Philosophy, as a discipline, thrives on dialogue, debate, and the innovative exchange of ideas. However, for many students, their engagement with the subject can often feel limited to the classroom, where academic achievement takes precedence over the development of these unique perspectives through stimulating discussions. At Northern Michigan University (NMU), my fellow students and I realized that this crucial element of philosophy was missing: an informal space for students, including philosophy undergraduates and beyond, to explore philosophical questions together. The solution was simple—a philosophy club. But starting—or in this case, relaunching—such a club proved to be an endeavor full of ongoing challenges, growth, and, finally, success.
Initially, before beginning my first semester at NMU, I had browsed the student directory where I saw that there was a philosophy club. But upon further inspection, it seemed as if it had been inactive for a while. When I arrived at NMU, it became clear that, as the dynamics of student life shifted and group leaders graduated, the philosophy club, as many clubs do, began to lose momentum and faded into the background for the few remaining members. During my first semester, in between completing my general education requirements, I was able to sit in on an upper-level philosophy course where I connected with other like-minded students interested in organizing a space to freely discuss philosophy. Comfortable in the amount of students who expressed interest, we were finally ready to take the next step. However, when we decided to relaunch the club, we didn’t fully realize just how much of a Sisyphean task it would be to revive the organization; we weren’t just restarting it, we were trying to rebuild a community.
First, we needed to gather students interested in joining the club. Like most philosophical thought experiments, this was easier said than done. With the club having been inactive for some time, many current students either didn’t know it existed or felt rather ambivalent about participating. Additionally, while NMU’s diverse number of students from different backgrounds is a strength in terms of the potential for philosophical discussions, it can also be a drawback. Many students have little experience in philosophy, nor have much of a conception of it besides old (mostly white) men talking esoterically about concepts largely divorced from everyday life. Maybe an odd few had heard of Marx or Kant—it is a college campus, after all—though that may be as far as their knowledge went in terms of philosophy. We realized that not only did we have to make philosophy accessible to modern students, whose attention is pulled in countless different directions by academic responsibilities, jobs, and social commitments, but we also needed to demystify the practice as a whole.
To do this, it was essential we present the philosophy club not merely as an extension of academic life, but as an avenue for intellectual freedom. College, for many, is the time for exploration and identity formation, thus a location where discussing one’s own thoughts with peers, and in turn, hearing others’ opinions is essential. Aside from small talk, the club could allow a space to authentically engage and understand each other on a deeper level—helping one another grow through these interactions. The goal was to create a setting where students could feel empowered to question the assumptions they encounter every day and discuss more in-depth ideas and philosophers with peers, without the pressure of grades or the nerves some might feel in a classroom scenario. To solidify this image, we made sure our initial meetings weren’t overly formal. We met in a small room within the Philosophy department, offering pizza and drinks, starting with introductions, and then moving on to discuss some classic philosophical thought experiments, gently urging everyone to contribute their perspectives.
Without explicit instruction, or knowledge of the organization of the club from before, we focused on making sure that the relaunch reflected the interests and concerns of current students. We reached out every week to update students on topics, meeting times, and other club information. We would also encourage anyone to reach out to club organizers with suggestions or resources they found interesting, for topics the club meeting could focus on. These ranged from resonating contemporary topics to specific philosophers or concepts, and even media. This method allowed us to discuss topics that we knew members were both interested and passionate about, deepening everyone’s appreciation and understanding of these subjects through a philosophical lens. When we did not have a suggestion to base a discussion on, we discussed a varied roster of other topics, some of which did not necessarily have anything directly to do with philosophy but that we applied philosophical concepts to: the ethics of true crime, spectacle and its relation to social media, irony and sincerity in modern art, etc. We were determined to make the topics we discussed relevant to what students think about and encounter daily.
While we’ve made great progress, there’s still an infinite amount more to accomplish. For example, given the often intersecting nature of philosophy, we want to reach out to other student organizations within other fields to contribute to discussions and provide their own perspectives. We would also like to expand our meeting area and have discussed experimenting with more interactive formats for engagement that will draw more people in. From more organized presentations to hosting debates on prominent issues such as AI art and environmental justice, we aim to provide an inclusive place where any student, regardless of philosophical background, can feel comfortable discussing their individual passions and ideas.
Though there have been many challenges—and, certainly, many more to come—the relaunch of NMU’s philosophy club has been an exciting, ongoing process, one that I am glad to be a part of. I’ve met and become friends with people whom I might never have talked to, and surmounted challenges I did not initially think myself capable of, making this experience invaluable, no matter what the future holds for the club.
As we continue to develop, we hope to grow an intellectually curious community that not only has the potential to deepen philosophical understandings, but also where we may explore, critically reflect, and openly discuss with our peers. In a world that has become increasingly atomized, fostering thoughtful, authentic, engagement is essential in constituting a way forward.
Sophie McDonald
Sophie McDonald is currently a sophomore double majoring in philosophy and psychology, as well as acting president of the Philosophy Club at Northern Michigan University. Sophie is broadly focused on continental philosophy and, specifically, pragmatist thinkers, and the ways in which psychology and philosophy intersect contributing to the formation of community, identity, and cultural memory.
