As the main project of increasing my offline activities this year, the point is to return to cafés.
About three years ago around this time, I used to frequent Plato Café; this was mainly during the second half of my sophomore year. Besides Plato, there were also Beifengtang and Azhudan (at the time Plato was not open 24 hours, while the latter two were). These were all places I frequented. Reading and grinding through papers in those places was most efficient.
But I soon drifted away from them for several reasons. First, later on I rented a place outside the South Gate, namely “mutton-soup alley,” which gave me a fixed place to stay up late. Second, there was Plato Café’s transformation: from its original positioning as a cultural salon, it degenerated into an alternative to the Beifengtang next door—ever since it introduced the 15-yuan all-you-can-drink deal, I sensed trouble…… Since I never went back, I also don’t know what Plato has become now; anyway, my phone no longer receives any information from there about lectures or forums being held.
There was another factor as well: my own emotional changes. 2006 was a terrible year, one long, lingering bout of illness; the ending of a brief romance (though that happened very early, its effect on my mood was extraordinarily slow to dissipate); and then, one after another, the partings of life and death…… Although my love for this world never wavered, the passion I had only just kindled was almost doused out. It can be said that it was only last year that my passion truly hit bottom and rebounded, and by this year I have finally entered a new period of high spirits.
Because this rise in mood did not erupt all at once, there should be no need to worry that it will sink back into the abyss again. Emotional exaltation is always brief, of course, but an ordinary level of enthusiasm can still be maintained for a long time—at least throughout my zodiac year.
Enough digression; let’s get to the point:
Returning to cafés is by no means a simple repetition of the way I used to hang around Plato and Azhudan. Beyond going there alone to read, more importantly, I will open myself to anyone, for any form of conversation and exchange, and launch a true philosophical salon!
The most basic mode of activity is this: every Saturday, starting before 10a.m. and lasting until after 12midnight, during this period, barring accidents, I will be stationed at Xindao Café (at the intersection of Suzhou Street and Haidian South Road). If things go well, I will seize the seat in the deepest part of the second floor (the non-smoking area), in the eastmost corner by the window, waiting at any time for any visitor. As long as you are coming for me, I’ll welcome you without refusal. I will treat you to a cup of coffee or a pot of tea, and I can also treat you to liquor or juice, or a light meal. You may come alone, or in twos or threes; you may talk philosophy, or chat about everyday life. You may converse and communicate, and even argue or provoke; you may let me listen to your monologue, or come listen to mine, or even communicate in silence…… If, when you arrive, someone has already taken the seat, you may insert yourself at any time, listen in, or alter the direction of the topic. In discussion, apart from everyone using the everyday language of modern Chinese, the default assumption is that no shared foundation is needed. I am just a bumpkin who knows nothing; perhaps by chance I know such basic common sense as that Kant was a German philosopher, or perhaps I have accidentally read some famous work, but you may safely assume that I know nothing. At Xindao, I am merely an obnoxious and contemptible “JOKER,” just like Socrates, the progenitor of JOKERs: besides my ignorance, I know nothing. If you insist on discussing the contents of some book with me, then first you must use the everyday language of modern Chinese to show me what is interesting about that book, persuade me (seduce me) to read it, and then, after I have gone through it, come back and discuss it with you. If you cannot attract me to read a certain book, or cannot prove to me that mastery of some knowledge is necessary, then don’t demand that I must possess these particular “common sense” items. Likewise, I will never demand that you must have some special accumulation before you can talk with me. The topic of conversation may be initiated by you, or by me according to my mood at the time, or may run wild and go wherever it goes.
This is the most basic design of my philosophical salon. Of course, besides waiting for a rabbit to run into the tree stump, I will also adopt some more proactive methods, such as issuing invitations on my own initiative, or organizing specific reading groups, discussion groups, and so on. One reading activity currently planned is to read The Structure of Scientific Revolutions; after some trial runs, other books may also be added.
I hope that someone will truly respond to my activity and take time to come sit for a while. As for whether anyone can establish a more fixed and lasting relationship of exchange with me, I do not dare to hope for that. If no one ever comes to join the fun, then it would be nothing more than my revisiting the state I was in three years ago, reading alone in a café. If it can really come alive, then the curtain of a new era will truly rise……
This conception of the activity, though very rough and naive, is indeed permeated throughout by my philosophical convictions. In the absence of anyone willing to seriously doodle on my blog, this is a compromise, but it is also a mode that online exchange cannot replace. Although I am very poor at face-to-face communication, I am still willing to make an effort and give it a try.
