Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy

by Christopher Phillips

"A bracing, rollicking read about the spark that ignites when people start asking meaningful questions."—O Magazine

Christopher Phillips is a man on a mission: to revive the love of questions that Socrates inspired long ago in ancient Athens. "Like a Johnny Appleseed with a master's degree, Phillips has gallivanted back and forth across America, to cafés and coffee shops, senior centers, assisted-living complexes, prisons, libraries, day-care centers, elementary and high schools, and churches, forming lasting communities of inquiry" (Utne Reader). Phillips not only presents the fundamentals of philosophical thought in this "charming, Philosophy for Dummies-type guide" (USA Today); he also recalls what led him to start his itinerant program and re-creates some of the most invigorating sessions, which come to reveal sometimes surprising, often profound reflections on the meaning of love, friendship, work, growing old, and others among Life's Big Questions. "How to Start Your Own Socrates Café" guide included.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Education, Psychology, Read For School, School, Self Help

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

"Christopher Phillips is the greatest living embodiment of the Socratic spirit in our catastrophic times. His global grassroots movement of Socrates Cafés and Democracy Cafés have transformed the lives of millions of people in every continent on the Earth. His brilliant and wise books have touched the minds and souls of so many of us. And his soulful style and genuine compassion have enriched the lives of we fortunate ones. When the historians write of the ugly and beautiful in our turbulent age, the Socratic words, works and deeds of my dearest brother Christopher Phillips should loom large." - so says none other than Dr. Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy & Christian Practice, Union Theological Seminary; Author of of the classic 'Race Matters' and other works, public intellectual and civil rights activist.

Christopher Phillips has a passion for inquiry. A foremost specialist in the Socratic Method, sought after speaker, consultant and moderator, and noted author of works including the international bestsellers 'Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy,' 'Six Questions of Socrates: A Modern Day Journey of Discovery through World Philosophy', the critically acclaimed 'Constitution Cafe: Jefferson's Brew for a True Revolution', among others, including his newest work, 'Soul of Goodness' and a philosophical children's book series ('Day of Why,' 'The Philosophers' Club'), he reminds us that we ought to ask questions – “not about any chance question,” as Socrates put it in Plato’s Republic, “but about the way one should live.” He encourages us to turn on our childlike questioning lenses, and become our own best thinkers, askers, doers.

Dr. Phillips travels the world over holding dialogues with people of all walks of life. He believes that the process of dialogue and the space of human interaction are good for us as individuals and essential for us as a society. His goal is to inspire curiosity and wonder of a transformative sort, one that nurtures self-discovery, openness, empathy. The acclaimed educator exhorts his fellow inquirers to discover their own unique stores of wisdom and chart, alone and together.

His personal website page is ChristopherPhillips.com His nonprofit website is: SocratesCafe.com His Twitter is @ChristopherCafe His Instagram is @theSocratesCafe
His Facebook pages include:
https://www.facebook.com/SocratesCafe...
https://www.facebook.com/SocratesCafe...

Here's what two reviewers say about Christopher's newest book, 'Soul of Goodness':

"This textual gem of the heart, mind, soul, and body is an intellectual feast and existential blues song of he who decided to be true to his sacred Socratic calling and empty himself of his divine and human gifts in the open streets of the world to enrich the precious lives of us all." - Dr. Cornel West, author, Race Matters, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Professor of Philosophy and Christian Practice, Union Theological Seminary, educator, civil rights activist, author Race Matters and many other works.

"Soul of Goodness is a masterpiece which blends the images of the novel, the philosopher's wisdom and the journalist's clarity. Through an extraordinary use of these skills, Philips has given us a work of art which penetrates the nerve center of being as he patiently enters the interiors of pain, of suffering, culminating in joyous solutions as they seamlessly unravel in Global Socrates cafes to which visitors come to speak, to think and heal by the philosophical wisdoms of the vast literature of the Global South and Global North. In the hands of Phillips, philosophy becomes musical and music and poetry become philosophical. Written beautifully through the powers of images and narratives, the novel is used in the service of philosophy and philosophy itself as the dwelling place of all those who want to wonder, to imagine and be healed." -- Teodros Kiros, Professor of Philosophy at Berklee college & Harvard

Reviews

[robin friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

To Bring Wisdom To Life

Christopher Phillips has written an engaging, if somewhat over-simple book describing the project of his middle-age. He realized the dream of a lifetime, in becoming a Socratic teacher.

"Socrates Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy" describes how Phillips left his life as a free-lance writer for the even more unstable and risk-driven career of teaching people how to question and how to think -- about philosophy in short. And question Phillips does, in cafes, bookstores, prisons, schools for at risk children, old-age homes, and anywhere else he can find people who are willing to question and discuss.

It is only late in the book that we learn some of the "why" of Phillips' own quest- how he grew dissatisfied with his professional, and apparently personal, life as well and come to the conclusion that he needed to devote himself to an activity he deemed worthwhile. He became a Socratic questioner, went back to school to earn several masters degrees in the process, and found a wife from among his students. The chapter in which Phillips describes his quest and finds his wife to be is for me the best in the book.

