Its goal is to promote free and open discussion of philosophical issues by arranging regular meetings in local venues open to the general public. Branches of the Hong Kong Philosophy Cafe include:
1) The Fringe Branch of the Hong Kong Philosophy Cafe was established in
October of 2000 with the goal of holding regularly scheduled discussions (in
English) on serious, mainstream philosophical topi
cs. Meetings begin with a
designated participant introducing a particular approach to dealing with the
announced topic. After others have a chance to express alternative positions
and/or ask questions to the introducer, a substantial block of time is devoted
to small group discussions, with participants being encouraged to migrate
between groups at will. Ideas raised during small group discussions are then
shared in a concluding plenary session.
2) The Happy Friday Branch of the Hong Kong Philosophy Cafe holds an informal discussion of a philosophical issue during happy hour on the last Friday of each month. If enough participants attend, the group may be split into beginners and deep thinkers, though participants may move from one to the other at will. There
might also be a "free form" group, where the discussion can focus on any
topic of mutual interest to those who join in. The philosophy is free; you
pay for any food or drink you order.
3) The Lamma Island Branch of the Hong Kong Philosophy Café provides a friendly place for the exploration of ideas See www.lammacafe.net for more. # 2015 Lamma Cafe is no longer active
4) The French Branch: French like to talk, in particular with glass of wine, some tasty food in a plate and friends around. That the spirit you can find if you come to join us every month 7:30 pm at “Café les Boules” (http://www.lesboules.hk/) for the gathering of French Branch of the Hong Kong Philosophy Café. Procedure: At the beginning of the evening, a volunteer introduces for a couple of minutes a philosophical topic that is then discussed by the audience in an informal way with respect and tolerance under the supervision of a moderator (Jean-Michel Garcia) who make sure that everybody has the opportunity to express his/her view and nobody dominate the floor. Discussion is usually in French but is not restricted to native speaker, French learners are welcome.