First of all, the basic aim of this activity is: dialogue! Although I don’t seem to have discussed this in any very concentrated way (there are some scattered places where related issues are mentioned, such as “Rereading Big Questions,” “The ‘Shown’ and the ‘Hidden’ of Philosophers,” and so on), ever since I first stepped into the philosophy department as a freshman until now, I have consistently emphasized this point in all kinds of contexts: philosophical activity is not, as many people imagine, something carried out by a person isolated from the world, brooding in thought, and cobbling things together behind closed doors. At least this is by no means the typical style of philosophy; every great philosophical age is nurtured in an atmosphere of fervent exchange. One should not, because one has been frightened by the shallow bustle of amateur science and amateur philosophy, deny the significance of exchange.
Second, why in a café? On the one hand, it comes from my yearning for café culture in the Western tradition: cafés are always the cradle of scholarship. Whether philosophers, poets, writers, artists, or scientists, it can almost be said that the more cafés a place has, the more masters it produces. Although I find myself in China, a place without café culture, and in this fast-paced era of instant coffee, so far removed from Vienna at the end of the nineteenth century, at the very least allow me to indulge in a bit of yyds about those great eras…… On the other hand, it is also because of the nature of scholarship itself. As Aristotle said, “leisure” is one of the indispensable sources of scholarship; true philosophy must surely be some kind of leisurely activity. Even if the actual activity does not always look leisurely, it must nevertheless take place in an atmosphere of ease and leisure. Just like playing chess: perhaps in the middle of the game the two players appear exceptionally tense and anxious, but the chess game as a whole should be opened in a relaxed, easy atmosphere. And that is precisely the kind of atmosphere a café creates: it lets you temporarily distance yourself from busyness and noise, yet it is not so quiet as to be isolated from the mundane world. Between the clamor of the marketplace and the hush of the library, the atmosphere provided by a café is just right. This is also the style of philosophical exchange: neither silent and still, nor excessively noisy.
Finally, why Xindao Café? First of all, it really is a pretty good place. The environment may not be elegant, much less romantic; as a place for dating it may not be ideal, but it is quite open and spacious, especially suitable for three to five people clustering together for a meeting. Reading and resting by the window are also quite comfortable and pleasant. The quality of the coffee may be ordinary (though of course much better than Plato’s), but in terms of value for money it is quite good.
At the same time, this café’s location is also quite ideal: it sits right in the middle of the route between Peking University and my home, only a few minutes by car or more than ten minutes on foot to either side; even walking slowly it would take only about twenty minutes. This is just right. In principle, going to a café to talk about everything under the sun should be a leisurely thing; one must never be tense as if rushing to complete a task. If you are so busy that you can’t bear the roughly half hour round trip, then it would be pointless to come at all. Moreover, that stretch of time happens to be perfect for adjusting one’s mood: you slowly stroll over from Peking University (of course I also welcome participants from other schools), dispersing the busyness and pressure behind you while brewing a new mood; on the way back, you savor things as you walk, or reflect, or think of nothing at all and let the mood settle freely…… How wonderful! Even if contact with me leaves you disappointed, just those two plain yet rich stretches of road may already make the trip worthwhile.
In addition, the name “Xindao” itself is quite symbolic. For my seafaring adventure, every island is temporary, but I will face every island I dock at seriously. In particular, I want to recruit fellow sailors on the island. Every companion is free: not only do our talents differ, but we are fundamentally carrying different dreams; it is only passion and fate that have brought us together.
I’ll stop here for now.
February 12, 2009
I have additionally extracted notes from The History of Café Culture, for reference:
https://yilinhut.net/2009/02/14/2379.html.
February 15, 2009
Suixuan » Journal » Saturday, I am at Xindao. (A Manifesto for Launching a True Café Philosophy Club) » Comments and replies
newpen2009-09-20 12:49:04 Anonymous 218.89.185.4 [Reply]
Friend, perhaps I’m not good at discovering things. I once read a blog online in China that touched my heart in this way. After the earthquake I have been studying philosophy, and that was the happiest time for me. But there are almost no friends around me with whom I can discuss this. Now I’m about to graduate from university, and I want to set up a club of my own that provides philosophy books, a quiet environment for thinking, and free exchange of ideas. Doing what I want to do, and also gaining happiness myself, while exchanging thoughts with everyone, can also improve me. It can also give people who like thinking an environment for thinking and communicating. But this is only my own idea. I hope you can give me some advice, friend. I urgently await your reply. This internet is hard to access; you can also add QQ 452911554, send a message to 13438052240. Urgent.