Phillips' Socratically-influenced dialogues themselves are a mixed bag on subjects that range from trivial to serious with comments that range from insightful to trite. The dialogues are less than truly Socratic in that Socrates generally conversed with one interlocutor at a time and kept the discussion focused on the matter at hand as an aid to approximate the truth. The procedure and comments in the book are, alas, too undisciplined to stand with what Socrates had in mind and seem at times to degenerate into bull or rap sessions.

But no terrible harm in that. Some people, old and young, appear to be genuinely moved and interested by their first attempt to think clearly about important matters. If only a few people learn to think and to study deeper than they might otherwise have done, Phillips's efforts will be amply repaid.

There is a too easy criticism of academic philosophy in the book which, however, is understandable given the nature of the author's goals. There is good discussion of contemporary American thinkers such as Walter Kaufmann and John Randall. Most importantly, of course there is the discussion of Socrates and his great student Plato, and on the influence they have exerted since their times on anybody who has grappled with their thought and learned to question and love the life of the mind -- which is the life of the heart and the soul when schooled.

This book is hardly the last word in philosophical thinking but it does not claim to be. May it awaken readers to a sense of wonder and reflection and thought.

Robin Friedman

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب لطيف عن مقهى بالمعنى المجازي للفلسفة حيث السؤال و التفكير الفلسفي هما روح اللقاء .

[Saif · Rating 3 out of 5]

"مقهى سقراط"
عنوان جذاب، وغلاف الكتاب يشدك إنتباهك من أول نظرة

مقهى سقراط هو عبارة عن جلسات نقاش فلسفية يديرها كريستوفر فيلبس ويعقدها في أماكن ومناطق مختلفة
في المقاهي والحدائق والمدارس والسجون ودور العجزة ....

وهدفه من ذلك هو إنزال الفلسفة من برجها العاجي وإخراجها من الجامعات والمناهج الأكاديمية الصارمة وجعلها في متناول العامة من الناس ولكل المثرثرين...

لاحقاً قام كريستوفر بإفراغ جلسات النقاش الفلسفية ووضعها في هذا الكتاب...

ولمن يسأل لماذا مقهى "سقراط" بالذات؟
الجواب هو أن منهج سقراط في الفلسفة كان قائماً على النزول في الأسواق وفي الساحات العامة، وتحطيم قناعات الناس البالية عن طريق الأسئلة والمحاورة والمنطق وهي الأساليب المتبعة في الجلسات الفلسفية.

الكتاب يستعرض بعض مما جاء في هذه الجلسات الفلسفية من نقاش في عدة مواضيع، والشيء الجميل في الكتاب وفي هذه الجلسات الفلسفية أنها تعرض وجهات نظر متعددة وتنظر للموضوع من كل الزوايا لاختلاف المشاركين واختلاف وجهات نظرهم.

[Christopher Porzenheim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understood this book as a manifesto; one I was sympathetic to but ultimately unconvinced by.

In Socrates Cafe, Phillips is calling for the creation of small Socratic communities in which a version of the Socratic Method can be practiced. He shares stories from Socrates Cafe's he has facilitated and gives a taste to the reader of what participation at a Socrates Cafe asks of you (and promises for you.) In general, the guiding principle of behavior in Socrates Cafes is 'what would Socrates do?'

Phillips sees that the point of Socrates Cafes is to, like Prometheus, steal the fire of philosophy from academia and give it to the people. According to Phillips the fire promises us better lives through better critical reasoning, questioning, and wonder. I'm very sympathetic to this.

If you are interested in meeting up with others and pursuing questions for their own sake; then this book and Socrates Cafe meetings are for you. This book is an introduction to Socrates Cafes.

As a manifesto, or invitation to leading a certain style of life, this book works. But otherwise, I confess I found myself frustrated with it. Phillip's writing style as well as his understanding of the Socratic way of life just doesn't fully work for me.

He thinks that Socrates refused to ever 'teach' anyone and only learned from them. I suspect he draws this conclusion because his understanding of Socrates seems almost entirely based off of Plato to the exclusion of Xenophon. For me, this essentially means that Phillips is presenting one side of the myth of Socrates. He is very clear about this:

"[Socrates] surely exists as an idealized persona that we forever strive to realize within ourselves. The Socrates of whom I speak is intellectual integrity personified."

There's nothing wrong about having your own myth of Socrates which inspires you to live better. I have my own myth of Socrates. But I think Phillips has made a mistake by excluding Xenophon and not acknowledging that he has done so. To me, Socrates was a versatile man who could hold Phillips style Socrates Cafes just as much as he could provide a friend with direct advice ala Xenophon.

Finally, I found the way Phillips wrote as occasionally clunky. His descriptions of people; specifically what they wore; seemed awkwardly designed to comment on their character. This obvious clunkiness felt odd as before Phillips found his calling as a 'Johny Appleseed of Socrates Cafes' he was a journalist. Consider this passage for example:

"'Why did you start Socrates Cafe?'
The wide-eyed and winsome woman who asks me this question is clutching a cell phone in one hand. Even though it is quite warm inside, she has not removed her heavy blue wool coat, as if she might have to leave at any moment. She is among eighteen curious souls who have shown up for the first-ever Socrates Cafe I am inaugurating...."

