The Socratic Dialogues are the earliest forms of classical Greek philosophy, dating back to 300 BC. Nearly all of the original Socratic Dialogues are stories that repeat different variations of the same plot: Socrates wanders around the marketplace and asks different people questions designed to make the reader see that these people are full of shit. In doing this, Socrates thus exposes the right way to think about various philosophical issues, from the conditions of justice to the origins of language, and yes, the nature of love. 

On February 16th the Birmingham Salon will be listening to and discussing one of Philosopher Dr Greg Scorzo’s ‘Post-Socratic Dialogues’ about Love. Here there is no Socrates. It’s not clear who is full of shit. You have to think for yourself.

Post-Socratic Dialogues are thought experiments that unfold in real time. Unlike traditional philosophy, you don’t engage with them by thinking about universal principles and then applying them to concrete situations. Rather, you do something which is more akin to real life; you have to make philosophical judgments about a situation, and then think about how that judgment changes your understanding of the issues raised. 

The Love Dialogue will not straightforwardly endorse a philosophical position. Rather, the goal is to induce the audience to look at contrasting arguments that explore and challenge their own pre-existing viewpoints. Like the original Socratic dialogues and unlike a conventional piece of philosophy, the context of this exploration will be a conversation.

The conversation is between a couple called Janet and Joe, which challenges us to re-examine the way we normally think about love. It will interrogate the assumption that love is selfless, grounded in altruism, honesty, commitment, and an unconditional acceptance of the beloved. We will then commence a group discussion, lead by Dr Scorzo, where the audience will get to try and make sense of the paradoxes the dialogue will induce them to grapple with.