Twenty-five or so people, ranging from secondary school students to pensioners with a whole spectrum of people in between, spent a couple of hours sitting at tables of four to six people exploring this question...with tea and cake!
The conversation was hugely enjoyable, having space to think and explore ideas with people we didn't know - the 'rule' was that we should not sit with people we knew.
As to the question, community emerged as somewhat double-edged. Being with people you trust is of course a positive experience, but those same people can together become exclusive and so community gains a sinister power to exclude.
A similar double edge comes with social media, having the ability to drawn together and inform positively, it also has power to deliver bullying and the same risk of exclusivity as a physical community.
There was of course much more, but I hope I have captured the essence.
Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Thursday, 18 September 2014
Lincoln Philosophy Cafe
Philosophy Cafe
"Is social media a force for good in society?"
Richard Dale, Simon Hollingsworth and Phil Hamlyn Williams look forward to welcoming you to an exploration of this subject on Saturday October 18th @ 2.30 pm at Lincoln Drill Hall. Tickets available from the box office.
Denise Pickup told me that the Philosophy Cafe was established in Lincoln in the 1990's after Richard Dale visited the Philosophy Cafe at the Insitute Francaise and decided to bring the format to Lincoln in a modified form. The original format was a consise lecture by a philosopher followed by discussion from the audience and this was fielded by the philosopher. It was not thought that this would be well received in Lincoln, so the format was somewhat modified. In Lincoln it was hosted by Cafe Rouge on Beaumont Fee, a venue which was ideally laid out with small tables.
The early, hugely popular sessions were hosted by Brian Thompson, a retired neurobiology lecturer from Nottingham University who had for many years hosted courses at the Workers Education Association on Beaumont Fee on Brains, Emotions and related subjects. He was a popular, accessible tutor who had a very loyal following. This consisted mainly of the active retired and ladies over 50, The majority were intelligent and self-educated people who had never had the opportunity for further education but welcomed knowledge in an accessible form.
The format was as follows:
A fairly simple statement was presented for 5 minutes and dissected by the tutor, ie "What is a good education?" A summary of ancient Greek ideas on education from one of the early Greek philosophers (5 mins) and then reflection on the word "education" and the word "good" (5 mins again).
Participants were encouraged to sit with strangers for the talk and leave the people they had arrived with. In groups of 6 ideas were exchanged and then shared at 'half time' facilitated by Mr Thompson. After a resume, the second half began to allow participants to explore their ideas further. The feedback was excellent.
We plan to follow a similar format.
One of the objectives of the philosophy cafe is to excerise the mind and allow people to exchange ideas and grow in confidence.
"Is social media a force for good in society?"
Richard Dale, Simon Hollingsworth and Phil Hamlyn Williams look forward to welcoming you to an exploration of this subject on Saturday October 18th @ 2.30 pm at Lincoln Drill Hall. Tickets available from the box office.
Denise Pickup told me that the Philosophy Cafe was established in Lincoln in the 1990's after Richard Dale visited the Philosophy Cafe at the Insitute Francaise and decided to bring the format to Lincoln in a modified form. The original format was a consise lecture by a philosopher followed by discussion from the audience and this was fielded by the philosopher. It was not thought that this would be well received in Lincoln, so the format was somewhat modified. In Lincoln it was hosted by Cafe Rouge on Beaumont Fee, a venue which was ideally laid out with small tables.
The early, hugely popular sessions were hosted by Brian Thompson, a retired neurobiology lecturer from Nottingham University who had for many years hosted courses at the Workers Education Association on Beaumont Fee on Brains, Emotions and related subjects. He was a popular, accessible tutor who had a very loyal following. This consisted mainly of the active retired and ladies over 50, The majority were intelligent and self-educated people who had never had the opportunity for further education but welcomed knowledge in an accessible form.
The format was as follows:
A fairly simple statement was presented for 5 minutes and dissected by the tutor, ie "What is a good education?" A summary of ancient Greek ideas on education from one of the early Greek philosophers (5 mins) and then reflection on the word "education" and the word "good" (5 mins again).
Participants were encouraged to sit with strangers for the talk and leave the people they had arrived with. In groups of 6 ideas were exchanged and then shared at 'half time' facilitated by Mr Thompson. After a resume, the second half began to allow participants to explore their ideas further. The feedback was excellent.
We plan to follow a similar format.
One of the objectives of the philosophy cafe is to excerise the mind and allow people to exchange ideas and grow in confidence.
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