I was prevented from enjoying this book more because of the style with which he organized this book, as well as his complete exclusion of Xenophon. If we are to live lives as Socrates, we would do well to consider all the relevant sources on his life. To skim over Xenophon, whether by accident or intentionally, is a choice that must be defended, and Phillips offers no reason for doing so.

Regardless, I'm happy Phillips is sharing his understanding of Socrates with people, because from what he writes, it seems clear that its aiding people lead more fulfilled lives. We could all benefit from greater self awareness and keen questioning, which seems to be the point of Socrates Cafes.

[John Martindale · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has inspired me to try and start a Socrates Cafe near the universities in Uptown New Orleans, once I get back to the city. I love philosophical discussion and yeah, getting to engage in dialog with people who will likely have a very different world-view then my own, would be most challenging for me and would help me expand my boundaries and grow in understanding.

[Rsoeffker · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should be read if you fall into one or more of these categories:
1. You have never heard of philosophy and have never questioned anything in your life.
2. You love hearing people gloat about themselves.

This entire book is one giant collection of transcription from his chats. Very little unique insight or ideas are in this book. The characters are typically social rejects who have serious mental psychosis. You will learn about many dull, pathetic characters such as:
1. The man in the rental car company jacket.
2. The purple haired girl who has deep thoughts despite her shallow appearance.
3. The old woman who has nothing special to say.
And many more!

Skip this mess and read actual philosophy.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a mixture of two intertwined threads: a personal memoir and a meditation on the virtues of philosophy, particularly the socratic method. It deftly moved back and forth between the two, one moment describing the pivotal moment when the author decided to give up a cushy academic job to pursue his goal of leading informal discussion groups across the US (the aforementioned Socrates cafe) and the next providing a history of some particular aspect of philosophy (for example, whether what passes for skepticism today is the same thing as the skepticism of the classical world).

So what is a Socrates cafe? The author describes it somewhat colourfully as 'church service for heretics.' (Don't worry though, there's no hemlock in lieu of communion wine). Here is a brief paragraph where he describes it:

'....Socrates cafe-goers subject their beliefs, their worldviews, to cogent objections and alternatives. They recognize that philosophical inquiry requires each of us to evaluate radically and continually our beliefs, our lives, our selves, our place. They refuse to accept any class of so-called truths at face value. They think it's always open to debate whether a certain set of beliefs is humane or rational, wise or good. And they clearly believe it is up to them to discover their place in the world.'

That sounds quite formal. In practice, not so much. A bunch of people arrive at a predetermined location (in the pages of this book locations were diverse: senior centres, elementary schools, prisons, bars, and coffee houses). Someone asks a question, usually framed as a typical Jeopardy answer: 'What is ____?' And off it goes. The author records the freeflowing back and forth of a large number of these conversations – they probably comprise a good third of the book – and they are by far the best part of it. Among the informal discussions included: What is community? What is the examined life? What is wisdom? What is friendship? What is good/evil? What is belief? What is silence? What is love? What is equality? What is liberty? What does it mean to know yourself? What is subjectivity? How does it differ from objectivity? What types of things exist? What is curiosity? Is it possible to be too curious? What is ignorance? How does it differ from innocence? Do people have a right to be willfully ignorant? It was interesting reading the diverse answers different people came up with to these questions and occasionally being introduced to a perspective I hadn't considered. You can socratize your self, your siblings, your society, just about anything you can imagine.

This book was clearly written for a different audience than me: people who need to be convinced of the merits of philosophy in the modern world. As for myself, a lot of the material outside the lively discussions was already familiar to me, and I don't need to be convinced of the merits of philosophy. I wouldn't have any issue with it being part of the normal educational curriculum alongside such mainstays as mathematics and reading comprehension. This book is a good starting place for the curious.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to read this book for entertainment I suggest you find something else. Socrates is insightful and totally worth it to read but it is definitely something thick to wade through. At some points I had to make myself read the text out loud to keep my mind from wandering but at other points I was turning pages as quickly as a fiction novel. This book has changed the way I view many things and most importantly it has taught me to question. I've learned from it that I can change something if I'm not happy with it because I control my own future. This book will enrich your life greatly if you can only get through the boring parts.

[Kate Woods Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accessible and readable, Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy by ex-journalist and philosophy booster Christopher Phillips tells the triune story of how he came to create the Socrates Cafe concept, what happens at a Socrates Cafe discussion, and how to start a philosophical discussion group of your own.

If you've ever wanted to explore the deeper meanings of everyday subjects, if you feel the common man has a right to question the dogma of his/her culture, or if you just want to know what your neighbors really think, you'll want to learn more about the Socrates Cafe movement. This book, and the author's website at www.philosopher.org, are the places to start.

Especially inspiring were the tales of philosophical discussions among elementary students, and especially useful were the sections titled "What's It All About" and "How to Start Your Own Socrates Cafe."

[Jena]

I'm only on page 22, but so far this is one of the most boring, repetitive books I have ever read. Possibly even more repetitive than Green Eggs and Ham.

