What we’re about
Studio 42 is where we have moving conversations about controversial and philosophical subjects. Are you passionate about exploring the nuances of consequential topics and engaging in constructive and meaningful dialogue? Our purpose is to practice the skill of discussing challenging topics while improving our active listening, critical thinking, empathy, persuasion, public speaking and dispute resolution skills.
Join us to connect with thoughtful people and immerse yourself in discussions that challenge your perspectives and expand your understanding of the world. Let’s enjoy learning together while making meaningful connections through the art of thoughtful conversation!
Discussions are moderated to ensure respectful exchange and to give everyone an equal opportunity to speak. You are welcome to join regardless of your political views, knowledge level or skill level. Participation is optional; you can speak or just listen in.
VALUES
During our events, we pursue the following values:
Critical Thinking
Each conversation provides an opportunity to delve deeply into complex topics, challenge your own assumptions, and develop a more nuanced perspective. By engaging in these dialogues, we aim to cultivate a space where members can enhance their analytical skills and embrace thoughtful reflection, all while contributing to a richer and more informed understanding of the world.
Persuasion
We seek to present our opinions in a way that is understandable, sympathetic, engaging, entertaining and persuasive. Engaging in these dialogues offers a unique opportunity to articulate your viewpoints, consider alternative perspectives, and enhance your ability to communicate effectively.
Joy
Each conversation is a chance to enjoy meaningful exchanges that bring us closer together and enhance our collective understanding. We see our events as a way to share joy, humour, fascination, and human connection.
GUIDELINES
This is a dialogue, not a debate
Please come in the spirit of sharing your opinion, listening thoughtfully to others, and doing your part to create a friendly and inquisitive atmosphere. This is not a debate where opposing sides argue and try to win points. This is a dialogue where encourage listening, reflection, and collaborative exploration of the topic.
This is not a science Meetup
We are here discuss philosophical concepts, opinions, perspectives and values. We will not debate about the scientific consensus on empirical matters like climate change, the effectiveness of vaccines, or the implications of quantum mechanics, to name a few examples.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
We are dedicated to fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. We appreciate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive space for people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.
NAME AND PRONOUN PREFERENCES
If you have specific pronoun preferences or any other requests to help ensure that you feel comfortable and respected, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the event organizer. Your needs and preferences are important to us, and we want to make sure our gatherings are supportive and inclusive for all attendees.
Upcoming events
5
Discussion: Ethical Thought Experiments
4671 Rue Berri, Montréal, QC, CA* * Shoes-Off Venue * *
This venue requires that you remove your outdoor footwear on arrival.
* * Feel free to bring food or drinks * *
* * Participation is optional - you can join us to speak or to listen * *
Thought experiments are a way to test and query your intuitive thinking. They are the bread and butter of philosophy classes and Socratic dialogues.
The classic example of ethical thought experiments is The Trolley Problem and it goes like this: You see a train speeding down the track and it's about to hit five people. But you can pull a lever to switch the train to another track where it will only kill one person. Do you pull the lever so that only one person will die?
Many people intuitively answer yes; one death is a better outcome than five deaths. Now we try another version of this thought experiment. The train is speeding down the track and it will kill five people, but you are standing on a walkway above the track with a large, heavy person beside you. You could push that person off the bridge so that they fall on the track, stop the train and save the other five people. Do you push person off the bridge?
Here many people say no. But then why is our reasoning from the first experiment suddenly wrong in this version? If one death is better than five, then we should push the person off the bridge. We must admit that the reasons we gave in the first experiment are faulty and there is some other reason why pulling the lever was the right choice, but pushing the person is wrong. Or maybe we must change our mind and admit that our first answer to one of these questions was wrong. Our intuitions have clashed and forced our reasoning to evolve.
You can get creative and invent your own versions of this problem to see how your thinking must adapt. What if you had a choice between one person dying or one million people? What if the five people are death row inmates who have already been sentenced to die, or the one person is a brilliant researcher on the verge of curing cancer?
Over the millennia, philosophers have concocted many such vexing dilemmas so let's talk about a few of our favourites! Which are the most interesting? How do we think about them and answer them? What role do our intuitions play in ethical reasoning?
Join us for fun, friendly and substantive discussion about the important topics of the day. All viewpoints are welcome for this friendly, moderated discussion.
How it Works
Everyone will be invited to share their opinion, share relevant facts and reasoning, and respond to the views of others.
Our moderator will ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to speak and that dialogue will be kept respectful. All viewpoints are welcome. After the event, you are invited to stay for friendly, informal discussion if you wish.
Name and Pronoun Preferences
If you have specific pronoun preferences or any other requests to help ensure that you feel comfortable and respected, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the event organizer. Your needs and preferences are important to us, and we want to make sure our gatherings are supportive and inclusive for all attendees.
Aren't you worried about having an event with 50+ people?!?
No because there will not be 50 people at the event. On Meetup, many attendees cancel at the last minute, and many are no-shows who skip the event without cancelling. I set the RSVP limit to 55 people, I reduce that limit to 45 in the last two days before the event, and then 20-30 people will actually attend.
This allows us to hit our attendance target of 15-30 people, and it ensures that attendees have their spot guaranteed weeks in advance. This makes the guest count inaccurate, but it's the simplest way to provide you a reliable and positive RSVP experience.
Suggested Reading
Absurd Trolley Problems Game:
https://neal.fun/absurd-trolley-problems/
Ideals
Please read the Studio 42 Ideals before attending the event:
http://stu42.co/ideals
Admission
Admission is free. We accept donations to help fund our events.