Gu Chu2009-09-04 09:57:41 [Reply]
As long as one is willing to participate in dialogue, one can have dialogue on equal terms. Simple and plain dialogue can also trigger profound thought. Don’t blame others; the key is to take control of your own dialogue.
Jingsi2009-09-03 21:39:41 Anonymous 124.166.240.101 [Reply]
Your salon is really wonderful! If I were in Beijing, I would attend every session. I founded a reading club at my school. But there are almost no people who can converse on equal terms and explore things in depth. People who truly love thought are very rare.
fog2009-03-03 20:53:35 [Reply]
The deterrent effect is still there.
And with ID card entry and exit registration, if a major accident occurs and A is recorded in the register, the scope for finding the relevant responsible person will immediately be narrowed a great deal…
Of course, perhaps someone slipped in by jumping the wall or forcing their way in…
In addition, Peking University is of course not a place belonging to anyone; does that still need to be reminded…
physis2009-03-03 20:32:48 Anonymous 218.95.115.75 [Reply]
What little Gu says is great
Gu Chu2009-03-03 12:53:57 [Reply]
Since everyone has an ID card, why still check credentials? In fact, I almost always just barged my way in; I didn’t even need to show my ID.
Whether one can get in or not, this kind of credential check at the gate is always irritating, as if to remind us: “Peking University does not belong to you; this mountain was opened by me …”
fog2009-03-03 12:34:08 [Reply]
A certificate? An ID card is enough。。。Who doesn’t have an ID card?
古雴2009-03-02 12:48:58 [Reply]
The cafés on campus seem to be bad environments both for discussion and for studying, and, more importantly, now one still needs credentials to enter and leave Peking University. If this system is not abolished, I certainly won’t be going on campus to keep watch over things.
fog2009-03-01 22:21:29 [Reply]
The cheapest coffee at paradiso on campus is 3.5 yuan, which doesn’t seem expensive either
古雴2009-03-01 20:31:19 [Reply]
That cafés are too expensive is indeed a problem; that’s precisely why I’m paying to treat everyone. I absolutely do not want to show off or flaunt my wealth; rather, I hope that people interested in coming to a café to find me will not be blocked by economic reasons.
physis2009-03-01 17:52:45 Anonymous 218.64.81.211 [Reply]
I read a whole series of your articles about cafés, and I also went to experience it for myself (because of financial constraints, this was the first time I had ever spent an entire afternoon alone in a café). Although for the few truly “attained” people, differences in the external environment are simply unimportant, the calming effect of coffee, music, and an environment that lies somewhere between quiet and noisy on the emotions of us ordinary mortals, as well as the improvement in reading efficiency and philosophical reflection, is nonetheless beneficial. (Call it affectation if you like, or sneer at it as petit bourgeois if you prefer.)
So it is not surprising that so much culture and thought were born in cafés. As far as I know, café consumption abroad is very much mass-market, whereas in China it is far too expensive; ordinary people have neither the leisure nor the money to go in and have a cup very often. If some day coffee at 5–6 yuan a cup could appear (though compared with domestic wage levels that is actually still expensive), cafés might truly be able to make some contribution to society’s culture.
Chern2009-02-16 19:59:14 Anonymous 219.234.81.66 [Reply]
When I was egging you on, I really did think I’d keep using it forever。。。
古雴2009-02-16 17:57:52 [Reply]
All right……anyway, I originally wasn’t on school network, so I won’t say anything about you……It’s just that the very person who egged me on to join school network has now stopped using it; that is truly regrettable。。
Chern2009-02-16 16:33:01 Anonymous 219.234.81.66 [Reply]
School network is useless to me. Maybe some people will browse my page, but I have no kinship with them, nor much acquaintance, and I’m not asking them to do anything for me; what would I go there for。。。
Now I’ve also finished “killing off” my BBS ID, and as for the blog’s so-called being made public, it was only that I left a note on your place and at ceiling’s to inform them.
古雴2009-02-16 09:14:40 [Reply]
I’ve already moved to school network; school network really is a lively place, but you actually aren’t going there anymore……
Chern2009-02-16 06:53:30 Anonymous 219.234.81.66 [Reply]
Go over to the department board instead; there may be more people who see it there
Translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The original text is authoritative.
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