Past Cafés

• December 5, 2012
  Topic: Happiness
  Location: Harmony Café (1660 W Mason St., Green Bay), 7:00-8:30
  Moderator: Leanne Kent, PhD (St. Norbert)

  The Declaration of Independence recognizes our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Should government policy focus on the happiness and well-being of its populace? Should government measure its success not only in the familiar terms of GDP and GNP, but also in terms of a GHP - a ‘Gross Happiness Product’? We will look into some findings from psychology and happiness in hopes of identifying policies that might be incorporated into public policy. We will also look at ways governments around the world have done this and, most importantly, will consider whether such public policy initiatives are enlightened and progressive or seriously misguided.

• November 7, 2012
  Topic: Citizen Activism in a Digital Age
  Location: Harmony Café (1660 W Mason St., Green Bay), 7:00-8:30
  Moderator: Eric Morgan, PhD (UW Green Bay)

  What role should citizen activism play in modern America? In an increasingly interconnected electronic world of blogs, social networking media, and seemingly universal instant gratification -- coupled with the astronomical financial cost of political campaigns -- the grassroots movements of old now seem rather quaint. But does it remain possible to develop prolonged and widespread movements like abolitionism or civil rights in our fragmented and hyperkinetic society? How has technology helped to change and shape modern activism? How should Americans become involved in the myriad issues of the day, particularly given the challenges of seemingly disinterested politicians and corporations? We will discuss these questions and more as we explore the role of the citizen within a modern democratic society.

• October 3, 2012
  Topic: The Politics of Food
  Location: Harmony Café (1660 W Mason St., Green Bay), 7:00-8:30
  Moderator: Dallas Blaney, PhD (UW Green Bay)

  Following a disappointing growing season in the US and Russia, we are now facing a third major global food crisis in the last fifteen years. Given widespread expectations of increased climate volatility it seems likely that we may experience additional crises in the near future. We will discuss who suffers the most from such calamities and whether the United States, given its relative wealth and technology, ought to be doing more than other countries to stem this tide. Should we initiate a global strategic food reserve? We will discuss whether certain conceptions of justice make such a move a moral imperative.

• September 5, 2012
  Topic: Political Left and Right in Conversational (not Shouting) Distance
  Location: A's (112 N Broadway, De Pere), 7:00-8:30
  Moderator: Paul Johnson, PhD (St. Norbert)

  We will look at the political theories of both John Rawls and Robert Nozick and discuss how these theoretical foundations relate to the basic insights of the political left and right. The challenge is to find a way to respect these insights, and incorporate them into workable policy solutions to the problems that confront us today. The danger is that each side will fail to appreciate the importance and value of the opposed viewpoint, engage in vociferous one-sided defense of its own vision and thereby undercut the middle ground between them where effective solutions are to be found.

• May 10, 2012: St. Brendan’s Inn, 7:00-8:30
  Topic: The Public Sphere, Popular Culture, and Political Discourse
  Location: 234 South Washington Street Green Bay, (By the Fireplace)
  Moderator: Timothy Dale, PhD. UWGB, Political Science

  By definition, a democratic society requires active and engaged citizens. Despite the fact that America has notoriously low voter turnout, we have a dynamic and complex public sphere in which other kinds of political activities take place. In this session we will consider political participation from a philosophical perspective, with attention to the relationship between politics and popular culture. We will consider questions such as: What counts as political participation? What impact does popular culture have on political discourse? What kinds of messages are appearing in popular culture, and what impact do they have on the people who consume them? Can the production and consumption of popular culture count as political participation?

• April 12, 2012: Harmony Café, 7:00-8:30
  Topic: Harnessing the Adaptive Power of Anger
  Location: 1660 W Mason St., Green Bay (Green Room)
  Moderator: Ryan Martin, PhD., UWGB, Human Development

  We can probably all remember a time when we were so angry that we did something we regret. Maybe it was embarrassing, maybe it was cruel, or maybe it was damaging to ourselves or someone we care about. In this way, our rage can harm us and interfere with our success. At the same, anger is inevitable and it fuels our behavior in meaningful and important ways so trying to eliminate it from our lives is both misguided and impossible. The question then becomes how can we use our anger in positive and prosocial ways. How can we feel it, listen to it, learn from it, and use it to make our lives better.