[Saraï · Rating 3 out of 5]

fijn boek om te lezen, mijn belangstelling voor Socrates en inspiratie die hij brengt wordt duidelijk versterkt door de anekdotes van cafe socrates

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly didn't finish this one. I reached a point where it started to seem redundant...I love the idea of participating in a Socrates Cafe, but actually reading about them is a little dry.

[Atheer93 · Rating 4 out of 5]

الفلسفة ليس قدرها أن تغفو داخل الكتب، أو تستريح على باب الصروح الأكاديمية، ففي تجربة مقهى سقراط التي يعرضها كريستوفر فيليبس في كتابه الذي يحمل ذات العنوان تستحيل مواضيع الفلسفة وأدواتها إلى تجربة حياتية، يمارس فيها الناس فضيلة السؤال عن كل الأشياء التي تمس وجودهم، من أجل اكتشاف المعاني واستجلاء المعارف، فالحياة المستكشفة كما يقول سقراط هي التي تستحق العيش.
ومقهى سقراط هو لقاء أسبوعي يشارك في حضوره وجوه مختلفة من الناس، لنقاش سؤال محدد يجري الاتفاق عليه في كل جلسة، وعادة مايكون الحضور متنوعا، ما يهب الحوار تنوعه وثراءه، ويجعل من فعل السقرطة هو العامل المشترك الذي يجمع هذه الأصوات، أي الشغف في صناعة السؤال وتفحص الآراء ونقدها.
يراهن فيليبس في هذه التجربة التي أخذت تتمدد عبر العالم على تحويل الفلسفة من مجرد “قطعة أثرية” على حد وصفه إلى مادة حية ولغة يتعاطاها الناس في حياتهم اليومية، إلى غرس حب التفلسف عند الصغير والكبير، بدلا من تلقي الإجابات الجاهزة واستهلاكها، يريد أن يخرج الفلسفة من برجها العاجي لتمشي بين الناس، وتتحدث بلغتهم، وتتناول مشاكلهم، تماما كما كان يصنع سقراط في أثينا وهو يفتض سكون المدينة بأسئلته.
في هذا الكتاب الذي ترجمه الدكتور هادي آل شيخ ناصر، صاحب مقهى سقراط في مدينة سيهات شرق السعودية، يعرض فيليبس ليوميات هذه اللقاءات التي انطلقت منذ التسعينيات، في صورة حلقات نقاشية، تنقل معها من مدينة لأخرى، ومن مكان لآخر، من المدرسة إلى الكنيسة، ومن السجن إلى دور المسنين، يحدثنا عن الإنسان بوصفه كائنا مفكرا، حين يكشف في داخله ملكة التفكير وصناعة الأسئلة، روح الاستكشاف هي ما يقود هذا الشغف عند الحضور الذين ستتأسس علاقتهم مع المقهى مع الوقت، ليصبحوا بعدها شركاء في إدراته وتوجيه مناقشاته.
سنرى أسئلة بسيطة وأخرى معقدة في هذه التجمعات الحرة، فتارة يجد نقسه في نقاش عميق عن “ماهو الوطن”، في تجمع لكبار السن، يقلبه كل واحد منهم على طريقته، وبحسب تجربته في الحياة، وتارة يصبح سؤال الحكمة محور النقاش مع مجموعة من السجناء،هذا النقاش الذي سيدفع المؤلف إلى الاعتقاد بأن نزلاء السجن يمتلكون نصيبا وافرا من الحكمة.
تجربة المقهى مع الطفولة تهبك الدليل على أن الطفولة باب السؤال و الفضول الدائمين، تجربة شجعت صاحب المقهى أن يجمع الصغار مع الكهول في واحدة من الجلسات، ليتبادلوا الحوار حول معنى الكبر في السن، تعليقات تضج بالنضج، وبروح التأمل لدى الاثنين، وهو مايجعله يستنكر انصراف الناس عن الاصغاء للأطفال في أسئلتهم، والكبار في تأملاتهم.
مقهى سقراط هو المختبر الكبير الذي يريد من خلاله فيليبس تخليق أرواح سقراطية، وتقديم الفلسفة بنكهة مختلفة عن الرطانة الأكاديمية، في ممارسة يتعرف فيها المشارك على ذاته أولا، ليتكشف العالم من حوله، هذه الممارسة التي قد تهبه الشك والحيرة والاضطراب أحيانا، فالأسئلة برأي فيليبس “تزعج وتستفز وتثير وتهدد”، لكنها في المقابل تشعره بالنشوة لأن الواحد منا أصبح يمتلك وسائل وطرق عدة لاختبار وفحص المفاهيم في هذا الوجود.

