ABOUT THE SYMPOSIA (Our History and 'T.R.U.T.H.')
THEN (Our Origins): The first iteration of this group was formed in the city of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2022. The Arabesk Reading Group and Symposia met at the Arabask Cafe (‘Besk’) for weekly meetings with former and current students and friends. We met in order to continue our pursuit of philosophically meaningful discussions outside of the classroom, away from the burdensome and bureaucratic restrictions that plague us everywhere, including (and sometimes especially) at Universities and other academic institutions. During our meetings we nominated and voted on what materials we would discuss. There were no exams, grades, or prerequisites. All were welcome - from anywhere and all walks of life. Together we cultivated our minds, our creativity, our friendships, and our curiosity. We questioned, we learned, we talked, taught, toasted and had fun! Since then our members have moved to different locations around the world, taken on new jobs, responsibilities and demanding schedules. The group was never officially disbanded or dissolved, but like empty seats around an empty table, it fell silent.
NOW (Our Renaissance): Now, we are back! Our new online group is meant to fill the seats again around a new table of materials to discuss. We are opening up to even more members across the globe and from an even greater diversity of backgrounds, fields of knowledge and experience. Our core mission of philosophically meaningful discussion remains the same, and it will flourish! Our new name SO WHAT...? PHILOSOPHY: THE SYMPOSIA, is inspired by the YouTube Channel “SO WHAT..?”: https://www.youtube.com/@SoWhatPhilosophy (Subscriptions to the channel are always desired, but never required.) More online resources and platforms of this brand are coming soon. Members of this group will be the first to know about them, and will even have exclusive access to special offers and discounts! Members will once again be able to nominate and vote on the materials that they themselves want to discuss the most, including (but not limited to): literature, art, films, music, games..., all genres and materials are welcome and open to nomination. Together, we will once again meet for those philosophically meaningful discussions, interactions, ideas and experiences that are so simple to achieve, yet somehow so elusive to our daily lives. Once cultivated and established, however, the recurrence and integration of meaningful discussion, like a gemstone, becomes steadfast and resilient, and is just as precious - indeed, even more so!
THE ‘RULES’ (Our T.R.U.T.H.!)
The ‘rules’ of the group are easy to remember, for they are T.R.U.T.H.!
1) Trust: Trust that all members may nominate any materials they want for discussion, and that their nominations will receive a fair vote.
2) Respect: Respect one another (always desired, always required).
3) Understand: Understand that QUESTIONS are often more valuable to our discussions than (supposed) answers. Indeed, every good answer begins with a good question, even when we do not realize it.
4) Talk: Talk to one another during meetings (always desired, never required). If you are not sure what to say, or do not think that you have anything to say, refer to ‘rule’ 3!
5) Have: HAVE FUN!! (Always desired, always required!)