RIYADH: Socrates Cafe founder Christopher Phillips led a passionate debate on the capacity of philosophy to transform humanity at the Riyadh Philosophy Conference on Thursday.
Socrates Cafe is an international gathering concept that encourages people to come together and discuss timeless and current issues, as well as express their perspectives on many themes. It can take place everywhere, from cafes to meeting rooms to any setting that invites people to discuss their ideas.
“There is a beautiful window here (Saudi Arabia) of a desire, almost a hunger for discovering, cultivating the art of sort of questioning, to look at what speaks for and against a wide variety of views,” Phillips said to Arab News.
“At a time when so many places around the world are creating barriers, not just real walls, physical walls But walls between people, existential walls — so many people in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East truly want to create bridges.” They would like to be less impatient. And they recognize that this type of intellectual investigation is one method of hearing someone out,” he continued.
From December 1-3, the Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission will organize the second edition of the three-day philosophy conference at the King Fahd National Library.
The second edition of the Riyadh Philosophy Conference invited a diverse range of speakers and professionals from around the world to deliver lectures, talks, seminars, and workshops on philosophy and human-related concerns.
Speakers from throughout the world include scientists, writers, historians, lecturers, and philosophers.
Phillips spoke at the first Riyadh Philosophy Conference and has returned for the second edition to lead an in-person Socrates Cafe event, which allows individuals to connect and explore ideas and different perspectives in a comfortable setting.
The Philosophers Cafe will delve into issues raised by the conference’s theme of “Knowledge and Exploration: Space, Time, and Humanity.”
“It honors the right to inquire, the right to pose your own questions, and that’s a philosophical tradition,” Phillips added.
“What’s striking is that many of the current talks appear to be coming from a dark place – questions about whether you are born wicked, if you can become evil, or whether it is innate. On the other side, they wonder, “Can I be the change I wish to see in the world?”
Phillips emphasized the power of philosophical thinking as well as the need of listening to other people’s opinions and beliefs in an interview with Arab News.
According to the creator of Socrates Cafe, there is an increasing desire to proselytize in countries all over the world. Phillips highlighted the tendency in thinking in the Kingdom as “very much a breath of fresh air right now compared to so many other parts of the world where the tradition of careful listening, questioning together, posing serious questions has gone by the wayside.”
“If you take the time to understand where another human being is coming from and why their experience is different from yours, it’s something to celebrate far more often than not,” he continued.
According to Phillips, many people no longer appreciate the idea of having opposing thoughts or viewpoints.
“If someone has a point of view that differs from our own, a person might be ready to jump down from that other person,” he continued. So why?”
Rather than pointing fingers and isolating ourselves and our perspectives, Phillips suggests that “we might look at ourselves and say, well, what tiny talent might I contribute to be more part of the solution than the problem?”
“It’s about growing the art of listening at a time when everyone is screaming at each other, when there’s too much holier than thou to foster the Socratic virtues of humility, the notion that ‘I may be wrong.'”
Phillips expressed his surprise that people in the Kingdom are so open to intellectual debates and eagerly listen to opposing viewpoints.
“I’m not surprised, and I’ll explain why: the Socratic tradition, which Socrates founded, is on the crossroads of East and West, the Middle East and the Western world.” “I believe Socrates was affected by Middle Eastern intellectuals, and that this comes naturally to him,” he remarked.
“There is the same receptivity here in Saudi Arabia that there was when I first started Socrates Cafe in the United States in 1996, and it’s no accident that there is the spontaneous flourishing of Socrates Cafes and so many diverse types of communities, cities, and groups all throughout Saudi Arabia,” Phillips added.
People can benefit from the experiences and knowledge of others while also discovering a lot about themselves by engaging philosophical talks and igniting their curiosity.
“It’s about listening and asking why, especially when someone has a point of view that differs from your own, to want to hear their narrative as a way of getting more connected.” “When you truly offer someone the gift of listening to them, you will be transformed,” Phillips remarked.
The founder of the Socrates Cafe emphasized that children’s philosophies may teach us a lot. “I believe in categorizing learning and knowledge – in categorizing disciplines of thought in colors, as children do.”
Phillips has written a series of ten philosophy books for youngsters. “Worlds of Difference,” one of them, has been translated into Arabic.
“It was written by the children.” They are not yet cubbyholes; we have not yet contaminated them with our adult-created, extremely boring categories. As a result, they assist me. “They enable me to think more fully, deeply, and colorfully,” he explained.
“And believe it or not, despite their fidgeting, they really listen to one another until they unlearned it from older people,” he added.
Phillips plans to travel around the Kingdom this week, hosting Socrates Cafes events. He stated that Saudi Arabia now has ten Socrates Cafe locations, including Jubai and Dammam. On December 6, he will host a Socrates Cafe event in Riyadh.
“I’ve been back three times now, and not as a tourist, but as someone who feels like these are fellow kindred souls who want to partake in this lovely phenomenon called Socrates Cafe,” he said.
“It’s an honor for me to be a part of it, and to know that there are still places on Spaceship Earth that appreciate the art and science of attentive listening, as well as thinking and inquiry.” We are all inquirers, but it seems to fade as we become older.”
Source: Arab News