"What Is Play vs. Work?" A thinkPhilosophy Salon
At what times and in what spaces do we feel most playful? Have you ever wanted to play at work, and work seriously at some form of play? What are the rules that govern our favorite forms of play, and how is this different from our attitudes towards work? They say that what we do for a living says a lot about us, but what do the kinds of play that we choose say? What political practices might follow from taking play seriously? Come interrogate the possibilities of play. A thinkPhilosophy Salon: Philosopher led adventures into questions of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Moderated by D. Rita Alfonso, Ph.D. in Philosophy and U.C. Berkeley visiting faculty. Sunday, March 15th, 7-9pm at Femina Potens (2199 Market Street and Sanchez, SF, CA 94114). $$$Pay what you think it's worth! Need more info? www.thinkPhilosophy.org / info@thinkphilosophy.org

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What Happens at a Philosophy Salon?
Modeled on the Socratic Dialogues, the Philosophy Salon is an opportunity to ask philosophical questions, test ideas, and question assumptions. A well structured dialogue follows these crucial steps:

1. POSING THE QUESTION. The salon will open with the posing of a philosophical question, such as "What Is A Good Friend?," and participants will take a couple minutes to jot down the first answer that comes to mind.

2. INTRODUCTIONS. Then, we will go around the room and each person will state their name and a preliminary answer to our question. Anyone who does not wish to give a preliminary answer can simply say "Pass."

3. DISCUSSION. The moderator will open the floor to discussion. I like to use a "talking stick" for this portion of the program. Whomever has the "stick" gets to speak, and they get to chose who speaks next by passing the "Stick" to them.

4. SEEKING IDENTITY. After everyone who wants to speak has gotten to do so (at least once, depending on the size of the group), the moderator will ask everyone to begin to identify what all of these answers and examples have in common. We are searching for the identity across difference for the thing in question. Usually no easy task…

5. DIFFERENTIA AND APORIA. The differences between the examples and counterexamples offered will lead us organically to the differentia: that which sets one idea apart from other ones. One of the key effects of Socratic dialogue is the experience of aporia – of getting "stuck" in the process, of encountering what we don't or can't know, of facing our own ignorance or indecision – leading (ultimately) to philosophical wonder. It feels a little like an intellectual dizziness - so, look out for this!