• March 8, 2012: Kavarna 2012, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  Topic: Just War Theory: Ethical Perspectives and Issues
  Location: 143 N Broadway, Green Bay, (In the back)
  Moderator: David Duquette, Ph.D. St. Norbert College, Philosophy

  This café will focus on three central aspects of just war theory: 1. The distinction between jus ad bellum (having just cause to go to war) and jus in bello (waging war justly). I will lay out the basic considerations that fall under each and raise questions about whether these are necessary and/or sufficient conditions for a just war. 2. The rights or prerogatives of the military and individual soldiers in fighting justly. One salient question is whether, under what conditions, and to what extent military units and soldiers can forfeit their basic human rights in warfare. 3. The principle of non-combatant immunity. Is it a principle to be applied absolutely? If not, what is the extent of application, or under what conditions could it be overridden? Topical issues including terrorism, the use of torture, and indefinite detention may be considered in the context of Just War theory.

• February 9, 2012: Harmony Café, 7:00 – 8:30
  Topic: What's Good about Religious Beliefs?
  Location: 1660 W Mason St., Green Bay (Green Room)
  Moderator: Mara Brecht, Ph.D., St. Norbert College, Religious Studies

  Consider the following statements: "I believe God to be supremely good and loving." "I believe the fire hydrant to be around the block." People claim beliefs about God in the same way they claim beliefs about human nature, politics ordinary events, and even the weather. But are beliefs about God and ordinary beliefs about the world really alike? If they are, should religious beliefs be subject to the same kinds of assessments that we make about other, ordinary beliefs? If they are not like other types of belief, then should they be subject to other sets of tests and assessments? If so, what kinds? In short, what is the nature of religious belief? Can religious beliefs be considered to be 'real' beliefs in the same way our other beliefs are?

• January 12, 2012: St. Brendan’s Inn, 7:00- 8:30
  Topic: The Morality (or otherwise) of the Free Market: Bernard de Mandeville v. Adam Smith
  Location: 234 South Washington Street, Green Bay, (By the Fireplace)
  Moderator: Paul Johnson, Ph.D., St. Norbert College, Philosophy

  Adam Smith is frequently invoked as the uncritical and enthusiastic proponent of free market capitalism who might well espouse the doctrine "Greed is Good." This is a serious confusion. The uncritical and joyous embrace of even the most virulent forms of capitalist excess can, however, be imputed to Smith's early 18th century forebear, Bernard Mandeville. This Cafe session will discuss the moral orientation of these two authors for the purpose of raising for ourselves anew the problems and prospects for free market economics in our own troubled day.

• December 8, 2011: Kavarna , 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
  Topic: Human Rights and Human Dignity
  Location: 143 N Broadway, Green Bay, (Lower section in back of cafe)
  Moderator: Robert Pyne, Th.D. St. Norbert College, Senior Director for Community Engagement

  On what basis can we articulate and defend universal human rights in intercultural and pluralistic contexts? How do such claims relate to national autonomy and religious freedom?

• November 10, 2011: Kavarna, 7:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  Topic: Ethics of Food
  Location: 143 N Broadway, Green Bay, (Lower section in back of cafe)
  Moderator: Christopher Martin, PhD., UWGB, Philosophy

  What is 'food'? What if any are the ethical dimensions of the way in which it is grown, harvested, transported and sold? In this cafe we will take a look at ways in which food and its production have been revolutionized in the last half century or so. We'll discuss the genetic modifications of 'food', how this affects their nutritional content, and what if anything might be worrisome about it. We will look at this issue from the perspective of food growers and companies, consumers and the environment.

• October 13, 2011: Harmony Café, 7:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  Topic: Coupling: The Nature of Romantic Relationships in Human Life
  Location: 1660 W Mason St., Green Bay (Green Room)
  Moderator: Denise Bartell, Ph.D., UWGB, Human Development

  Why do couple bonds exist? How do they influence our lives? Why do we choose who we choose for these relationships? What is a “successful” relationship? Couple relationships are a core feature of most humans’ lives, and a quick review of the content of our literature, music and video media effectively illustrates the amount of cognitive and emotional energy that we, as a culture, expend in the exploration of these relationships. This Café will examine central questions about the nature of love, sex and couple relationships, drawing upon information from both the sciences and humanities.

