The Philosopher’s Cafe: Bringing the Campus and the Community Together

By Laine Piotrowski, UW-Stout Student

The Philosopher’s Café, held monthly throughout the UW-Stout school year, offers students and community members a comfortable space to discuss current ethical and philosophical issues. Hosted by Stout’s Center for Applied Ethics and organized by its director, Dr. Xan Bozzo, the Café has been an ongoing community series since September 2023. 

Bozzo brought the program to Menomonie after leading a similar initiative at UW-Green Bay. “I did it at Green Bay for five years or so and loved it, so when I came here I wanted to create something very similar,” he said.  

The first Café — “Should we still listen to Thriller?” — focused on morally compromised artists and was held at the Brewery Nønic, a local craft brewery and community space. Nønic has since become the Café’s regular meeting place. “It’s exactly the kind of vibe that we’re going for,” Bozzo said. “We want to get as far away from the formal model of a classroom as we possibly can.” 

Starting around 7 p.m. and lasting a little over an hour, each Philosopher’s Café begins with a brief introduction of the topic from a facilitator — usually a faculty member from UW-Stout or UW-Eau Claire — before opening the floor for discussion. Bozzo selects the topics for each year over the summer, aiming for timely issues that provide an opportunity to bring in professional expertise. “Usually, I try to find something that people are already talking about and get an expert on it,” he said. 

He chooses topics that tap into broader public interest and are not commonly agreed upon. “If something became a hot topic in society, then we would talk about it,” Bozzo said. “People want a venue where they can talk about these controversial issues in a way that doesn’t get heated like at that family Thanksgiving meal.” 

The owner of Brewery Nønic, Ryan Verdon, said that although difficult, these types of discussions are necessary. “There's always a sort of unspoken rule not to talk about certain things in public but it's fascinating to have a time and place where divisive things can be discussed”, he said. “I think when taken with the preemptive that this isn't about anger and yelling towards those we disagree with, it becomes part of the culture that allows us to learn and grow together.”  

Bozzo said one of the most meaningful aspects of the Café comes after the formal discussion ends. “I love when we finish up and people are filtering out, but then a lot of people just stay and continue to talk,” he said. “You’ll see people who were completely opposed to one another during the discussion still on friendly terms with each other even though they disagree.”  

While the event focuses on discussion, anyone is welcome to attend and simply listen in. Meetings typically occur on the second Wednesday of each month during the school year, from September to December and February to April.

The next event will be held on April 8 at 7 p.m. at Brewery Nønic, featuring UW-Stout professor Dr. David Seim moderating a discussion on the question, “Can wartime dehumanization be avoided?”  

For more information on the Philosopher’s Café and future events, visit the Center for Applied Ethics page on the UW-Stout website.