{{Short description|American philosopher (born 1959)}} {{For|others named Chris Phillips|Christopher Phillips (disambiguation)}} {{Multiple issues| {{Copy edit|date=September 2025}} {{Promotional|date=September 2025}} }} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox writer <!-- for more information see :Template:Infobox writer/doc --> | name = Christopher Phillips | image = Christopher Phillips.jpg | caption = Phillips at his home office | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|7|15}} | birth_place = Newport News, Virginia | occupation = Bestselling author, educator, co-founder, DemocracyCafe.com, Founder, SocratesCafe.com Philosopher-in-Residence, HumanityInDeepSpace.com, | alma_mater = B.A. College of William & Mary, <br> MAT, Montclair State University <br> M.A. California State University, Dominguez Hills <br> M.S. Delta State University <br> PhD Edith Cowan University | period = 1996–present | subject = Socratic dialogue, philosophy, democracy, constitution | notableworks = ''Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy'', ''Soul of Goodness'' (with a foreword by Dr. Cornel West), ''Six Questions of Socrates'', ''Constitution Cafe: Jefferson's Brew for a True Revolution'' | awards = Distinguished American Leadership Award | website = {{URL|www.ChristopherPhillips.com}} }}
'''Christopher Phillips''' (born July 15, 1959) is a Greek-American author, educator, consultant, lecturer, practitioner and scholar of the Socratic method. He founded the global grassroots Socrates Cafe initiative and co-founded the nonprofit Democracy Cafe.<ref>{{Cite web |last=X |date=2002-06-06 |title=He Has a Few Questions for You |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jun-06-lv-socrates6-story.html |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Early life and education== At age 12, Phillips began immersing himself in Plato's dialogues featuring the Athenian philosopher Socrates, and the historian Xenophon's Socratic dialogues.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-24 |title=Philosophy – Page 2 |url=https://platosacademy.org/tag/philosophy/ |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=Plato's Academy Centre |language=en-US}}</ref> This inspired him, he recounts in his book ''Soul of Goodness'',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Phillips |first=Christopher |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60199983-soul-of-goodness |title=Soul of Goodness: Transform Grievous Hurt, Betrayal, and Setback into Love, Joy, and Compassion |date=2022 |publisher=Globe Pequot Press, The |isbn=978-1-63388-788-6 |edition=1st |location=Blue Ridge Summit}}</ref> to hold his first dialogues a la Socrates during lunch time at Carver Intermediate School in Newport News, Virginia, during the height of the desegregation era. After graduating from Menchville High School, he obtained a BA in government from the College of William & Mary.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-christopher-phillips-1023-20111024,0,3520468.story|title=Williamsburg man challenges people to think about the Constitution - …|date=January 21, 2013|website=archive.ph|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130121075459/http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-nws-christopher-phillips-1023-20111024,0,3520468.story|archive-date=2013-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hernández |first=Gavin Aquin |date=2019-03-26 |title=Christopher Phillips '81 encourages open-mindedness in political conversations |url=https://flathatnews.com/2019/03/26/christopher-phillips-81-encourages-open-mindedness-in-political-conversations/ |access-date=2025-09-29 |website=Flat Hat News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1997, he earned an Master of Arts in Teaching from Montclair State University, studying under the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children.<ref>[http://www.montclair.edu/news/article.php?ArticleID=508 Montclair State University, "The 'Johnny Appleseed of Philosophy' Returns to Montclair"], accessed March 5, 2014</ref> In 2000, he earned an M.A. in humanities, with an emphasis in philosophy, at California State University, Dominguez Hills;<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.csudh.edu/HUX/testim-phillips.html |title=Russell Hudson, "Alum Updates Socrates' Philosophy, Captures International Attention", 2005, CSUDH website, accessed 5 March 2014. |access-date=March 5, 2014 |archive-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618101343/http://www.csudh.edu/HUX/testim-phillips.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He has a Master of Science in Natural Sciences degree from Delta State University,<ref>[http://www.deltastate.edu/news-and-events/socrates-philosopher-to-lead-events-at-delta-state "'Socrates' Philosopher to lead events at Delta State"], 2008, Delta State University website, accessed March 5, 2014.]</ref> the first of his master's degrees.<ref>[http://www.trawna.ca/exarticles.php?aid=4763&id=246 "Coffee talk: Are Socrates cafes the antidote to modern life?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306011809/http://www.trawna.ca/exarticles.php?aid=4763&id=246 |date=March 6, 2014 }}, ''The Ottawa Citizen'', August 30, 2005, accessed March 5, 2014.</ref> With both a scholarship and a teaching fellowship, at the age of 50, Phillips received a PhD in communications from Edith Cowan University in Australia - the subject of his doctoral dissertation (Or thesis as it is known in Australia) is "Socrates café: an effective mechanism for realising a more participatory democracy".<ref>[http://www.lectures.iastate.edu/lecture/25425 Upcoming Lectures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306032608/http://www.lectures.iastate.edu/lecture/25425 |date=March 6, 2014 }}, Iowa State University website, accessed March 5, 2014.</ref> He later received a three-semester appointment as senior writing and research fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.
