What we’re about
Café Philo is a way of meeting interesting, inquiring people who enjoy talking about life's big issues and conundrums in a convivial atmosphere in the Bristol and Bath area.
We discuss all manner of topics. Some are profound, others are decidedly not. We aim to have one topic per month, we hold events to discuss this topic in a number locations, often with two separate discussions in each venue - we limit numbers to 12 for each discussion (usually less in practice). Each discussion goes in its own direction, depending on the people around the table. A facilitator gently steers the discussion to help keep things moving, interesting and balanced.
Our discussions are non-party-political and free of religious or ideological dogma (most of the time at least). We encourage a healthy mix of the serious and humourous, so you can be guaranteed a lively, stimulating evening.
We're not academics or experts - just ordinary people from a variety of backgrounds who share a common interest in exchanging ideas about things which matter in life and meeting like-minded people.
If you're a heavy-duty philosopher you may find this group a bit lightweight. For anybody else, come along and get stuck into a decent conversation over a coffee or beer.
In addition to our discussions we hold some social events and occasionally arrange to meet for public talks.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- What role should prisons have in our justice system?The Famous Royal Naval Volunteer, Bristol
An extract from the 2023-2024 HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales:
“With many prisons severely overcrowded and understaffed, inspectors found men and women continued to spend far too long locked in their cells with nothing to do thanks to the woeful provision of education, training or work. Out of the 32 closed prisons the report covers, 30 were rated poor or insufficiently good in our assessment for purposeful activity. Rather than prisoners participating in activities or interventions to reduce their risk of reoffending and support their mental and physical health during their time behind bars, inspectors found a surge in illicit drug use, self-harm and violence.”
https://hmiprisons.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmipris_reports/annual-report/Prisons have been a cornerstone of criminal justice systems for millennia, with evidence of their use dating back to 600 BC. In the UK, institutions like Newgate Prison have histories stretching back centuries. Today, prisons remain a central yet controversial element of our approach to crime and punishment.
At the heart of the debate lies the fundamental purpose of prisons: are they primarily for punishment or rehabilitation? Many argue that prisons should focus on reforming offenders, providing education, vocational training, and psychological support to prepare inmates for successful reintegration into society. Others contend that the punitive aspect of incarceration is crucial for justice and deterrence. In the UK, for instance, the Ministry of Justice states that prisons should serve multiple purposes: punishing offenders, protecting the public, and aiding rehabilitation.
The effectiveness of prisons in reducing crime and ensuring public safety is another contentious issue globally. While incarceration does physically separate offenders from society, questions remain about its long-term impact on crime rates and recidivism. In many countries, reoffending rates remain high (25.5% overall in the UK, rising to 55.5% for adults released from custodial sentences of less than 12 months) Notably the difference for men and women is around 6 percentage points.
Critics argue that prison environments often exacerbate criminal behaviour, creating a cycle of reoffending rather than breaking it. Moreover, the societal costs of maintaining large prison populations are significant, both financially and socially. Mass incarceration has led to overcrowding, strain on public resources, and profound effects on communities, particularly minority groups who are often disproportionately represented in prison populations.
These challenges have led to increased interest in alternative forms of justice and rehabilitation. Restorative justice programs, community service, electronic monitoring, and drug treatment courts are among the options being explored and implemented in various jurisdictions. These alternatives aim to address the root causes of criminal behaviour while maintaining public safety and reducing the reliance on traditional incarceration.
As we grapple with these complex issues, several questions emerge:
- How can societies balance the need for public safety with the goal of offender rehabilitation?
- Are there circumstances where alternatives to prison could be more effective in reducing crime and recidivism?
- What do current prison systems reveal about a society's values and priorities?
- How might approaches to criminal justice evolve in the coming decades, and what role will prisons play in that future?
- What if we didn’t have prisons?
For further reading:
"World Prison Brief" by the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research: https://www.prisonstudies.org/"The Prison System in England and Wales" by the House of Commons Library:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8161/Hope, legitimacy and carceral citizenship: using walking methodologies to understand peoples’ experience of probation supervision
https://howardleague.org/current-research-2/hope-legitimacy-and-carceral-citizenship-using-walking-methodologies-to-understand-peoples-experience-of-probation-supervision/Reducing Reoffending: The 'What Works' Debate
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP12-71/RP12-71.pdfPlease support the pub by purchasing a beverage.
- How can we best approach end of life of those close to us, and ourselves?Industry Bar & Kitchen, Bristol
All good things come to an end, even life.
