The philosophy of meaningful conversations

Human beings are social animals, and our brains are hardwired for conversation, but to what extent are these conversations meaningful and what makes them so? In this talk, philosopher and communications advisor Henrik Schøneberg will explore how philosophers have approached the topic of meaningful conversation, such as Socrates who walked the streets of Athens enjoying some of the deepest conversations on record, and Søren Kierkegaard who criticised the superficial nature of the conversational discourse of his time. This will be tied to how modern communications theory has built on these ideas to provide a framework for conversing well. The talk aims to inspire more engaging conversations that feel like neither a war of attrition nor a pointless exercise in formalities and empty gossip. With much of our conversation moving online, the talk will also explore the possibilities and limitations of meaningful online conversations with our fellow humans, and also with chatbots, and discuss what has been gained and lost in the conversational discourse of modern society since the time of our hunter-gatherer ancestors who sat around the campfire sharing stories. Henrik Schøneberg http://www.henrikschoeneberg.dk/ is a philosopher from Copenhagen, Denmark, who specialises in the human mind and our ability to think and act well. He regularly takes part in the Cambridge Festival, presenting talks on topics such as the philosophy of dilemmas, the philosophy of bad habits, individual consciousness, collective consciousness and artificial intelligence. Henrik also teaches communications to veterinary students, and has published articles and reviews in well-established and widely read magazines, such as Wired, New Humanist and Philosophy Now. His article entitled Bad Arguments That Make You Smarter, which is on the topic of logical fallacies, became one of the most widely read articles in Philosophy Now. Additionally, Henrik is the founder of Thales Day – an annual celebration of the tradition of philosophy and science with an outset in its ancient Greek origin that is designed to strengthen critical thinking and stimulate intellectual debate.