New club provides opportunity for deep discussions

Algonquin College’s new Philosophy Club held its first meeting in B-building on Oct. 18. As the AC Hub filled with people and tables of clubs eager to showcase themselves, Sami Alwajih stood at his table with a sign-up sheet and a head full of inspiration from a role model.

The club’s founder, an Aboriginal studies student, appeared weeks ago at Algonquin College’s Clubsfest to bring the club to life.

For new clubs debuting at Clubsfest, 30 signatures indicating interest are required to properly form the club, said Alwajih.

For him, the Philosophy Club is a long-awaited passion project.

“I view it as the study of truth,” he said. “I was inspired by a high school philosophy teacher of mine.”

The inspiration behind the Philosophy Club comes from one of Alwajih’s high school teachers. Alwajh said the teacher had a passion for philosophy and taught it to his students. The teacher often had discussions with his students about philosophical concepts and would inspire lively discussions in class, Alwajih said.

Alwajih plans to conduct the club as a discussion group, with learning materials provided alongside it. His goal is for members of the club to discuss different interpretations of philosophical materials and how to properly apply them in discussion.

The first meeting explored epistemology and covered topics such as the lottery paradox, the problem of induction as it relates to epistemology and the discussion of what makes a concept “real” in philosophy.

Epistemology is defined by the Britannica Encyclopedia as the theory of knowledge.

“I want it to be multifaceted. I want to be able to use my resources without them taking away from one another,” Alwajih said about the plans for the club. “I have a lot of resources I don’t mind sharing.”

His sources include books and ebooks on philosophy, videos and contacts for professionals.

Alwajih hopes to have guest speakers attend club meetings later in the semester, both in person and online. A guest he plans on requesting is Todd McGowan, an author and professor of film at Vermont University.

He said the topics the club covers will differ every week and he has a brief outline of what to cover as the semester progresses.

Naz Karakas, a first-year business management student, is new to philosophy.

“I like talking. I don’t know a lot of philosophies, but I know some,” she said. “I’m looking forward to learning more about philosophy (and) having deep conversations.”

Due to the novelty of the club, many students are unaware of its existence. However, interest in philosophy is common among Algonquin College students.

First-year business administration student Nicki Eisenhouer is interested in philosophy but previously had no way of pursuing it.

“The idea of it interests me, but having the time and money to join the philosophy program wasn’t possible,” they said. “(This is) an alternative.”

The club is set to have its next meeting on Nov. 1st, after the term break. For the 2024 fall semester, the club meets every Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Room B184.

“We have 75 per cent of the term left,” said Alwajih. “That’s plenty of time to talk.”