Events and Training
Events are at the heart of what we do at the Malaysian Philosophy Society.
Led by leading luminaries locally and internationally, all our practical philosophy events are designed to translate philosophy’s core teachings into practical insights and skills, to help people lead more fulfilling lives in Malaysia and beyond.
Our Flagships
International Think Big Summit 2024: CROSSROADS
In 2024, we hosted our largest #ThinkBig summit, themed CROSSROADS, at HELP University, where Rojak ideas meet from under the same roof!
Issues explored: Gaza Conflict, Loneliness, Malaysian Identity, Meaning of Art, Manufactured Truths.
Event Highlights: Human Spectrogram, Crosspaths Networking
Event officiated by the Ministry of Unity.
Event proudly sponsored by TalentCorp from the Ministry of Human Resource, making this Summit free for all to participate.
Live Love Labour Festival 2023: The Art of Slow Living
In 2023, we hosted Malaysia's largest Slow Living festival at Mereka, Publika KL. The event is inspired by the philosophy of burnout by Byung-Chul Han, inviting Malaysians to slow down and participate in philosophical contemplation.
Events : Burnout Reboot, Socratic Sembang, Healing Strokes, Mindful Odyssey, Philojourney, Yoga Nook, Heart to Heart Phils Card Game
Event Highlights: Space Out Competition
Event proudly sponsored by members from Khazanah Nasional Berhad.
International Think Big Summit 2022: Imagined Universes
2022's International Think Big Summit moved beyond the systems of "is" to frameworks of what "might be."
Issues explored: Capitalism, Rat Race, Regrets, Cyber Future, Problems in Education, Political Utopia
Event Highlights: Thinkathon, Malaysia's first Philosophy Hackathon featuring cooperative philosophical problem-solving.
Event organized on Zoom Expo.
International Think Big Summit 2021: Taboos and Panting Larangs
In 2021, we sparked unfettered conversations about taboos and issues that are often swept under the rug in Malaysian society.
We Broke the Silence on: Racism, LGTBQI, Mental Illness, Sex Positivity, Veganism, Whether Religion and Science Can be Friends, and Whether Government and Opposition Can See Eye-to-Eye with Each Other
Event organized on Remo.
Events and Workshops
Members-Exclusive Events
Monthly Thinkers Café: Casual Philosophy Mamaks/Meetups
Our members gather together on Saturdays every month for stimulating Socratic dialogue style discussions on a wide range of topics, from meaning of life and relationships, to politics and pop culture. We also have Thinkers Café outside of the Klang Valley region, run by our philbassadors!
Join us to engage in thought-provoking conversations, and challenge your perspectives!
Reflective Reads: Philosophy Book Club Sessions
On a bi-monthly basis, we take a dive deep into carefully curated contemporary philosophical books/texts, facilitated by philosophically trained moderators and experts.
Some Books We Have Explored:
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Hiking with Nietzsche by John Kaag
The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han
The Great Interfaith Dialogue: Do We Need Religion for Morality?
Featuring leaders from major religions in Malaysia: Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism, this panel discussion explored the intersection of faith, ethics, and cultural identity in Malaysia.
From questioning religion’s role in society to discussing whether different religions can see eye-to-eye with each other, our speakers engaged in a respectful and intellectually stimulating conversation on whether religion is needed for morality.
This event is done in collaboration with The University of Sheffield and White Rose College of the Arts & Humanities (WRoCAH) UK.
Last Breath: Navigating Morality and End of Life Decisions
Death and dying are topics that we still shy away from discussing openly in Malaysia. Because of this, many make poor end-of-life decisions for themselves and their loved ones.
Speakers:
Professor Michael Cholbi, Personal Chair in Philosophy, University of Edinburgh
Dr. Liew Kean Yew, Palliative Care Physician, Hospital Ampang
Dr. Tee Chen Giap, Co-Founder, Malaysian Philosophy Society
Topics Discussed:
- Meaning of Life
- What constitutes a “good death”
- Autonomy, agency and consent & hierarchy of consent
- Right to death
- Mental health, suicide and santity of life
- Advanced care planning and palliative care
- Key differences between “Treatment Withdrawal, Euthanasia, Assisted Dying, and Do-Not-Resuscitate"
This event is an interdisciplinary event exploring the cross sections between ethics, philosophy of death and dying, and palliative care.
The Great Intergenerational Dialogue on Life and Death
This event is part of our event series exploring intersection of opinions from diverse backgrounds/identities.
This event focused on intergenerational diversity, exploring a wide range of viewpoints on the topic of life and death from different generations. We had representatives from Boomer, Gen X, Gen Y/Millenial and Gen Z.
Philojourney: A Philosophical Journaling Workshop
Philojourney is a transformative 30-day journaling program on the theme of “Simplicity” to promote decluttering, embracing the fundamentals and looking inwards in the fast-paced world we live in.
The 30-day journey culminated to a special philosophy journaling session during the Live Love Labour Festival 2023.
Mastering Mindset: Harnessing the Power of Logic in Everyday Life
We explored the application of Logic in everyday decision making, including argument mapping, logical fallacies and the relationship between logic and emotion.