==Phillips's Café Initiatives== Phillips began his professional life in 1981 as a middle school literature teacher in a six-room schoolhouse in Casco, Maine. He held Socratic circle dialogues with his students. He was also a feature and hard-news and feature newspaper reporter in Bridgton, Maine and Abingdon, Virginia, before he became a freelance writer for national magazines.
Besides the Socrates Cafe, Phillips has launched related initiatives, including Democracy Cafe, Constitution Cafe, Spirit of '76 Cafe (Part of his Declaration Project), and most recently, Deep Space Cafe, and Shakespeare Cafe. This latter project springs originally from the "tragically unexpected death" of his father.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xns-31cDKaw |title=Who is it that can tell me who I am? - Inaugural Shakespeare Café at George Inn in London |date=2025-11-13 |last=Christopher Phillips |access-date=2025-11-18 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=Christopher |date=June 11, 2025 |title=Who's There? Stand and Unfold Yourself at Shakespeare Cafe |url=https://medium.com/@SocratesCafeFounder/whos-there-stand-and-unfold-yourself-at-shakespeare-cafe-1b3504a3f02a |access-date=November 18, 2025 |website=Christopher Phillips}}</ref>
Public intellectual and civic activist Cornel West refers to Phillips as "the greatest living embodiment of the Socratic spirit in our catastrophic times. His global grassroots movement of Socrates Cafés and Democracy Cafés have transformed the lives of millions of people in every continent on the Earth. His brilliant and wise books have touched the minds and souls of so many of us".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Company |first=W. W. Norton & |date=2021-04-05 |title=Cornel West on Christopher Phillips’ Socrates Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy |url=https://wwnorton.medium.com/cornel-west-on-christopher-phillips-socrates-caf%C3%A9-a-fresh-taste-of-philosophy-27eaa2c4c0a1 |access-date=2026-04-02 |website=Medium |language=en}}</ref>
==Academic and Independent Scholar Career, other endeavors== Phillips was a 2012 recipient of the Distinguished American Leadership Award, alongside Adam Braun, founder of Pencils of Promise.<ref>[http://www.nctc.edu/News/newsdetail/12-03-26/NCTC_Honors_Programs_hosts_leadership_conference.aspx Unknown]{{Dead link|date=November 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Phillips has taught in the graduate program ''Media, Culture and Communication'' at New York University,<ref>{{cite web|last=Phillips|first=Christopher|title=Home|url=http://www.christopherphillips.com/}}</ref> and the University of Pennsylvania as a Senior Writing and Research Fellow.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/christopher-phillips-brings-his-socrates-caf-s-and-constitution-caf-s-university-pennsylvania |title=Penn News | Christopher Phillips Brings His Socrates Cafés and Constitution Cafés to University of Pennsylvania |access-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618075228/http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/christopher-phillips-brings-his-socrates-caf-s-and-constitution-caf-s-university-pennsylvania |url-status=dead }}</ref> He has been Senior Education Fellow at the National Constitution Center<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://constitutioncenter.org/press-room/expert-sources/christopher-phillips |title=Christopher Phillips - National Constitution Center |access-date=June 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530082004/http://constitutioncenter.org/press-room/expert-sources/christopher-phillips |archive-date=May 30, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and 2014–15 Network Fellow at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://ethics.harvard.edu/people/christopher-phillips |title = Christopher Phillips}}</ref> In 2024, he was named Philosopher-In-Residence for Humanity in Deep Space.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Philosopher in Residence |url=https://humanityindeepspace.com/philosopher-in-residence |access-date=2025-11-18 |website=Humanity in Deep Space |language=en-US}}</ref>Phillips is also a registered Investment Advisor Representative, with specialties in ESG (Environmental, Societal, Governance) Investment and SRI (Socially Responsible Impact) Investing<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our People |url=https://martincapital.com/our-people/ |access-date=2026-05-21 |website=Martin Capital Advisors |language=en-US}}</ref>.
