one of the best aspects of the group is the interaction between all of the diverse members. The group has shown a proclivity in the past to discuss any imaginable topic, so the more creative the better! Topic leaders:

• provide the organizer with a 1-3 paragraph description of the topic at least one week ahead of time
• provide the organizer with a list of 8-15 general discussion questions at least one week ahead of time
• kick off the meeting with a short (5-10 minutes) introduction to the topic

Philosophy mixers

Mixers are held every couple of months or so with other Meetup groups. So far, these mixers have been toward the end of the week and held at private residences. They are usually BYOB and potluck and start around 8PM. There is little structure to these meetings and they often last until very late at night.

Political cafes

Political cafes are smaller discussion meetings held once a month or so on Sundays at 3PM. The topics at these meetings are political in nature and the discussions are often quite challenging! These meetings are also held in varying locations in Manhattan. The first political cafe was on America as Empire; the next is on Superpowers.

Debate guides

The organizer creates a debate guide for each general discussion meeting containing a summary of the topic and lists of questions as developed by the organizer and anyone in the group. Debate guides are printed out and distributed to everyone at the start of each meeting. All debate guides are collaboratively developed online at New York Philosophy using Wiki technology that is shared with Triangle Philosophy and Connecticut Philosophy. Members are encouraged to review the debate guides ahead of time. Everyone is encouraged to contribute questions and ideas to the debate guides ahead of the scheduled meetings.

Conduct

With each meeting's topic and set of questions, NYPhi encourages the discussion groups to promote and practice debate using the Socratic method of discourse. Essentially, as members make a point, others are encouraged to ask "Why do you think that?" and to challenge the assumptions of each argument. Philosophers seek to delve to the root assumptions and logic that underpin one's opinions, politely and with respect. The goal of each member should be to see how his or her own beliefs hold up under scrutiny and to find common points of agreement and disagreement. No one should make a point of trying to change the minds of others.

Organizers

The NYPhi organizer (John) and assistant organizer (Chris) work with topic leaders to ensure successful meetings. The organizers will:

• take a description of a topic and create the event and message board notice
• work with the topic leader on the criteria for selecting a location (location/noise/facilities)
• make an early reservation and reconfirm the weekend before the meeting with updated RSVP counts
• create a new (or edit an existing) debate guide if appropriate (these are how we capture questions and discussions for posterity)
• print the topic description and questions as part of each meeting's agenda for each attendee
• assist with leading the discussion as needed
• be a topic leader if no one else will!

Feedback and suggestions

Members are encouraged to contact the organizers through Meetup at any time with comments or suggestions. Each member is invited to propose topics and lead discussions. The organizers will assist as much as is requested.