• September 15, 2011: St. Brendan's Inn, 7:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  Topic: What's the Point? Death and a Meaningful Life
  Location: 234 South Washington Street, Green Bay, (By the Fireplace)
  Moderator: Tanya Randle, PhD. St. Norbert College, Philosophy

  The knowledge that you are going to die is part of being human. After all, as everyone knows, the death rate is 100%! That knowledge shapes how we understand ourselves in our world, but it is it possible for me really to understand my own death or to prepare myself for it? And what meaning could my life, my projects, my accomplishments have in the face of my own inevitable death? If I and everyone I know and care for will cease to exist, what's the point of all this struggle, stress, joy, boredom, beauty, happiness, and pain we call life? Since I know that I am going to die, must I believe in some afterlife in order for this life in the here and now to have meaning? Or is this knowledge of my own death the very thing that makes life meaningful?

• May 12, 2011
  Topic: Freedom as Self Determination
  Moderator: David Duquette, Ph.D., St. Norbert College - Philosophy
  Location: Kavarna, 143 N. Broadway, Green Bay, WI

  We will examine the basic meanings of freedom and how one-sided views about the nature of freedom result from an incomplete account of the concept. Freedom as self-determination provides the fullest understanding of freedom, which includes:

  • negative freedom, or "freedom from"
  • positive freedom, or "freedom to"
  • rational freedom, or purpose oriented choosing
  • objective freedom, or social and political action

  I will explain each of the dimensions of freedom and then invite the group to discuss the conceptualization, along with relevant examples and practical implications.

• April 14, 2011
  Topic: Knowing Me, Knowing You, and Knowing Us
  Moderator: Adam Green, Ph.D., St. Norbert College - Philosophy
  Location: Kavarna, 143 N Broadway, Green Bay

  A topic of universal interest both personal and academic is that of what it means to know another person. Whether we are concerned with Aristotle's notion of the friend as a second self, the traditional problem of other minds, thinking about empathy and ethical motivation, trying to go about obeying Socrates' injunction to "know thyself", or coming to terms with the nature of systematic social prejudices, there is much at stake philosophically in coming to terms with what it means to be the social beings we are. If you are interested in discussing issues related to what it means to know oneself and others and in getting a brief introduction to the academic discussion of this familiar topic, then please mosey down to Kavarna's on April 14th at 7:00 for the Philosopher's Cafe.

• March 10, 2011
  Topic: Science and Religion
  Moderator: Tanya Randle, Ph.D., St. Norbert College - Philosophy
  Location: St. Brendan's Inn, 234 S. Washington Street, Green Bay, WI

  From Copernicus' revolutionary claim that the earth revolves around the sun to the attempts of contemporary cognitive scientists and evolutionary biologists to explain (or explain away) religious belief, there has existed a tension between modern science and religion. How should we understand the complex relationship between science and religion? Can science "prove" religion, a particular religion or religion in general, wrong? Or if not, can science at least provide strong justification for skepticism toward religious claims to truth and knowledge? Can scientific studies of religious phenomena ever do justice to those phenomena, especially with respect to the perspective of the involved participants within a particular religious tradition or practice? To address these questions, we will need to consider several more basic questions: What is the difference between religion and science? What is the goal of scientific inquiry? What, if any, is the goal of religious practice and belief? What does it mean to be religious or scientific, in the first place?

• February 10, 2011
  Topic: What is Torture?
  Moderator: Derek S.Jeffreys, Ph.D., UWGB – Philosophy
  Location: Kavarna, 143 N. Broadway, Green Bay
  *Note Time Change*: 7:00 - 8:30

  In the last decade, we have seen fierce public debates about torture. What exactly is torture? Why is it morally wrong? Should we ever torture? Has the United States tortured in the "war on terror?" In this session of the Philosophers' Café, we consider the definition of torture. After noting the dangers of definitions, we explore select issues in the philosophy of action. We then examine one philosophical definition of torture, critically examining its key elements. To test this definition's adequacy, we consider interrogation practices like waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and stress positions.

