"You can't have the same dinner twice." --Heraclitus (sort of)

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:

  1. Can you talk? 1
  2. Can you eat? 2
  3. Can you pay for what you eat? 3

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.