51风流

Midnight Philosophy Club Members Agree to Disagree

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Micah Dirkers 鈥19 is a double major 鈥 Psychology and Media and Communications 鈥 and a mozzarella stick aficionado. He鈥檚 also the latest president of the Midnight Philosophy Club, a long-running student organization that meets every Saturday from 10:00 p.m. to midnight in Donovan鈥檚 Pub.

鈥淲e used to start at midnight,鈥 Dirkers said during a meeting on the Theory of Everything 鈥 the idea that there鈥檚 a unified theory to all philosophical issues. 鈥淏ut nobody showed up because it was so late.鈥

That鈥檚 not a problem anymore. This year has seen some of Midnight Philosophy鈥檚 largest and liveliest attendance. The club has grown so large under Dirkers鈥檚 presidency that they frequently have to rearrange the five-sofa corner of Donovan鈥檚 to fit more chairs. People filter in and out over the course of the club鈥檚 hours-long debates, but the population is rarely smaller than a full-sized class of loosely-organized students.

While there鈥檚 no formal authority in the room as students ask difficult questions on political theory and philosophy of race, the room is calm, respectful, and serious, even when people are passionately disagreeing. Students challenge each other鈥檚 entire worldview during the few hours of the club, and there鈥檚 rarely ever a note of condescension or superiority in their voices when they do.

The topics covered are almost as diverse as the club鈥檚 membership. Last semester alone, Midnight Philosophy discussed wealth, happiness, conspiracy theories, power, and identity 鈥 broad topics picked to make the club (sometimes abbreviated to MidPhil) accessible to students regardless of class year or major.

Meetings are a space for lively debate. Han Sirota 鈥19, a long-time member of the club, said, 鈥淚 stay for the fascinating conversation, especially from those who aren鈥檛 grounded in the western philosophical tradition. MidPhil resembles the old-school literary societies once prominent in American colleges.鈥

鈥淓xperiment with putting yourself out there, into the deep waters of discussion,鈥 Dirkers said during a recent meeting. 鈥淓ngage mentally, engage emotionally, engage physiologically. Listen carefully, consider the implications, connect the dots, reflect on what it means, look at it from different perspectives. That鈥檚 why our club exists, to learn from other people and to broaden your awareness.鈥