Philosophy and Wine: A Truth Auction

We’re thrilled to invite you to our third book club meeting as we delve into Martin Heidegger’s The Essence of Truth: On Plato’s Cave Allegory and Theaetetus. This session will challenge us to reconsider truth, freedom, and the conditions that shape our understanding of reality. Our activities will push us to question, debate, and even auction off our truths, engaging with Heidegger’s interpretation of Plato’s Cave in a dynamic and interactive way.

📅 Date: 08th March 2025

⏰ Time: 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

📍 Venue: 121 Spring Valley

What to Bring

• Your favorite bottle of wine or beverage to share with the group.

• Your thoughts, insights, and curiosity.

Contribution Model

The event follows The WonderHouse’s contribution model, which helps maintain this inspiring space and its mission of accessibility. Contributions range from 555 Kshs, 666 Kshs, 777 Kshs, 888 Kshs, 999 Kshs, up to 1555 Kshs, depending on what you can give.

This covers:

• Venue upkeep and utilities.

• Refreshments, including kombucha, water, and tea.

• Comfortable seating arrangements (shukas, pillows, mats).

Contributions will be collected on the day of the event.

Info: • Guests arrive, settle in, and place their wine bottles on the communal table.
• Light socializing as members sample wines and enjoy refreshments.
• Host delivers a warm welcome, introduces the day’s theme, and outlines the agenda.

Info: A fast-paced game exploring how we justify knowledge.

How it works:
• A “hot potato” (an object like a ball or wine cork) is passed around while music plays.
• When the music stops, whoever holds the object must quickly respond to an epistemological challenge.
• Example prompts:
• How do you know the wine in your glass exists?
• If everything you knew was an illusion, how would you find out?
• Is it possible to escape from Plato’s Cave? How?
• The goal is to answer immediately and spontaneously, revealing biases, assumptions, and instinctive beliefs.
• This sets the stage for Heidegger’s ideas on truth as an unfolding process rather than a fixed certainty.

Info: A guided discussion on Heidegger’s interpretation of Plato’s Cave Allegory and its implications for truth, knowledge, and freedom.

Key discussion questions:
• How does Heidegger redefine truth beyond mere correctness?
• In what ways are we still trapped in modern versions of the cave?
• How does Theaetetus’ search for knowledge relate to our own struggles with certainty?
• If truth is an unfolding event, what does that mean for how we live and seek knowledge?

Info: A playful yet deep-thinking debate on how truth would function in different universes.

How it works:
• The group is split into teams, each assigned a fictional universe with different truth conditions.
• Example universes:
• A world where everyone lies but believes they’re telling the truth.
• A world where facts constantly shift depending on who observes them.
• A world where truth can only be communicated through dance.
• Each team must argue why truth in their universe is the “most real” and defend their epistemological framework.
• This reflects Heidegger’s critique of traditional truth as mere correspondence and invites us to see truth as something dynamic and situational.

Info: A participatory auction where we bid on truths—challenging how we value, defend, and question them.

How it works:
• Each participant writes down a truth they believe is absolute (e.g., “Love is the highest good,” “Reality is an illusion,” “Science is the best path to knowledge”).
• The host randomly selects truths to be “auctioned.”
• Each participant is given a set amount of “philosopher’s currency” to bid with.
• Players bid on truths they agree with or want to control—forcing everyone to evaluate which truths they’re willing to “pay” for.
• Participants who “win” a truth must defend it against counterarguments from the group.
• The game ends with reflections:
• Did you spend wisely?
• Did you feel the urge to bid against a truth you strongly disagreed with?
• What does this reveal about power, belief, and persuasion in the pursuit of truth?

This activity ties into Heidegger’s notion that truth is not a fixed entity but something we “uncover”.

Info: • Host leads reflections on key takeaways.
• Preview of next month’s book and activity.
• Conclude with a bottle of champagne and a toast to seeking truth together.

Provided Materials
• Writing supplies (paper, pens, discussion prompts).
• Printed prompts and quotes from The Essence of Truth.
• Kombucha, tea, and water by WonderHouse.

We can’t wait to experience this immersive afternoon with you!

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

121 Spring Valley Rd, 121 Spring Valley Road, Nairobi, Kenya