• January 13, 2011
  Topic: Beliefs
  Moderator: Chris Martin, Ph.D., UWGB - Philosophy
  Location: St. Brendan's Inn, 234 S. Washington Street, Green Bay, WI

  Beliefs. We all have them, but how do we get them? What grounds our political convictions? What explains our theistic or atheistic inclinations? In short, where do our beliefs come from? Are some simply innate? Might there be an evolutionary account? How much of an influence do our lived circumstances play? To what degree (if any) are our beliefs matters of genuine personal choice? Another important question about beliefs regards their content - what, exactly, is the content of our beliefs? Take perceptions: are the contents of perceptions just images or pictures of the world in our minds, or do our perceptions include the objects themselves? Might the actual contents of perceptions and thoughts extend beyond our own persons? Could there be a kind of public super-sphere where all our ideas converge? Beliefs, it might surprise you to hear, are complicated and controversial things. This month's Philosopher's Cafe will explore several different aspects of these indispensable though convoluted and controversial items of our everyday existence.

• December 9, 2010
  Topic: The History of Drink
  Moderator: Caroline Boswell, Ph.D., UWGB - History
  Location: St. Brendan's Inn, 234 S. Washington Street, Green Bay, WI

  How do we define political action in our history? Do we think merely of voting and representation? Or perhaps we think of rioting and violent resistance? In this session we will delve into the political significance of everyday activities - including drinking practices - noting how seemingly mundane activities contributed to the creation of a dynamic political culture in the West. We will also discuss whether we've seen a decline in political engagement or simply a transformation in culture.

• November 11, 2010
  Topic: Business Ethics
  Moderator: Leanne Kent, Ph.D., St. Norbert College – Philosophy
  Location: Harmony Cafe, 1660 W. Mason Street, Green Bay

  The concept of the triple-bottom line - assessing the success of a business in terms of its impact on people, the planet, and profit - is gaining increased attention and acceptance amongst scholars and business persons alike. We will consider whether the well-being of people in local and global communities, the health of the environment, and the profitability of the company are all legitimate ends of business which ought to guide decisions, policy, and practices or whether the triple-bottom line is born out of misconceptualization of the nature and purpose of business. In addition to discussing the nature of business, topics of discussion may also include issues regarding the management of conflicts between these ends, the relative importance of these ends, and the scope of the responsibility of businesses to their various constituencies.

• October 14, 2010
  Topic: Of sound mind and healthy body: medicine and philosophy in the ancient world
  Moderator: Joel Mann, Ph.D., St. Norbert College – Philosophy
  Location: Kavarna, 143 N Broadway, Green Bay

  Philosophy flourished for the first time in ancient Greece. Simultaneously, medicine came into its own both in theory and practice. Indeed, medicine and philosophy were often closely linked in the ancient world, and some may be surprised to find that philosophy, in its reflections on the good life, often drew on concepts current in contemporary medicine. How important is biological theory to medical practice? Analogously, how relevant is ethical theory to practical living? Does the healthy body serve as a useful model for achieving health in the soul? Is there even a relevant difference between these two kinds of health?

• September 16, 2010
  Topic: Environmental Ethics
  Moderator: Christopher Martin, Ph.D., UWGB - Philosophy
  Location: Nicky’s Lionhead Tavern, 331 Main Avenue, De Pere, WI

  Aldo Leopold, a Wisconsin native, is recognized as the founder of an ecocentric ethic for the environment – something he called a 'land-ethic'. At the core of Leopold's theory lies the notion that the land is deserving of moral value, of moral consideration. The history of ethical thought shows that it has gradually expanded the realm of moral consideration to include more and different kinds of entities. The civil rights and suffrage movements attest to this, as does the animal rights movement that has been gaining ground of late. Leopold suggests that the next step in this progression will be an inclusion of the land itself as an entity worthy of moral consideration. His most direct and controversial phrasing of this holds that “a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotoc community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” We'll spend some time discussing Leopold's view. What would it mean to extend moral value to the land? Isn't a capacity to feel a prerequisite of moral consideration? What reasons might be given for and against Leopold's view? How, if he is right, could we mitigate between competing conflicts of interest? Does ethical primacy reside within living individuals, or is it spread throughout the natural world in which they find themselves? Leopold's land-ethic will provide us an opportunity to probe the boundaries and underlying tenets of our alleged moral responsibility to the environment.

For more information, you may contact either Leanne Kent at St. Norbert College at or Christopher Martin at UWGB.