Sometimes it’s nice to get together and discuss the issues of the day. DAVID WHETSTONE finds out about the first People’s Philosophy Festival

PHILOSOPHY may seem like a rarefied – even solitary – occupation in a world supposedly obsessed with all things loud and shallow.

But they don’t only do it in university seminars – they do it in pubs. See the proof on this page.

And starting today is the first People’s Philosophy Festival, designed to convince others of the pleasures of deep thought.

Mike Bell of the Newcastle Philosophy Society, which initiated the festival, says: “Over the last eight years or so we have had a lot of programmes and events going on all the time. But this year we thought we would parcel it all up into a festival and see how attractive that was to people in the city.”

He explains: “We’ve taken what we would have been doing anyway and invited others to contribute, so people who aren’t members of the society are giving papers or creating events.

“Part of our mission is to make philosophy as accessible as possible. We wanted to bring philosophy to people’s attention.”

The Newcastle Philosophy Society has about 150 members, “although not all are active”, says Mike. “People come and go.”

He hopes the festival might help to swell the membership and persuade people to give philosophy a try. To this particular end, there is a Beginning Philosophy session next Tuesday morning in the Settle Down Café on Waterloo Street.

But the festival officially begins today with the doyenne of North East philosophers, Mary Midgley, giving a presentation called Are We Social Animals? at King’s Gate, Newcastle University.

It’s a day-long session, 10am to 4pm, and then repairing to the pub “for those who still have the passion and energy” – according to the festival calendar.