Society for Philosophical Inquiry
Encyclopedia
The Society for Philosophical Inquiry (SPI) is a non-profit organization
devoted to propagating a version of Socratic inquiry through the establishment of regular meetings. Based on their different settings, they are called Socrates Café
, Philosophers' Club, these meetings take place all over the world. The purpose of these meetings is to facilitate discussion of philosophy
.
Christopher and Cecilia Phillips co-founded SPI in 1998. The Society is funded through a grant from the Whitman Institute in San Francisco. http://www.thewhitmaninstitute.org/grantees.html
, Philosophers’ Club, bring together people from a wide array of walks of life and experiences. They take place in venues like parks, coffee houses, libraries, hospices, senior centers, nursing homes, prisons, plazas and other public spaces, bookstores, homeless shelters and community centers, libraries and schools.
Board members include: Matthew Lipman
, Robert Coles
, Roy J. Nirschel, president of Roger Williams University
, and Jacob Needleman
, professor of philosophy.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
devoted to propagating a version of Socratic inquiry through the establishment of regular meetings. Based on their different settings, they are called Socrates Café
Socrates cafe
Socrates Café are gatherings around the world where people from different backgrounds get together and exchange thoughtful ideas and experiences while embracing the Socratic Method. The groups model their discussions from the book of the same name by Christopher Phillips...
, Philosophers' Club, these meetings take place all over the world. The purpose of these meetings is to facilitate discussion of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
.
Christopher and Cecilia Phillips co-founded SPI in 1998. The Society is funded through a grant from the Whitman Institute in San Francisco. http://www.thewhitmaninstitute.org/grantees.html
History
SPI is a grassroots nonprofit organization devoted to supporting philosophical inquirers of all ages and walks of life as they become more empathetic and autonomous thinkers who take active part in creating a more deliberative democracy. Its members strive to form and facilitate "democratic communities of philosophical inquiry". Their gatherings - which, depending on the setting , occasion and purpose, have such names as Socrates CaféSocrates cafe
Socrates Café are gatherings around the world where people from different backgrounds get together and exchange thoughtful ideas and experiences while embracing the Socratic Method. The groups model their discussions from the book of the same name by Christopher Phillips...
, Philosophers’ Club, bring together people from a wide array of walks of life and experiences. They take place in venues like parks, coffee houses, libraries, hospices, senior centers, nursing homes, prisons, plazas and other public spaces, bookstores, homeless shelters and community centers, libraries and schools.
Board members include: Matthew Lipman
Matthew Lipman
Matthew Lipman is recognized as the founder of Philosophy for Children. His decision to bring philosophy to young people came from his experience as a professor at Columbia University, where he witnessed underdeveloped reasoning skills in his students...
, Robert Coles
Robert Coles
Martin Robert Coles is an American author, child psychiatrist, and professor at Harvard University.-Life and career:...
, Roy J. Nirschel, president of Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University, commonly abbreviated as RWU, is a private, coeducational American liberal arts university located on in Bristol, Rhode Island, above Mt. Hope Bay. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams...
, and Jacob Needleman
Jacob Needleman
Jacob Needleman is an American philosopher. He is professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University.He has published many books, most of which draw from G. I. Gurdjieff....
, professor of philosophy.