Philosophy, wine and Simone de Beauvoir with the School of Life

You don’t need to know a lot about Simone de Beauvoir to be able to enjoy Philosophy Salon. Located at the fabulous Cake Wines Cellar Door in Redfern, it’s listed as an evening learning about her life and discussing her (still relevant) ideas and books. Never one to turn down an opportunity to learn something new, or to miss anything associated with The School of Life, I headed down with a suitably curious and philosophy minded plus one.

We arrived a little early to get a good spot and some wine before the formal discussion part of the evening started. The vibe was warm and welcoming, the beautiful exposed brick giving off a stylish and sophisticated feel. People in small groups were encouraged to join together to increase the variety of ideas and topics in the discussion groups.

The evening was led by the charismatic philosopher for The School of Life, Tim Dean. He started off introducing the evening by saying that he hoped we would leave with a few more questions than we had started with.

With the fabulous venue, flowing wine and complimentary cheese and meats platters, it was easily accessible. We quickly joined in the discussions of others’ and were comfortably sharing ideas and thoughts as well as learning about important philosophical debates.

 

The result was a fantastic, two-hour lecture/ open discussion forum touching on all things to do with the life of Simone de Beauvoir, as well as the continued relevance of her work in the modern day. Sydney is full of stimulating events but this is something I would highly recommend to make you think and come away feeling fuller for it. It is accessible philosophy and deep thinking for people on the go. It’s a modern, easy to digest philosophy club.

Elli

Elli de Ryckman de Betz loves pondering the bigger ideas and questions in life and especially enjoys combining this passion with her love for wine.

The School of Life aims to develop psychologically mature adults. Their curriculum offers everything from thought provoking small group sessions on topics like The Meaning Of Life, as well as books on topics like What is culture for? It is based in Surry Hills and runs events and courses throughout the year. Make sure to check their calendar regularly so that you don’t miss out on any of their fantastic classes or special events.

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were guests of Small Talk PR.
Image credit: Small Talk PR.