Samuel Avital launches Boulder's first philosophical Café
to examine life's deeper questions and connect with others
By Diana Somerville
Prime Times Editor
Boulder Daily Camera
Tuesday, Dec 9, 1997
Boulder, Colorado, USAPeople are hungry to converse, to re-think themselves, their relationships and their existence, says Samuel Avital, known as a performer, mime teacher and director of Le Centre du Silence in Boulder. While Socrates discussed philosophic questions in Athens' marketplace, more recently philosophical discussions have been the province of academics and intellectuals, not everyday folks. There's a lot to be gained by reclaiming both lively public discussions and philosophical discourse, according to some social philosophers.
Among them is France's Marc Sautet who instituted what he called a Café Philosophique - a place for philosophical discussions at a popular Paris Café. He also created a private philosophy practice, helping people who are confused, perplexed or troubled the opportunity to examine their issues not as personal problems but as symptoms of what is missing in our collective social live. Viewing anguish, alienation and anger as byproducts a larger society in crisis offers a different perspective, say these philosophers; individual problems aren't really separate from the culture in which one lives.
Sautet also believes philosophy has an important role to play in helping people grapple with big questions and created a place where people can speak freely, encouraging those who are shy alienated or don't often dare to speak out, says Avital, in an accent that reveals his years of living in France.
Small groups in college towns across the country are slowly responding to the call to hone one's thinking in lively public discussions. Boulder is ready for a similar group, he believes - and if the groups at the Café Salon Philosophique are an indication, he may be right.
Although 30th and Baseline may seem far from the Left Bank in Paris, Boulder Used Books and Beans, also known as BUBB's Café, has all the ingredients necessary for an evening of thoughtful conversation. And, on the first and third Saturday of the month, it now becomes the Café Salon Philosophique. From 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Avital, "provacateur extraordinaire," serves up thoughtful discussion topics to accompany steaming coffee.
"The topics are selected right on the spot by the people present," he says One session looked at what gives rise to humor and laughter, reports Alessandra. "It's a different concept, a different way of bringing people together", says the single-named student of Avital who writes a free-wheeling report after each Salon.
The Café Salon had its debut in November and the size of the group attracted to the coffee shop has increased each successive Saturday. To expand the community involved, Alesandra's reports on the discussions are posted on Avital's Web page. He plans links to Sautet's French language website and to those of other virtual Cafés springing up across the country.
Information: 443-8373 or 661-9271.
Diana Somerville <dianasomerville@compuserve.com>
Café-Salon Philosophique Home Page