Philosophy with
a side of coffee

Café Philosophique, or Philosophy Cafe, is an informal setting where people gather to discuss different philosophies at length. The concept was founded in 1992 by philosopher Marc Sautet in Paris. Bengaluru resident Basit Manham was introduced to the world of philosophy cafés when he travelled to Thailand in 2024. “I attended two of them in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and found out that it happens across the world,” the philosophical consultant shares.Basit realised that he hadn’t seen such gatherings in the city. With that in mind, he decided to start Philosophy Cafe in April this year. Sixteen sessions have been held every alternate weekend since, covering themes such as science, freedom and free will, relationships, and political philosophy. Philosophy Cafe is a part of ‘Useful Philosophy’, a public education initiative by Basit that tries to make philosophy more accessible.Each session usually takes place at a cafe or community space and runs for two hours. “Around 10-12 people are seated around a table, and the facilitator briefs the group in the first 15 minutes,” says Basit. Post that, participants submit questions on the topic, and the most-voted ones get picked up for discussion. The conversation is a “shared enquiry”, as participants ponder the questions, share their perspectives, and check if each other’s arguments hold ground. “You don’t have to be an expert in philosophy. The aim is to inspire different ideas,” he says. Last month, Philosophy Cafe was held online for the first time, curated around the theme of justice. “This was to allow people from other cities to join in,” says Basit.  Registrations usually open a week prior and will be capped at 10-12 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Entry is priced between Rs 150 and Rs 250, depending on the venue.A virtual Philosophy Cafe on technology is scheduled for October 7, 8.30 pm. The next offline session, themed on existentialism, is slated for October 18, 11 am, at Dialogues Cafe, Koramangala. Details on @useful.philosophy on Instagram.

Source: Deccan Herald