A successful cross-continental collaboration with the Monash Philosophy Society, Australia
Kritikos: Malaysia's First Philosophy Programme for High Schoolers (2021)
Kritikos is Malaysia's first and very own Introduction to Philosophy programme conducted through philosophical inquiry/Socratic dialogue.
What is it? A 6-week programme for high school students from multi-cultural background.
Topics Explored: Democracy, voting, ethics, meaning of life, religion, meta-philosophy, theory of knowledge.
Goal: Provide an alternative to the local education system that focuses on rote memorization, showcasing the transformative power of philosophy and philosophical inquiry in Malaysian classrooms.
Partners: Persatuan Pendidikan Falsafah Dan Pemikiran Malaysia (PPFPM) and Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA).
Sponsor: Kathryn Wasserman Peace Fund
Stay tuned for Kritikos 2.0 in 2025.
Thinkathon 2022: Malaysia's First Philosophy Hackathon
A creative twist from Oxford-style debates, Thinkathon focuses on collaborative problem-solving instead of solely focusing on beating the opponents.
Teams discuss on a series of the most challenging ethical dilemmas and suggest creative and philosophically convincing solutions!
Best Team Award: Masalah Trolley
Most Informed Team Award: Homo Ludens
Most Constructive Team Award: Similing into the Void
Most Critical Speaker Award: Khor Wei Ken
[Identity] Spider Man: Who Am I?
Is Spider Man still who he is after he got bitten by the genetically altered spider?
Are YOU still who YOU are after you experience certain changes in your mind and body?
Are we simply minds characterised by our memories, thoughts and plans? If our minds are what we essentially are, then what we experience in virtual spaces, arguably, is truly us. But is that so? Are we nothing more than our minds?
This event explored what makes us who we are, featuring the latest blockbuster movie Spiderman: No Way Home (2021).
Partner: Monsta Asia
Ketua of Tomorrow: A Philosophy x Leadership Workshop for Future Leaders
With the rise in complexity of the issues surrounding the everyday lives of Malaysians, time and again evidence has shown that many Malaysian leaders have failed to employ strategic solutions to the problems the rakyat face.
This workshop explored philosophical skills and concepts that improve leadership, including critical thinking, argument mapping, active listening, justice and systems of good governance.
Partner: The workshop is done in collaboration with PeBS (PENGGERAK BELIA SELANGOR), the Selangor state youth organization.
Can't Be Bothered:
Are We All Climate Deniers?
Speaker: Eugene Chislenko, co-founder of Philosophers for Sustainability
Unlike most ongoing discussions on climate change, we took a deep dive into the topic of denial. We guided our audience to revisit their cognitive systems for signs of denialism, explored the logic and reasoning behind deniers, as well as how denialism leads to difficult ethical dilemmas and decision-making in everyday life.
Rethinking the Digital Space (Metaverse) through a Non-Digital Means: Philosophy
A Part of MOZFEST (Mozilla Festival) 2022
We explored many important topics that surround the new world of internet, including the possibility of knowledge and the relevancy of morality in the Metaverse, and kind of life we should strive for in Virtual Reality.
Why We Are Trapped in Our Work: On Philosophy and Psychology of Career Fulfilment
We often feel trapped at work and remain unsatisfied after years of working. Drawing insights from Stoicism and Existential psychology, we explored the root causes of our dissatisfaction and discover ways we can better navigate through career decisions.
Existentialism and Modern Love:
On Loving Authentically
Getting into a relationship is not easy nowadays. With dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and the more controversial Sugarbook, it’s getting even harder to make deep, authentic connections.
In this event, we covered timeless wisdom from thinkers including Sartre, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and more on the topic of building authentic romantic relationships in the modern era.
Can Money Ever Buy You Happiness? What It Means to Live a Good Life
We never seem to be able to find desirable answers to questions like “How should I live?”, “What constitutes a good life?”, “What's the role of money in living a good life?”
In this discussion, we brought together the perspectives of behavioural economics and moral philosophy to explore what it means to live a good life, and whether living a good life involves wealth.
COVID-19 Vaccine:
A Multidisciplinary Discussion
As the pandemic stretches on into the new phase where the Vaccines have been invented, questions about distribution, geopolitics, safety and ethics arose. Joining us on board were experts from the fields of public health, bioethics, political economy and moral philosophy, as we explore the issues surrounding COVID-19 Vaccines.
Are We Born Selfish or Altruistic? A Conversation During the Pandemic
The pandemic has demonstrated the ugly side of human nature - selfish behaviours including stock piling essentials, refusal to wear masks and panic buying are prevalent. This live public discourse explored the topic of human nature and the nuances that underlie this topic.
COVID-19: Exploring State Power Through A Pandemic
The COVID-19 crisis justified governments to exert autocratic power through law and enforcement to curb the public health crisis.
We explored the existence of social construction in the world today and how it has changed post the pandemic through the lens of bio politics.
Revisiting the Meaning of Life:
Confronting COVID-19 with Albert Camus
When facing unbearable hardships in life, one may question the meaning of life.
This event explored the views of existentialists, nihilists and absurdists to open up new perspectives and potentially helping people to rediscover their inner compasses to cope with the loss of direction and meaning in life.