Latecomers
Latecomers are welcome but we start promptly at 6:05pm so if you arrive late, you will miss out!46 attendees
Discussion: Dealing with Family
4671 Rue Berri, Montréal, QC, CA* * Shoes-Off Venue * *
This venue requires that you remove your outdoor footwear on arrival.
* * Feel free to bring food or drinks * *
* * Participation is optional - you can join us to speak or to listen * *
Family are the people that you're required to love due to the accidental circumstances of your birth, or in some cases, your adoption. Our families are not perfect but for most of us, we find reasons to love them, we learn to accept their flaws, and we develop coping mechanisms to get through our difficult times.
As the Holiday season approaches, many of us will be celebrating with these loved ones, so let's talk about the joys and challenges of family, and how we will survive all of this quality time.
Join us for fun, friendly and substantive discussion about the important topics of the day. All viewpoints are welcome for this friendly, moderated discussion.
How it Works
Everyone will be invited to share their opinion, share relevant facts and reasoning, and respond to the views of others.
Our moderator will ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to speak and that dialogue will be kept respectful. All viewpoints are welcome. After the event, you are invited to stay for friendly, informal discussion if you wish.
Name and Pronoun Preferences
If you have specific pronoun preferences or any other requests to help ensure that you feel comfortable and respected, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the event organizer. Your needs and preferences are important to us, and we want to make sure our gatherings are supportive and inclusive for all attendees.
Aren't you worried about having an event with 50+ people?!?
No because there will not be 50 people at the event. On Meetup, many attendees cancel at the last minute, and many are no-shows who skip the event without cancelling. I set the RSVP limit to 55 people, I reduce that limit to 45 in the last two days before the event, and then 20-30 people will actually attend.
This allows us to hit our attendance target of 15-30 people, and it ensures that attendees have their spot guaranteed weeks in advance. This makes the guest count inaccurate, but it's the simplest way to provide you a reliable and positive RSVP experience.
Suggested Reading
Any suggestions?
Ideals
Please read the Studio 42 Ideals before attending the event:
http://stu42.co/ideals
Admission
Admission is free. We accept donations to help fund our events.
Latecomers
Latecomers are welcome but we start promptly at 6:05pm so if you arrive late, you will miss out!11 attendees
Discussion: Listening
4671 Rue Berri, Montréal, QC, CA* * Shoes-Off Venue * *
This venue requires that you remove your outdoor footwear on arrival.
* * Feel free to bring food or drinks * *
* * Participation is optional - you can join us to speak or to listen * *
Listening is more than the passive reception of sound; it is an intentional act of attention. To listen is to open oneself to another’s perspective, to suspend the instinct to respond, and to allow meaning to unfold at its own pace. Good listening requires a willingness to let the other person’s words shape our understanding rather than simply confirm what we already believe.
The benefits of genuine listening reach far beyond polite communication. When someone feels heard, trust deepens and connection becomes possible. Listening can reveal nuances we would otherwise miss, emotions underneath statements, assumptions hidden between the lines, or insights that only emerge when space is given. It also broadens our worldview, inviting us to consider alternatives to our own habitual thinking.
Yet listening is often more difficult than it seems. Our minds rush ahead, rehearsing replies, judging statements, or wandering toward unrelated thoughts. Sometimes we resist listening because it threatens our sense of certainty or challenges our identity. Distractions—both internal and external—pull us away from the present moment, making sustained attention a rare skill. Listening asks for patience, humility, and vulnerability, qualities that are easy to admire but harder to practice.
Fundamentally, listening is a practice of presence. It is the choice to meet another person, or even ourselves, without pretense or defensiveness. When we listen well, we create a space where understanding can grow and where differences can be explored rather than feared. In this way, listening becomes not just a communication technique, but a way of relating to the world with greater depth and openness.
Do you consider yourself to be a good listener? What are the benefits and challenges of truly listening? How can we all be better at listening to and understanding each other?
Join us for fun, friendly and substantive discussion about the important topics of the day. All viewpoints are welcome for this friendly, moderated discussion.
How it Works
Everyone will be invited to share their opinion, share relevant facts and reasoning, and respond to the views of others.
Our moderator will ensure that everyone has equal opportunity to speak and that dialogue will be kept respectful. All viewpoints are welcome. After the event, you are invited to stay for friendly, informal discussion if you wish.
Name and Pronoun Preferences
If you have specific pronoun preferences or any other requests to help ensure that you feel comfortable and respected, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the event organizer. Your needs and preferences are important to us, and we want to make sure our gatherings are supportive and inclusive for all attendees.
Aren't you worried about having an event with 50+ people?!?
No because there will not be 50 people at the event. On Meetup, many attendees cancel at the last minute, and many are no-shows who skip the event without cancelling. I set the RSVP limit to 55 people, I reduce that limit to 45 in the last two days before the event, and then 20-30 people will actually attend.
This allows us to hit our attendance target of 15-30 people, and it ensures that attendees have their spot guaranteed weeks in advance. This makes the guest count inaccurate, but it's the simplest way to provide you a reliable and positive RSVP experience.
Suggested Reading
Any suggestions?
Ideals
Please read the Studio 42 Ideals before attending the event:
http://stu42.co/ideals
Admission
Admission is free. We accept donations to help fund our events.
Latecomers
Latecomers are welcome but we start promptly at 6:05pm so if you arrive late, you will miss out!8 attendees
Past events
304
Group links
Organizers
Members
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