Welcome to the Web home of the Dialectic Dining Club, a social experiment in conversation and food based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Essentially, the club is a shifting group of people who meet to have dinner together on a semi-regular basis, always at a different restaurant. The conversation is not constrained in any way--the point is to have a good time and meet people.
If you're in Ann Arbor, you are welcome to participate, provided you can answer "yes" to these questions:
Questions you may have
- Is this something for philosophy students?
- No, not at all. It's for anybody who likes to make ordinary dinner conversation and get to know people.
- So what's with all the ancient Greek motifs?
- Face it, the ancient Greeks were cool. They had a strong oral culture, and they liked good food and wine. Plus, they never watched TV while eating. See the History page for more on Heraclitus.
- Are we expected to debate?
- No, the conversation is meant to be unstructured, but hopefully interesting.
- Is this for people learning English?
- No, it's not that either. That is, non-native speakers are very welcome, but the purpose isn't to improve your English.
- Am I cool enough to do this?
- Why don't you show up and find out? If you do, then you are.
- When and where does it happen?
- See the Schedule page.
Notes
1. You need to be able to speak a language spoken by at least one other person present. English is your best bet. Computer languages do not count, unless you can make a very strong argument for why, say, C++ is appropriate for dinner conversation.
2. Drinking is also permitted, of both fermented and non-fermented beverages. Hemlock is highly discouraged.
3. Whether you will also have to pay for what you say depends entirely on your own powers of self-restraint.