Cafe Philo in New York City in two weeks: "How Common is Common Sense?"

The discussion topic for the next Cafe Philo in New York City on Thursday, September 10, 2009, is "How Common is Common Sense?".

We are not sure who will be moderating yet since Bernard Roy has been experiencing health problems lately. I heard that he is now over in France for the summer (as he usually does), recuperating. So far this summer, Frank De Canio has done a great job of moderating our discussions. Try to imagine moderating a group of passionate New Yorkers!

We are hoping that enough people will attend to continue meeting through the summer. There were 14 people there this past Thursday for the disscussion of "Why is Time Important?". That was actually a great turnout for a summer session.

Catch up on preparatory online discussions in the Yahoo! group for Cafe Philo NYC.

As usual, the meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the back room at Bamiyan Restaurant (Afghan food) at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and 26th Street in New York City. In exchange for free meeting space, it is expected that each attendee will purchase a minimum of $5 of food or drink. By the way, the room has a great new air conditioner, so it is a welcome oasis on a hot or humid summer day.

There is also usually some number of attendees who go across the street to McCormack's Bar for drinks and food and extended discussion after Cafe Philo, but not limited to the scheduled discussion topic.

There are a number of small groups in the U.S. and Europe who meet regularly to discuss topics related to philosophy. Some of these groups go by the name "Cafe Philo." There is one here in New York City that meets every two weeks, every other Thursday. It is organized and moderated by Bernard Roy, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ramapo College of New Jersey. Each meeting focuses on a specific topic which was suggested and voted on by the participants at the last meeting.

Also, there is an online discussion forum for the NYC Cafe Philo at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nycafephilo/

There is also a new web site for NYC Cafe Philo:  www.nycafephilo.org.

I have been attending the NYC Cafe Philo off and on since 2004. Previously I had attended the Cafe Philo in Washington, D.C. starting in 2001.

-- Jack Krupansky