[Ahmad · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are certain things I do not like about this book. One of these is the writing style that the author chooses. It's amateurish to say the least (in fact it reminds me of some of my recent attempts at prose). There is also an effort not to offend since one presumes that most people in this book do exist. That though makes it a tiring and all too polite read. And since when must a writer worry about not offending?
Another fault is the avoidance of "real" issues at the cafes. Lots of talk on what "what" is and if reality exists etc but nothing on real issues like politics, war, economics, morality and the like. You know the stuff that got Socrates killed in the first place. The writer also makes assumptions on certain issues (which I completely agree with) but which are not fitting for someone who claims to assume Socrates' mantle (Socrates did question everything after all).
Another deficiency is that the book mentions many philosophers and philosophical theories but completely ignores non-Western philosophers (there is no mention of ibn Rushd, ibn Sina, Ghazali, Maimonides, Farabi, Confucius etc) and so it perpetuates the myth that philosophy is a solely Western preserve.
In his effort to be "nice," I also think that the author is leaving out some details. Despite the rosy theory painted, one can only imagine the type of raging religious and political dogmatics a Socrates Cafe would attract in practice.

Having gotten that off my chest, I think the book is still worth reading. The idea is a noble one and there is much to gain from it. Socrates Cafe also has tons of tidbits on philosophy theory and history which is invaluable to anyone doing an introductory course on the subject (as I am). So despite its many failings, if you're into philosophy, it's well worth your time. If not, don't bother.

[Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't entirely thrilled with this book, maybe because of the constant theme of astonishment at the ability of ordinary people to provide interesting answers to philosophical questions, which felt awfully cynical and condescending to me. Otherwise, though, this book champions an interesting concept, the development of philosophy clubs as a popular pastime. Getting people together to talk about stuff could certainly be a fantastic way to help improve communities, and the 'Socratic' question model that Phillips demonstrates in this book seems easy enough to adapt to any group's needs.

[Alejandro Teruel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is built on an intriguing premise, that it is possible to kindle popular interest in philosophy by chairing informal and open sessions of discussions based on the socratic method. Such sessions, held in all sorts of places including coffee-shops, bars, libraries, school and church halls, prisons and retirement homes for anyone is interested enough to drop in, provided the author with some very interesting experiencess

The author's journalistic background is a little too evident for my taste, as he strives to recapture some of the discussions by providing little touches of "personal interest" a la Readers Digest, describing time after time how people dress, a crinkled brow, their hair, their eyes and so on. Sometimes it helps, a lot of the time it gets a little too predictable, and the formula gets in the way of the content.

I consider Tim's Goodreads review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) to be spot on when he describes the sessions

Someone asks a question, usually framed as a typical Jeopardy answer: 'What is ____?' And off it goes. The author records the freeflowing back and forth of a large number of these conversations – they probably comprise a good third of the book – and they are by far the best part of it. Among the informal discussions included: What is community? What is the examined life? What is wisdom? What is friendship? What is good/evil? What is belief? What is silence? What is love? What is equality? What is liberty? What does it mean to know yourself? What is subjectivity? How does it differ from objectivity? What types of things exist? What is curiosity? Is it possible to be too curious? What is ignorance? How does it differ from innocence? Do people have a right to be willfully ignorant? It was interesting reading the diverse answers different people came up with to these questions...

I found "No place like home", the section describing the discussion on "What is home?" carried out at a senior citizens "housing complex", particularly interesting -and poignant whereas among the most enjoyable and refreshing discussions are the ones with elementary school children kicked off by questions like "what is wonder?", "what is a question?", "what is so old" or "what is silence?".

What the book does not do is give pointers on selecting questions, keeping the ball rolling and preventing ideological posturing. Many of the discussion participants, as repórted by Phillips seem a little too versed in philosophy, a little too pat with apposite quotes. But this is quibbling, its seems to me it's uncomfortably like criticizing Plato's dialogues for not being sufficiently precise renditions of real conversations. An interesting example of question selection is to be found in the section entitled "Out of this world" where the author meets with students and professors from "an insular university town in a remote part of a midwestern state". As the author asks for possible questions to discuss a college student throws out this undoubtedly deep but also rather showy question: "Is there only a subjective world or is there such a thing as a world of ultimate reality?" In my opinion, Christopher Phillips very socratically refuses to engage in such complexities is what is after all a rather short and informal discussion session and radically (and beautifully) simplified the question to "What is a world?". There is an appendix on "How to start your own Socrates Café" which provides (woefully) few short pointers. Perhaps also, the discussion is kept going by eschewing the more "loaded" questions like what is liberty or responsibility, although the author does report a discussion on what is wisdom and one of the more interesting sections, "Seeking ignorance" springs from discussing "Does anyone have the right to be ignorant", which leads to the need to tackle a key distinction beween innocence and ignorance, briefly and tantalizingly touching on what is education along the way.

Phillips has rather idiosyncratic tastes in philosophers. It is true he manages to throw out motivating pointers to, amongst others, Plato, Aristoteles, Hobbes, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Dewey, William James, Kierkegaard, Nietzche and Wittgenstein and rather offbeat or shallow pointers to others such as Montaigne, Locke, Leibniz, Voltaire, Rousseau, Merleau-Ponty,Etienne Gilson, Hegel, Heidegger and Ryle. However, Russell Francis Herbert Bradley, Justus Buchler, William Kingdon Clifford, Walter Kaufmann, Suzanne Langer, John Herman Randall Jr, Gregory Vlastos, anyone?

