Our Charter: Philosophy fostered plainly and simply as the persistent examination of thought, and hence a basic human art. Conversations are framed to be generally relevant, and open to all who value good reasoning. Requirements of special erudition are consciously avoided, but reasons for viewpoints are requested persistently; such is the nature of philosophy.

The spirit of philosophical conversation fostered here is antithetical to that of debate. While philosophical conversation is collective truth-seeking in which all participants are open to accepting the view with the best reasons, debate attaches views to sides that will "win" or "lose", and hence reasons may be opposed simply due to competitive investment. While debate has its values, it lacks virtue as a mindframe for philosophical conversation. Winning in philosophical conversation is everyone moving closer to the truth, and losing is the conversation degrading into egotistical, or otherwise entrenched, polemics.

In sum, this group is about examining thought on relevant topics where good reasoning and collective truth-seeking are the principal values. It is also a context to develop one's skills and virtues as a philosopher in the truest sense.

The organizer, Paul M. Paolini, holds a BA and an MA in philosophy. While in school, Paul chose an analytic orientation and had philosophical logic and political philosophy as prime interests.