== Published works ==
===Books=== The books published by Phillips are (the ISBNs refer to paperback editions, where available):
* ''Constitution Cafe: Jefferson's Brew for a True Revolution'' ({{ISBN|978-0-393-06480-3}}) (W.W. Norton, 2011) * ''Socrates in Love: Philosophy for a Die-Hard Romantic'' ({{ISBN|978-0393330670}}) (W.W. Norton, 2007) [Published in numerous other languages] * ''Six Questions of Socrates: A Modern-Day Journey of Discovery through World Philosophy'' ({{ISBN|978-0393326796}}) (W.W. Norton, 2004) [Published as well in many other languages] * ''Socrates Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy'' ({{ISBN|978-0393322989}}) (W.W. Norton, 2001) [Widely published also in other languages] * ''A Child at Heart: Unlocking Your Creativity, Curiosity and Reason at Every Age and Stage of Life'' (Skyhorse, 2018), {{ISBN|1510729631}} [Published in other languages as well] * ''Ceci Ann's Day of Why'' ({{ISBN|978-1582461717}}) (Penguin Random House, 2006) [this is now independently published as 'Day of Why,' part of Phillip's 'Days of Wonder' series; it is published in other languages, including Mayan languages as well as Spanish, Korean, Greek, Japanese] * ''The Philosophers' Club'' ({{ISBN|978-1582460390}}) (Penguin Random House, 2004) [This is now independently published, and is part of a Philosophers' Club series of books that includes 'Worlds of Difference' * ''Soul of Goodness: Transform Grievous Hurt, Betrayal, and Setback into Love, Joy, and Compassion'', with a foreword by Dr. Cornel West {{ISBN|978-1633887886}}
===Papers=== Phillips wrote the following papers: * "Coalition" ''M/C Journal'', Vol. 13, No. 6 (2010) * "The Austrian Philosopher Who Showed that Words Can Spark Humanism – Or Barbarism"," ''Zocalo Public Square'', January 31, 2018 * "Philosophical Counseling: An Ancient Practice Is Being Rejuvenated," ''Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children'', Vol. 14, Issue 1, 1998, pp. 48–49 * "Daring to Revise America's Sacred Text", ''San Francisco Chronicle'', Opinion Page, July 3, 2017 * "Socratic Inquiry for All Ages", Vol. 8, No. 15, 2012, ''Childhood & Philosophy'' * "Why aren't kids part of 'All men are created equal'?", ''Huffington Post'', December 9, 2014 * "Live Like Picasso: Nurturing Fluid Intelligence and an 'Artistic Dimension", ''Huffington Post'', December 19, 2014 * "The Efficacy of the Lipmanian Approach to Teaching Philosophy for Children", ''Childhood & Philosophy'', Vol. 7, No. 13, 2011
==See also== * Socrates Café * Socratic dialogue *Walter Kaufmann *Matthew Lipman *Justus Buchler
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.christopherphillips.com/ ChristopherPhillips.com] official website
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Christopher}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American philosophers Category:21st-century American philosophers Category:Menchville High School alumni Category:College of William & Mary alumni Category:Montclair State University alumni Category:California State University, Dominguez Hills, alumni Category:Delta State University alumni Category:Edith Cowan University alumni