JH Salon: Brainstorming session for 2025 topics

We'd need your help come up with new JH Salon questions for future discussions.

We invite you to join us on Zoom the evening of December 2nd to help brainstorm topics that we can discuss during our JH Salons in 2025. To prime the pump, you can find some interesting examples of topics at https://thesalonhost.com/21-topic-ideas-for-your-2021-salon/ and http://thesaturdaysalon.com/topics/. We also have a list of our past salon discussions at the bottom of this Meetup.

Once we get a list, we will vote on the suggestions to create a schedule of questions for 2025.

If you are unable to attend this session and you have ideas for Salon questions, please fill out this form to submit your ideas: https://forms.gle/hbsEeakAVJM4QgHg7

PLEASE BE SURE TO RSVP on Meetup or email [email protected] to so we know who will be attending.

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ABOUT THE JH SALON

Much like the salons of France during the Enlightenment, we will discuss a variety of topics and lubricate the discussion with a few libations. Topics will be worded as questions and can be related to science, sociology, politics, philosophy, history, ethics and more. Attendees are not required to read anything in particular before the discussion, but it certainly helps to do some study before the discussion to be able to make a coherent argument and back it up.

A few JH Salon ground rules:

• Respect others and their opinions.
• Don't come with a personal axe to grind.
• Criticize ideas, not individuals.
• Don't make personal attacks.
• Allow everyone the chance to speak.
• Don't take things personally.
• Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others' views.

The JH Salon will be held on the first Monday of every month.

"THE AIM OF ARGUMENT, OR OF DISCUSSION, SHOULD NOT BE VICTORY, BUT PROGRESS." ~ Joseph Joubert

This program is hosted by Jefferson Humanists, a chapter of the American Humanist Association. To find out more and become a member, go to www.jeffersonhumanists.org

PAST JH SALON TOPICS

• Are humans the ultimate animals?
• Is universal healthcare a basic human right?
• Should their be checks to immigration to the U.S.?
• Can we ever become a color-blind society?
• Should college in the U.S. be free?
• Can humans coexist with nature?
• Should voting be mandatory?
• Should election campaigning be limited to a few weeks?
• Should humanists celebrate religious holidays?
• What social services should be provided by the government?
• Should recycling be mandatory?
• What gun laws would be beneficial to the U.S.?
• Is the American dream dead?
• Are there limits to free speech?
• Is factory farming necessary?
• Should all illicit drugs be legalized?
• Should governments allow private business to run prisons?
• Is religion necessary for morality?
• Is space exploration worth the cost?
• Do humans overestimate their abilities?
• Do monuments and commemorative statues matter?
• Does capitalism help or hurt the world?
• What obligation do we owe other animals?
• What impact do sensational news headlines have on overall well being?
• War, What is is good for?
• What obligation do we have to refugees?
• Is money real?
• Does the U.S. Constitution protect human rights?
• Should states be allowed to violate human rights?
• Does a tipping culture hurt or benefit workers?
• Does AI stifle our intellect and should it be regulated?
• Should humans travel into space?
• How can we have productive discussions with those of opposing viewpoints and reach acceptable compromises?
• How do we make the 10 commitments more memorable?
• Should the US support Ukraine against Russia?
• What should we do to better rehabilitate inmates?
• What lessons have we learned from US Covid response?
• Is there a way to control misinformation?
• Is abortion reproductive health or something more?
• What is the balance between development and environmental sustainability?
• What are the impacts of loneliness on individuals and our society?
• What limits should be placed on Generative AI?