As the nights draw in, leaves die in spectacular autumn colors and the day of the dead approaches, join Café Philo as we discuss how best to approach the end of life, Death. Although death, like taxes may be inevitable, we do have control over how we approach it, even if it’s inevitability cannot be postponed.
Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people live. —GEORGE BERNARD SHAW
We will be taking this discussion seriously, but not somberly. Please approach the discussion with kindness, compassion and a mild sense of humour.
Existentialism is a family of views and forms of philosophical inquiry that explores the issue of human existence.
Why do some people find it helpful to believe in a continuation of existence past death?
What characteristics are common to societies/communities which are built on the belief of a life after death?
How do these characteristics affect people’s behaviour within the group and with others?The recent UK census survey indicates that fewer people are aligning with religion. What do these people believe happens at the end of life?
In what ways does a person’s acceptance of the finality of death influence their approach to life and death?Some believe that when a loved one dies it is like losing a limb, i.e. a wound that will never heal. Is this approach helpful to living a whole life?
Are there other approaches, or is this the only way a death of a child, perhaps, could be experienced?Another approach is to train for a mindful death, which means to accept death through meditation, and to lose all attachment to life, and to others. This approach is characterized by love and compassion without expectation of return. In what ways is this a more (or less) useful approach?
Would a person with an acceptance of death experience it as a wound that heals in time? Might this person be able to resume a whole life quicker than those who view death as a lost limb?
Would those around this person accept their death more easily?People often say they want others to be happy when they are gone. Is this possible if they view death as an unhealing permanent wound?
Do we, (or should we), have the right to die?
Why would we want such a right? To spare others from seeing us suffer? Would wanting to die be a purely selfish act, for one’s own benefit?What benefits are there of celebrating death as done on Día de Muertos?
These are just some of the questions we might find ourselves exploring in this discussion about our varying attitudes to death and dying.
Further reading:
Día de Muertos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead
Right to Die: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_die
Training for death: https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/comments/1b0uxte/comment/ksbmwxd/Please support the pub by purchasing a drink
- Choice: too much? too little? or just right?Westbury on Trym, Westbury on Trym
Choice is all around us: on supermarket shelves; on Rightmove; on dating sites; which career to choose; diet and lifestyle choices… Do we have too much choice? Perhaps it would be simpler if someone just told us what to do, and save us all that agonising decision making.
Do we even have choices?
Or is our life path defined by our circumstances.
Perhaps everything is determined by fate and choice is an illusion.
Why do some people end up working in Tesco while others learn a skill?
Why do some people grow old and die in the town where they were born while others go to Manhattan or Tokyo?
Do younger people have more choices than older people?Is there such a thing as too much choice (or at least, too much perception of choice)?
Does too much choice lead to stress and anxiety?
How can we manage our opportunities for choice effectively?Do our choices even make any difference?
How often do you simply wait for someone, or events, to tell you what to do instead of choosing for yourself?
In what sense is doing nothing about a situation, (perhaps because you just can't decide), actually a "choice"?
How often do you choose something wacky? Something that most people would never choose?How many significant choices have you made in your life?
- Not just whether to have sugar or which cake to have.
- The kind of decision that will affect the rest of your life.How did you choose your career?
Did it just happen? Or did you put a lot of thought into it?
John Lennon said:
‘Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans’.
Did you ever have challenging and fun ideas (like learning to pole dancing or going to Sri Lanka) that you never got to because of all your other obligations?
Did you ever do those fun things?Do choices make a difference to your happiness?
Søren Kierkegaard (Danish philosopher) said:
'Marry, and you will regret it; don’t marry, you will also regret it; marry or don’t marry, you will regret it either way.'
Was he right? Or conversely, with a more positive attitude, perhaps: you will be happy either way?Existentialism is a philosophy about making choices.
We come to this earth with no predetermined meaning.
We have to find our own meaning and make our own choices.
Sartre (French philosopher) said 'We are condemned to be free'.
Does this describe your own life? Or did you just do whatever fate had in store for you?In what ways does a "choice" differ from a "decision", if at all?
To what extent are our choices made by intuition - what "feels right", as opposed to more explicit rational evaluation? Which approach is most likely to lead to the best outcome for which type of choice?
Are "choices" more emotional and "decisions" more rational?Some suggested preparation:
https://behavioralscientist.org/is-having-too-many-choices-versus-too-few-really-the-greater-problem-for-consumers/https://bigthink.com/thinking/choice-analysis-paralysis/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinking,_Fast_and_Slow
I'll provide tea/coffee. You are welcome to bring other drinks/nibbles.