This optimistic book has its fair share of engaging moments even though at times it appears to skirt dangerously close to the self-help genre. It is definitely a somewhat offbeat introductory book which will have a certain whimsical appeal for some, will picque curiousity or motivate others to think a little more deeply and even be disparaged by some...

[Gael Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si quieres comenzar a leer sobre filosofía y no sabes por dónde empezar, este libro es perfecto. No ahonda mucho en el tema ni hay muchos tecnicismos, pero te invita a seguir investigando del tema y hacer cuestionar.

[Amanda Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and how it sparked my thinking on different topics! It also made my partner and I engage in lively discussions :)

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boy, I tried to like/finish this book. It didn't seem genuine and it was just not something I could finish. Maybe I have read enough on the socratic method in other business books, and just knew the idea enough that all the examples wore me down. Describing each persons appearance, with these examples intended to show you how varied/diverse each of the individuals at the meetings were? It just didn't seem genuine. Not saying it wasn't true, just that I never met anyone who would have all these details on appearance, location, topic, feelings, etc.... And who really cares if you had this type of person, or that type come up after the meetings. It's the method and how it works, not a book to prove that all types of folks can benefit from it.

If you never heard of the socratic method, and want a book that shows you a way to connect or solve your own inner issues (or outer ones), give this a try. Some people may enjoy the way he tied the stories to people some might identify with. I was looking for more meat on real world issues real people are talking about.

To me, this is one of the rare times I have to give a book one star.

[William Schram · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Socrates Cafe is where people gather together and ask each other deep philosophical questions. Christopher Phillips started them because he agreed that the unexamined life is not worth living. You can hold them anywhere you want, as long as the property managers are fine with it.

The book shows its age by mentioning some now-defunct bookstores. It makes me sad to be reminded of those places where I spent many happy hours. It’s the march of progress, but it isn’t less bitter.

Phillips starts by having a topic question. He describes how to facilitate such a meeting in the book. There are websites and hyperlinks in the book, but I don’t know if they are still up. One comment someone made is that psychiatry robs humanity of its muse. It’s a fascinating statement, and one that I agree with to some extent.

The book is okay. It isn’t exemplary, but at the same time, it isn’t terrible. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.

[Laine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is what happens when you pitch one line of a book to a publishing company and the author somehow stretches that single line into a 200 page self help book. If I ever read another word about Socrates or how genius asking questions to learn is...It was too much. I felt like i could have read the first paragraph and gotten the entire point of this "book" (which really was a paragraph or so abstract of a page or so essay with a thousands of filler words). If you want to read this, read the back cover at the bookstore and go buy lunch instead.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. The author was kind of pretentious and each chapter had it's respective 'I walked into the room and BLEW THEIR MINDS with my intellect' moments, and I'm assuming the dialogue was all from memory, as each seemed to have a very similar vibe and pattern to it. I'm sure each conversation was tweaked and improved a bit as per Phillips to make for better presentation. But regardless, I enjoyed it and found the dialogues interesting. It's definitely great for the amateur philosopher, like myself.

[Divasaurus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borrowed it from the library on a whim, and I loved it. It takes philosophy back to the masses, to the everyday people like you and I, and it gets us to think. [: The writing was really accessible, and you don't need a background in philosophical thought to really engage with the book.

If you love to think abstractly, this is a book for you. If, however, you're one of those really academic types in regards to Philosophy, you might want to sit this one out since it's really for the layman. Unless you'd like a fresh and simple approach. [;

[Jason Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Philosophy book that I've read in the past two weeks that I have really enjoyed. Very accessible content for even the layman. Phillips describes the Socratic Method and how to set up philosophy discussion groups, which he has in many locales. I attended my first meeting last night in Atlanta on some of the tenets discussed in the book and I was intellectually challenged and enjoyed it.

[David Arnold · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing special

While I have no doubt Mr. Phillips is intelligent and well versed in his subject, his writing could use a little work. Too much time is spent describing his audience and what they are wearing. He even goes into great detail about a chair he is sitting in. Not what I was looking for in this book.

[دار أثر · Rating 5 out of 5]

لم يقدّم فيليبس أساسيات التفكير الفلسفي في هذا الدليل الساحر على طراز "الفلسفة للمبتدئين" فحسب، بل استرجع ما قاده لتأسيس برنامجه المتنقل، وأعاد رواية أكثر الجلسات حماسةً.

[rhizome · Rating 1 out of 5]

Idea Socrates Café, czyli spotkań zorientowanych wokół zagadnień filozoficznych, prowadzonych w konwencji grupowego dialogu sokratejskiego, to amerykański odpowiednik francuskiego Café Philosophique zainicjowanego kilka lat wcześniej przez Marca Sauteta. Niemniej pomysł prowadzenia dyskusji na tematy filozoficzne w kawiarniach nie jest bynajmniej odkryciem lat 90.-tych - chociażby duża część nowożytnych oraz współczesnych filozofów francuskich spędzała w tym "odpowiedniku Agory" sporą część swojego czasu - sam Sautet zainspirował się dyskusjami prowadzonymi przez Sartre'a w paryskim Café de Flore.

