Community Philosophy Discussion 8 July 2014
This session was about learning the basics of a philosophical enquiry session.
The 4 key areas are:
Thinking
Committing
Justifying
Reflecting
Warm up games. Cats or Dogs. Bears, Tigers or Elephants.
Everyone was asked to make a choice of preferring one animal over another and were asked to justify their decision. After hearing everyone’s viewpoint participants were given the opportunity to change sides if they had been swayed by another’s viewpoint.
This was a way to become comfortable with voicing one’s own opinion and to listen to others who think differently.
OR
2nd Game
OROR
Aesops Fable
We all read out two stories:
The Scorpion and the Frog
One day a scorpion needed to get across a river to reach her family, but scorpions can’t swim. The scorpion saw a frog swimming in the river and asked if he would help the scorpion across. The frog said, “Grbbit. You’re a scorpion and scorpions sting frogs -grbbit”
To which the Scorpion replied, “but I need your help, so I won’t sting you today.”
“But how do I know – grrbit- that you won’t sting me when you are on my back” enquired the frog.
“Because then you will drown and if I am on your back then so will I,” reasoned the scorpion.
“But how do I know- grrbit – that you won’t wait until we are on the other side and then sting me?” asked the frog.
“Because by then I will be greatful and owe you one,” assured the scorpion.
“How do I know- grrbit -that you won’t just sting me anyway?” asked the frog.
“You have my word” said the scorpion finally.
The frog thought about it for a while and then said, “that’s good enough for me. Hop on.”
The frog swam to the bank and turned around lifting his back towards the scorpion. The scorpion climbed on and the frog began to swim across the river.
When they reached roughly halfway the frog felt a sudden sharp pain in his side. He realised he had been stung by the scorpion and managed to say with his last breaths; “what did you do that for? Now we are both going to drown.”
The scorpion replied, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help it – it’s in my nature.”
And with that both the scorpion and the frog sank to a watery end.
Question: Who was to blame for the frog and scorpions demise?
The main points that arose:
“The blame is on the scorpion because he wasn’t trust worthy”
↓
“I agree it’s the scorpion’s fault. It knew it was in her nature and couldn’t help it”
↓
“But she also died, she didn’t know she was going to sting the frog. It was in her nature”
↓
“I disagree, the scorpion recognised it was in her nature. It made an empty promise”
↓
“Does that mean she knew she was going to die?”
↓
“It is the scorpions fault because she was not transparent about the risk”
↓
“It would be worse if someone continues to make the same empty promise, but this might have been the first time she broke it?”
↓
It is a very negative question.
↓
(Referring to the fish bowl image)
If you don’t fit in or agree with everyone else you are seen as different, an outsider. People can feel like a fish out of water.
It can be by accident but you can offend people without realising it. Why do we have warm ups or have to select images. We had to attend a lot of training in the past, which involved warm up exercises. This is too formal.
↓
Keiko asked “If this is too formal, what would be a better?”
↓
A quiet, friendly atmosphere with open conversation. Volunteers could regularly meet to have discussions. Needs a chair and coordinator.
↓
(There was a reaction to using the Happy Lion as a talking tool to take it in turns to speak) This is primary school level. You are treating us like children.
Other people found it helpful and felt it gave people an opportunity to speak.
↓
No one knows anyone else here. Volunteers don’t know what other volunteers are up to.
↓
Communication is the biggest problem
↓
A volunteer could have a skill that the organisation needs, but they will never know it. There needs to be more blue sky thinking.
↓
But it might be marvellous for one person but not for the organisation.
↓
There should be a list of all the skills that a volunteer can bring.
The museum should find out what the volunteers have done in the past, what do they like etc
But what happens to this information? Does it just sit in a drawer?
↓
No. We get to know our volunteers as individuals and select them by finding out their interests and skills.
I think the question flags up the issue of process.
↓
Someone in the organisation needs to know what all the volunteers are doing.
↓
(Keiko and Sarah explained the current process that is in place for handling volunteer applications and that it is the responsibility of each department to manage their volunteers.)
↓
We need to pull together
↓
The current invitations to volunteers are for social events.
↓
Is that a problem?
↓
No it isn’t. We need to help ourselves as we tend to stick to our own groups and people we know.
↓
Keiko asked a question “You say this setting is too formal, but you do want a chair person and don’t want it to be a social event….what is it you are looking for?”
↓
It should be semi-formal. Volunteers can choose to speak for 10 minutes about what they are working on. There should be a coordinator and chair who could be the same person.
A time for questions and answers.
↓
Can this be lead by volunteers to set up?
↓
Why should it be just volunteers? I would like to know more about what is happening in the different departments. E.g the new Head Gardeners role.
↓
The Tuesday team meetings will have 10 minute slots every other week for members of the team to talk about the projects that they are working on.
Volunteers have always been welcome to attend these meetings.
↓
Would an email sharing these 10 minute presentations be useful?
↓
Yes. There needs to be more information sharing.