Cafe Philosophy began January, 27, 1997, at Bean Around the World. We met there for over two years, and then moved through a couple of other Victoria cafes that no longer exist, till we found our great new home, the Solstice Cafe, where we have been for seven years.

Below you can find the list of upcoming topics, as well as a complete Topic History. Click on past seasons (below left) to see what topics we have covered in the past (past topics are sometimes linked to a page of quotations on that topic).

The Resources column below (to the right of the upcoming topics and questions), you will find a link to a page that gathers information pertinent to particular Cafe Philosophy sessions.

History

Season	Topic	Resources
2009 Summer 2009 Spring 2008 Fall 2008 Summer 2008 Spring 2007 Fall 2007 Summer 2007 Spring 2006 Fall 2006 Summer 2006 Spring 2005 Fall 2005 Summer 2005 Spring 2004 Fall 2004 Summer 2004 Spring 2003 Fall 2003 Summer 2003 Spring 2002 Fall 2002 Summer 2002 Spring 2001 Fall 2001 Summer 2001 Spring 2000 Fall 2000 Summer 2000 Spring 1999 Fall 1999 Summer 1999 Spring 1998 Fall 1998 Summer 1998 Spring 1997 Fall 1997 Summer 1997 Spring	Love-Hate — 19-Dec-07 Is it possible to love and hate at the same time? How does love turn to hate? How does hate become love? Belonging-Alienation — 12-Dec-07 Where do you belong? What do you find alienating? Will the Other ever belong with us? Attachment-Detachment — 05-Dec-07 How do we generate healthy social bonding? How do we become philosophically detached? How can we hold without grasping? Desire-Aversion — 28-Nov-07 How can we live without what we desire, or with what we fear? Do we fear our desires? Do we desire our fears? How are fear and desire to be overcome? Wisdom-Folly — 21-Nov-07 What need have we for sages? What need have we for fools? Must one be wise to tell the difference, and a fool to dare to say it? Confidence-Self-Doubt — 14-Nov-07 What stokes your confidence? What evokes your self-doubt? Is over-confidence a defense against hidden self-doubt? ATHEISM/BELIEF — 07-Nov-07 Is atheism unbelief? Is it harder today to be a believer or an atheist? What does God mean to you? INNOCENCE/EXPERIENCE — 31-Oct-07 How was innocence lost? What is the price of experience? Is there a second innocence beyond experience? UNDERSTANDING/INTOLERANCE — 24-Oct-07 How is mutual understanding possible? How much intolerance can we tolerate? How can we swallow our own poisons? GIVING/RECEIVING — 17-Oct-07 What more can we give? How shall we best receive? Are you better at giving or receiving? What may we keep? Competition-Cooperation — 10-Oct-07 Should competition and cooperation compete or cooperate? Which principle is more basic? Which deserves priority? Intention-Outcome — 03-Oct-07 What matters more – what you do or what you intend? Results or good-will – to what standard do we hold others – and ourselves ? Is the road to heaven paved with bad intentions? Individuality-Conformity — 26-Sep-07 Do the forces of individuality overcome those of conformity? Or does the power of conformity overwhelm the lone individual? Being-Doing — 19-Sep-07 What matters more – what you are or what you do? Do your actions/behaviours define who you are? Can doing transform being? Do we make ourselves? Companionship-Isolation — 12-Sep-07 Why do we need to be alone? Why do we need to be with others? Can you be alone while you are with others? Reason-Emotion — 05-Sep-07 Are emotions irrational? Does reason lack feeling? How do you resolve/explode the head-heart duality?