Where Paris
May 1999
Coffee for Thought
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by Amy Serafin
I think therefore I am…in
a Paris philosophy café
The potent combination of caffeine
and heady philosophic debate is a French phenomenon going
back to the days of Sartre and de Beauvoir. Seven years
ago the café-philo movement was relaunched
in Paris, and it has since grown to over 100 groups throughout
France. It was only logical that Paris’ large community
of life-questioning expats should get in on the act with
a series in English.
On a rainy Sunday evening close to 20 people
of varying nationalities, ranging from university to retirement
age, show up at the 7 Lezards café in the Marias
to have a drink (more beer than coffee) and exercise their
mental muscles. This week’s talk is on Destiny,
and it’s soon apparent that you don’t have
to know Heidegger from Heineken to take part.
The series is run by an American Sorbonne
graduate, Gale Prawda Ph.D., a soft, lilliputian woman
with a Brooklyn accent that’s stubbornly survived
three decades in Paris. She starts the debate with a loose
introduction on the subject- "Does man have a free
will?" "What are the criteria of causes?"
"Can behavior be determined" – then opens
it up to general discussion.
A schoolteacher named Henri begins: "As
the French say, we are like arrows thrown into space.
We are determines by life but free agents." An American
ad copywriter tells how she avoided a car trip because
a psychic had foreseen an accident. "Did I use my
free will to change this destiny?" she muses. She
is followed by a French musician in a smart gray blazer:
"It is easy to say we have a -destinite,"
she ventures, "but harder to accept that we have
choice. And the choice is different if we believe in God,"
"Mmmm!" interjects Gale enthusiastically, nearly
choking on her tea.
"I want to stay in Paris but I need
to find a job," a young American girl in barrettes
says sadly, "…is it my destiny to live here?"
A serenely smiling Egyptian named Sami breaks in: "I
object to compulsory military service, and left my country
for that reason. But coming to live as an immigrant in
France was like going from the frying pan into the fire.
I have no freedom, basically." "That is completely
absurd!" retorts a red-faced Cambridge student, "You
are speaking of a situational choice, not a predetermined
destiny!" "Think of a time when you had no choice,"
coaxes Gale, psychiatrist-like, and chuckles toothily
when Cambridge barks "Birth."
At the end everyone agrees that Destiny
is a tough nut to crack. "Time was much better,"
concur a few regulars. "Come back on Tuesday,"
says Gale. "We’re doing Justice."
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