Calling All Philosophers!

Let it not be said that philosophers don’t like humor.

They just have their own brand of it.

Need proof? Just check out the Facebook page of the recently created Petaluma Philosophical Union, a club that wants to tackle life’s great issues through talks, readings and debates.

Take the oldest joke in the book—Why did the chicken cross the road?

The philosopher’s version of an answer is: It depends on who you ask.

Karl Marx may say it was a historical inevitability.

 Nietzsche? 'Because if you gaze too long across the Road, the Road 
gazes also across you.' The infamous inquisitor, Thomas de Torquemada? 'Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I'll find out.

'

And so on.

The club, which is holding its first meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at , was started by Lee Ormasa, a Princeton grad (in philosophy) and an administrative law judge who’s made Petaluma his home over the past decade.

But don’t let Ormasa’s impressive credentials intimidate you. He wants the club to be open to everyone in the community, whether or not you have a background in philosophy.

“I don’t want this to be higher education people sitting around and trying to impress each other,” says the 58-year-old Ormasa, who is also a former musher. “I want a wide range of people. Philosophy is for the every man, not just people who studied the subject.”

Ormasa got into philosophy sort of by chance, when his father recommended he take a course in the subject during his freshman year in college, telling him that the most interesting people to talk to were the ones who studied philosophy.

In anticipation of the club’s first meeting, Ormasa has already invited several philosophy professors from Sonoma State University and wants to host rotating guests to spark discussions about a variety of topics.

And, once the club gets going, Ormasa plans to do outreach to local junior and high schools to drum up interest in the subject among youth.

“Studying philosophy really develops your reasoning skills,” he says. “It helps people have an opinion of their own instead of just repeating what others say.”

The first meeting of the Petaluma Philosophical Union will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at at 7pm.