Niestety Christopher Phillips z jakiegoś niewyjaśnionego powodu (być może faktycznej niewiedzy, być może czegoś innego) nie wspomina nawet słowem o tym (nie tylko) francuskim zwyczaju - zamiast tego odwołuje się aż do Sokratesa, traktując go jako swojego wyłącznego i bezpośredniego prekursora.

Christopher Phillips pozuje tym samym niejako na filozoficzną postać renesansu czy też oświecenia, niosącego kaganek oświaty dla współczesnego, pogrążonego w apatii społeczeństwa, wydanego na pastwę żerujących na jego egzystencjalnych potrzebach psychologów oraz psychiatrów - w narracji Phillipsa będący dzisiejszymi odpowiednikami greckich sofistów. Pomysł Phillipsa wpisuje się więc (co prawda z lekkim opóźnieniem) w amerykański ruch antypsychiatrii, który skądinąd doprowadził do masowego pojawienia się w tamtym kraju grup samopomocowych, bardzo mocno przypominających prowadzone przez niego spotkania.

Tak jak więc idea Socrates Cafe nie prezentuje sobą nic specjalnie nowego, unikatowego czy też rewolucyjnego - tak samo rozmowy przedstawione w książce nie rzucają w żaden sposób nowego światła na poruszane w nich tematy. Co gorsza, dość często stwarzają wyłącznie pozory dogłębnie prowadzonej dyskusji, która czarując pięknie brzmiącymi zdaniami (większość nadaje się wprost do przerobienia na grafikę z cytatem i udostępnienia w social media), pozostaje wyłącznie zbiorem banałów i pustych frazesów. Pozorny jest również pluralistyczny charakter spotkań, które najczęściej przebiegają według prowadzącej do konkretnego wniosku konwencji, w hollywoodzki sposób wpływającej natychmiastowo na życie osób biorących udział w dyskusji (w tym najczęściej samego autora). Wymiana zdań, opiera się dość często na maglowaniu wciąż tego samego punktu widzenia przez dyskutantów, podczas której zmianie ulega wyłącznie osoba zabierającego głos rozmówcy. Przykładem takiego spotkania może być chociażby to zatytułowane "Free at Last", gdzie rozmówczyni podnosząca koncepcję bezsensu swojej pracy, zostaje w zasadzie bezpośrednio nakierowana w stronę zmiany pracy na taką, względem której czuje "pasję" (co jest przedstawione jako wręcz rewolucyjny w swej naturze pomysł), a więc w stronę koncepcji romantyzacji pracy, jako ultymatywnego rozwiązania jej problemu. Perspektywa marksizmu, która ciśnie się w tej sytuacji na usta, nie zostaje nawet muśnięta. W tej, dość powtarzającej się jednostronności prezentowanych spojrzeń, nie byłoby być może nic dziwnego, gdyby można było mieć autentyczne poczucie naturalizmu opisanych spotkań. Jednak w trakcie lektury miałem niejednokrotnie wrażenie, że autor próbuje stworzyć coś na kształt współczesnych dialogów platońskich - z drugiej strony nieustannie towarzyszło mi poczucie obcowania z charakterystyczną dla literatury popularyzującej w USA religie wschodu konwencją, intelektualnie będącej znacznie bliżej Paolo Coelho niż wspomnianego na początku Sartre'a.

[Jan vanTilburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Socrates: “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Applying the method of philosophical inquiry, practised by Socrates, on life’s questions.

An advocacy to bring philosophy back to everyday life. Back from the ivory tower of the academic self-pollinators.

Phillips states specifically that this is not a selfhelp book. By listening to others one can get insight in one’s own self and purpose. That is his goal, or as he put it himself: p.130: “I wanted to be a philosopher in the mold of Socrates...I wanted to reach out to anyone and everyone who’d like to engage with me in a common quest to gain a better understanding of ourselves and of human nature - and who shared with me the aspiration of becoming more empathetic people and more critical and creative philosophical inquirers.”

Phillips intersperses discussions of the Socrates Cafe sessions with the theories of philosophers. That gives it a background and further understanding of the topic at hand. It also makes for a varied reading because the discussions are dynamic and the philosophers thoughts give them depth. Really a fun mix.

Phillips does not hold back his own opinions throughout the book.
For instance he is critical of modern philosophy education. Professors should inspire, not to drill in us the right answer but to learn for ourselves that there may be many answers and to support our views with cogent, logical reasons. (p.159). He wants philosophy to be mainstream again. Asking questions about everyday life. Not an academic discipline alone. Bring it back to the people. And that is what he is doing with his Socrates Cafe.

An insightful and good book. Fun to read.

At the end he urges people to not be ignorant.
p.206: As Socrates says: “Look. And think. Then look some more. And think some more...”
Phillips adds: “If you look without thinking, then that would be intentional ignorance...”
Or where Phillios quotes Tarnas: “After discovering one’s ignorance, one can then “begin to overcome one’s received assumptions...”
This reminded me very much of the book:
“What can we Know?” by Louis P. Pojman
An introduction to the Theory of Knowledge.
In there he discusses the Justification problem of Knowledge. One is responsible for ones knowledge.
The basic role of justification is that of a means to truth. Otherwise one would be epistemically irresponsible.
One has a moral responsibility to seek true beliefs. Pojman states that we are not responsible for actually obtaining the truth, but we can be held accountable for the way we have acquired our beliefs.
Phillips seeks this via the Socrates way. By asking questions and listening to others.

