Welcome to the Club Showcase where every week we highlight one of the many extraordinary clubs you can join as a Penn State Behrend student. Today, we are focusing on the Philosophy Club. To learn more about this club, let us go to our discussion with club president Garrett Beebe. 

What is the name of your club? (and nickname if you have one)

“We are the Philosophy Club at Behrend (or just Philosophy Club).”

Does your club have a mission statement? What are your core values?

“Our central aim is to afford authentic dialogue on deep matters. Our best thinking is done in dialogue with others.’

What is the most significant thing your club does on-campus?

“We are hosting and promoting opportunities for dialogical thinking on campus. We host spaces for it, and will help facilitate it by promoting your reading/discussion group!”

Do you have any upcoming events currently planned? If so, what events and when? 

“Our primary event is our Open Dialogue event. This is a space for us to come put our heads together about the things in life we care the most about. We meet in a public space, the Reed Gaming Lounge [in the Square of Chairs] every Friday, and we’re open from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. By no means do you need to stay for four hours! You don’t need to arrive at the start or stay until the end – come and go as you please!

Some things to stay tuned for [and more information to come – follow us on BehrendSync and social media!]:

• A regular collaborative event with Active Minds and the Psychology Coalition.
• A regular event with relevant faculty centering around the cultivation of wisdom and flourishing / meaning in life.
• A larger special event later this semester: A ‘Philosophy & Technology’ Symposium (core questions around:

1. Artificial Intelligence [automation, personhood, alignment/ethics, etc.]
2. Transhumanism [cybernetic enhancement [e.g. Neuralink], personhood, agency & becoming, etc.]
3. Virtual Worlds [inhabiting social media/networks, virtual reality and metaverses, the Virtual Exodus, online community, etc.]
4. Technology Itself [What is technology, and how should we relate to it?].”

How can a student get involved with your organization?

“This is as easy as showing up and making conversation! All of our events are centered around generative dialogue, and as long as you can hear others out and open yourself up, you will be welcomed and appreciated.

A great starting event is our weekly, public Open Dialogue event. This is a space for us to come put our heads together about the things in life we care the most about, as an opportunity to practice authentic dialogue. Stop by at any point between the beginning and end of the event, stay for as little or long as you’d like, eavesdrop or jump in. We have a lot of people who like to just come and listen to/follow the flow of the dialogue. It’s low-commitment and participation is totally voluntary.”

And that was the Philosophy Club. If you are interested in joining, make sure to reach out to Garrett or the rest of the club’s E-Board for more information. We will see you next week for another installment of Club Showcase!