The Philosophers' Café, with Prof. Robert Riordan

For this opening session of The Philosophers' Café, UWGB Lecturer in Philosophy Robert Riordan will lead a discussion on "The Examined Life in a Distracted Age." What did Socrates mean when he said the unexamined life isn't worth living—and can we even manage it in an age built to distract us? We’ll examine one account of what it means to live an examined life, why that's so important to us, and the challenges our present age of distraction poses to it.
The Philosophers' Café brings university students and community members together for rich conversation in an unusual format. Led by UWGB Philosophy professor Robert Riordan, each discussion will feature a theme relevant to "The Examined Life." Following from Socrates' famous dictum, "the unexamined life is not worth living," what does it mean to live an examined life? These discussions are free and open to the public, giving community members a chance to participate in one of the features of an ongoing philosophy course. For students, the Philosophers' Café provides an opportunity to discuss ideas beyond the artificial boundaries of the university classroom.
These conversations will not be recorded or offered virtually. Join us for great discussions, face to face! Light snacks will be provided. To register, go to: https://www.mcenter.org/event-details/the-philosophers-cafe-the-examined-life-with-robert-riordan-2026-09-23-17-00