[Alex Furst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #38 of 2021. "Socrates Café" by Christopher Phillips. 3/5 rating.

This book is about Christopher's successful rollout of philosophical discussion groups that he calls "Socrates Café".

As Socrates said: "The unexamined life is not worth living." In this mold, Christopher finds there to be immense worth in asking questions, clarifying thoughts, and delving into deeper discussions about our lives.

"Every last bit of knowledge, every assumption, Socrates felt, should always be questioned, analyzed, challenged. Nothing was ever resolved once and for all."

Christopher mostly disgusts different interactions from these groups he's set up. Different questions they've posed and tried to answer, but also, how exactly he chose to set up these groups as his passion and avocation.

As you might expect, this book is philosophy-filled and is quite thought provoking. I think that some of my favorite quotes might best illustrate this:

"Does the common sense of our day offer us the greatest potential for self-understanding and human excellence? Or is the prevailing common sense in fact a roadblock to realizing this potential?"
"What can I do to give my life the kind of meaning that makes my spirit soar, that makes me feel like I’m making this world at least a little bit better place to live in?"
"It’s hard work—trying to figure out new ways, better ways, to ask the questions that perplex you the most, so you can come up with more meaningful and fruitful answers."
"'Why can’t I just accept the fact that most adults end up abandoning their more youthful and idealistic aspirations?' The answer I came up with was always the same: Because life is not a dress rehearsal. Because I shouldn’t settle for less than doing exactly what I want to do with my life, despite the risks, or, better, because of the risks. My philosophy of life had always been to live intensely, to love intensely."

I love Christopher's ideas of being more inquisitive about our lives in order to live more in-line with our morals and goals. This book will make you think and definitely (once things go somewhat back to normal) will make me seek out a Socrates Café near me.

[راء · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب يطرح فيه كريستوفور فيليبس، رحلته في إقامة مقهى سقراط، اقتداءً بالفيلسوف الخالد سقراط. وهو عبارة عن حلقات نقاشية تقام في أماكن عامة كالمقاهي والمكتبات ودور الرعاية والمدارس والسجون، يمكن للجميع أن يرتادها، غير مقتصرة على المتعلمين أو المتخصصين، لا تنحصر على فئة عمرية محددة. تُطرَح فيها الأسئلة، سؤال تلو آخر، بهدف فحص المعتقدات والأفكار والمفاهيم، وتعلم التفكير الفلسفي بمنهج سقراط. يخرج الناس من هذه النقاشات عادةً بأسئلة أكثر من تلك التي حضروا بها، وكأنما تكمن الإجابات في الأسئلة، ويتسع الأفق من خلالها.

علمني هذا الكتاب، ضرورة طرح السؤال المناسب، وعدم الرضا بالملتبسات. عندما تداهمني فكرة ضبابية لا بد من تفكيكها بالأسئلة. ألهمتني الفصول التي تدور حول الأنا ومرادها، والمعنى من الحياة، والعمر، كنت أبحث عن شيٍء كهذا، جلبت لي أخرى الصداع كتلك التي تتحدث عن الماذا واللماذا، وأخرى أضجرتني كالتساؤل حول الحكمة. على كل حال، أعتقد بأن الكتاب مدخلا محفزا وبسيطًا للقراءة في الفلسفة، فهو ينزع عنها رهبتها، ويلقي بعضًا من الطُعم في طريقك؛ لقد قرأتُ إحدى محاورات أفلاطون عن سقراط (محاورة ليسيس) بينما كنت أقرأ مقالا عن الصداقة في الكتاب، ومنه فهمت طريقة سقراط في التفلسف. أتطلع لقراءة مزيدٍ من المحاورات.

لوهلة، تبدو فكرة الانضمام لمقهى كهذا مثيرة للاهتمام، لكنني أتساءل: هل بالضرورة سيكون النقاش خلاقًا؟ ألا يمكن أن ينتهي بالهراء وحسب؟ أعني هل ثقافة رواد المقهى تؤثر على سير الحوار؟ أم أن إدارة الحوار على يد شخص متمرّس قد تحدث فرقًا؟ ماذا عن الاتفاق المسبق على موضوع للنقاش هل ستفقد المقهى خاصيّته الفريدة في التحاور الفلسفي الحُر؟ رغم أن الكتاب يحفز على التفكير في بعض المواضع لكنه يتناول أخرى بشكلٍ سطحي جدًا، وكأنما كُتب ما كتب ليملأ بالمزيد من الصفحات. إذا كنت تبحث عن تناول عميق للفلسفة فهذا الكتاب لن يرضيك، لكن مجدّدًا، يعتبر بداية جيدة للفضول الفلسفي.

رغم محاولة الكاتب لإحياء غريزة التفلسف فينا، ورغم الإغراء الذهني الكامن في التفلسف إلا أن الكثير منه يجلب الصداع.