The ESU Philosophy Club is currently best known for its regular community event, the Socrates Café, a public forum for discussing ideas which usually meets twice a month during the regular school year. Past topics have included pleasure and pain, the definition of art, and the viability of monogamy. All viewpoints and perspectives are welcome! No knowledge of the history of philosophy or of any particular philosopher is required, since the point of a Socrates Café session is to invite anyone who wishes to philosophize on the spot.
Club President, Traci McCool | Faculty Advisor, C. E. Emmer
Meetings. The club generally meets twice a month (alternating with the Socrates Café) during the regular school year. At our meetings, we consider new ideas for topics to be discussed at upcoming Socrates Cafés and plan club events and film screenings. And of course, we have fun talking about anything else that comes to us! As with the Socrates Café sessions, we do not assume or require that club members have read 5 thick books (though we're not stopping anyone from reading them). Any and all students interested in philosophy are welcome.
Events. The ESU Philosophy Club sponsors many events. Even though many people are familiar with our Socrates Café sessions, we also show films, invite speakers, and take trips to conferences. Among the notable recent events we have sponsored:
One of the first US screenings of the documentary, Marx Reloaded, in this case at the renovated Emporia Granada Theatre (spring 2012)
A screening of the PBS/POV documentary, Better this World (fall 2011)
A debate between ESU students Richard Stephenson, Lauren Halstead, and Lauren Brown on the morality of abortion (spring 2010)
A lecture by Professor Ann E. Cudd, "A Feminist Defense of Capitalism" (spring 2010)
We have more films and events planned, so do stay in touch!
History. The ESU Philosophy Club originally began as Club Dialectic. Under the leadership of students Josh Taylor and Adam Rust, it re-emerged in 2006 with the introduction of the Socrates Café, and has been going strong ever since.