Skydiving_Grandma

I have a question for everyone:

During the period of the Enlightenment in Europe, immense censorship was choking what the Enlightenment encouraged: free-thought. To avoid this, many people and philosophes gathered in places called "salons" to reach better answers with fellow educated peers.

Message boards like these are the best modern-day equivalents to these salons, which is wonderful. However, no place like that, a place that allows you to meet face-to-face, exists like that anymore. Cafes and hangouts around college campuses may be close too, but those places are more interested in you buying something, usually. That, and society is becoming more and more PC, for better or worse. Now my question is, do any of you think salons could be brought back? Do you think they could be supported and receive an attendance that's at least adequate to be considered worthwhile?

I really wish.

phaedrus

Free-thought - which is expressed by words works much better through a medium like internet since people dont have to be geographically near in order to take part in the discussion. The more and the number of perspectives shared also increase giving access to a broader-based discussion unlike a salon gathering which will "typically" constitute of people of the same cultural/linguistic/educational grounding (i am using this phrase too much now-a-days :eek

Jamie_L

The anonymity and separation often allow for more open discussion as well. Shy people with good ideas are more likely to be heard, and less likely to be bullied away from discussing what they believe.

Jamie