Christopher Phillips

Bestselling Author, Philosopher, Founder of SocratesCafe.com

Christopher Phillips

Bestselling Author, Philosopher, Founder of SocratesCafe.com

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Biography

To Christopher Phillips, PhD, the cultivation of open selves -- open hearts, minds, and ears -- and of open societies goes hand in glove. To that end, the Greek-American author, educator, consultant, and lecturer is recognized launched in1996 his global grassroots Socrates Cafe initiative (SocratesCafe.com).

Phillips is dedicated to building intentional bridges of understanding and empathy between one human soul and society and another, in a time and clime when too many are deliberately trying to build walls between and among us. Phillips's array of popular books, also utilized as classroom texts and cited by scholars, include his internationally bestselling Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy and Six Questions of Socrates: A Modern-Day Journey of Discovery through World Philosophy, as well as Constitution Cafe: Jefferson's Brew for a True Revolution. Public Radio International dubbed Phillips the Johnny Appleseed of Philosophy, while the well-known political pundit and scholar Larry Sabato praised Phillips for combining "the approach of Socrates the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson to show us the way."

Phillips's efforts are lauded for their focus on cultivating greater human autonomy, inclusive freedom of speech and expression, and in ways that sculpt more participatory societies on myriad scales His outreach over the years has expanded into far-flung parts of the globe, including Latin America, Brazil, European Union nations, Serbia and the Middle East.

Phillips has been named the first-ever Philosopher-in-Residence for the Humanity in Deep Space program, and previously served as the inaugural Senior Education Fellow for the National Constitution Center. He also has been appointed Network Ethics Fellow at Harvard University's Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, and was recipient of the Distinguished American Leadership Award at a ceremony that included Adam Braun, founder of Pencils of Promise.

Phillips also has been a longtime, strident advocate for lowering the voting age, so that 'youthkind' and 'childkind' are no longer marginalized and can fully participate and have their voices heeded and heard in the civic-political sphere.

Speaker Videos

TEDX

Building Bridges

Speech Topics

A World Without Fences: How Socrates Cafe Connects Us

In this talk, Dr Christopher Phillips explores how 'the Socrates Cafe Method' of inquiry, listening, artful questioning and answering, can serve as a meaningful tool to bridge divides and have meaningful human encounters, and how it has been used to powerful effect in the global grassroots Socrates Cafe movement that he launched in 1996.

Building Bridges of Mutual Understanding in a World of Walls

In this interactive presentation, Dr. Phillips stresses that disagreements across the political spectrum don't have to lead to division, but instead can be transformative opportunities for one and all, and can enable those of us in America who will listen with all our being to become more informed voters, and hence more participatory democracy citizens - what we need now more than ever.

Testimonials

"Christopher Phillips is the greatest living embodiment of the Socratic spirit in our catastrophic times. His global grassroots movement of Socrates Cafés and Democracy Cafés have transformed the lives of millions of people in every continent on the Earth. His brilliant and wise books have touched the minds and souls of so many of us. And his soulful style and genuine compassion have enriched the lives of we fortunate ones. When the historians write of the ugly and beautiful in our turbulent age, the Socratic words, works and deeds of my dearest brother Christopher Phillips should loom large."

- Dr. Cornel West, Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary, author of "Race Matters" and other works