Richmond’s ‘philosophers’ to gather at new roundtable discussions

A partnership struck between Simon Fraser University and Richmond Public Library is bringing a new slate of roundtable discussions to Richmond.

The “Philosopher Cafés,” moderated by Steveston-resident Chris Ludwig, are meant to offer Richmondites the chance to learn something new, meet new people and contribute to meaningful discussions.

“It’s an opportunity where basically people freely come together from the community to exchange diverse opinions and ideas and not necessarily come to any conclusions,” Ludwig said. “We simply learn from one another and explore a topic.”

With the next café scheduled for Nov. 8, the cafés are expected to run once per month in English at the Steveston Community Centre.

For Ludwig, these new discussions in Steveston will hopefully fill a void in the community.

“In Richmond I find there’s a need for open form discussion,” Ludwig said. “Richmond, I think, has struggled with that, just having a place where anybody from any walk of life can just come in and be in a safe environment and just get to know one another and share ideas.”

The cafés take place in the evening and are free to attend, which means they may cater to a different audience than the weekday “Philosopher’s Corner” discussions led by Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Those run monthly at 11:30 a.m. with a suggested minimum donation of $2.

Discussions led by Will Tesler also take place once per month in Russian at the Richmond Public Library’s Brighouse Branch.

While run by different groups, all of these roundtable discussions point to a desire to allow Richmondites to share their unique perspectives in a safe space. In fact, Ludwig said he’s seen diverse attendees in cafes he’s run in other communities, including students, teachers and retirees.

“The (café) is really an excellent opportunity for people who would never meet in communities that have become so isolated,” Ludwig said.

“I think the Philosopher’s Café is one of those few opportunities for people to come together and actually really speak what they think and what they feel and not be afraid.”

Upcoming Philosopher Cafés with SFU and RPL:

Thursday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m.

Steveston Community Centre with Chris Ludwig
Topic: Are Western beauty norms and the aesthetics of Western art and music healthy or unhealthy, good or bad?

Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m.

Richmond Public Library (Brighouse branch) — café in Russian with Will Tesler

Thursday, Dec. 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Steveston Community Centre with Chris Ludwing
Topic: Is suffering a necessary component of life?

Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m.

Richmond Public Library (Brighouse branch) — café in Russian with Will Tesler

Upcoming Philosopher’s Corners with KPU:

Thursday, Nov. 1 at 11:30 a.m.

Steveston Hotel in the back room behind the cafeteria, 12111 Third Ave.

Topic: What place does civil disobedience have in our society?

Thursday, Dec. 6 at 11:30 a.m.

Steveston Hotel in the back room behind the cafeteria, 12111 Third Ave.

Topic: The things we keep: the significance of objects.