Finding a facilitator
Knowing that a Socrates Café needed a good facilitator, Landsman called some former colleagues at Montclair State, who gave him other names to call. Finally the name of Professor Paul Eckstein came up. I was told, ‘If you can get him, grab him,’ so I called Paul and he graciously said yes.”

Eckstein has now been facilitating at Cedar Crest’s Socrates Café for about two years.

“It’s been working out so well that it feels like home here,” he says. “I was delighted to get involved because I already had extensive experience working with older adults through Bergen Community College’s Institute for Learning in Retirement program, which is affiliated with Elderhostel.”

Socratic questioning
During a recent Socrates Café session, the group tackled the question, “What is the meaning of money?”

In his stage-setting remarks, Professor Eckstein zeroed in on the symbolic aspect of money. “It’s easy to show that money isn’t the stuff you pull out of your pocket,” he said. “Understanding that symbolic side, how it operates, and what it actually stands for seems to me to be very puzzling. So I invite you all to share what you think money is actually about.”

“A measure of value,” offered one participant. “A means to an end,” said another. One person spoke about how the ability or inability to make money can affect one’s sense of selfworth. Another observed how money can confer power and independence.

Each answer given was discussed, questioned, and refined, much as Socrates might have led a discussion in his day. One conclusion seemed to be that money reflected our societal interactions and all the good and bad that they entail.

The value of discussing
While there were no definitive answers, most found the discussion highly gratifying.

“For some, this is a way to socialize on a higher level,” says Eckstein. “They engage in the conversation, and they come away refreshed. I have also found that there are others who are so fascinated by a particular discussion that they follow up by reading books on the subject and engaging in additional conversations with family and friends.

“It can have a profoundly transformative effect,” he says. “Of course, this is also a way to stay young and vital— because the exercise of the mind keeps life interesting.”

You can learn more about Socrates Cafés and movement to bring philosophical inquiry to the general public at: http://www.philosopher.org/

For tips on starting your own Socrates Café, go to: http://www.philosopher.org/soccaf.html

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