What are we?

Salon Aberystwyth organizes public discussions and debates.   Some of our discussions will be on current events.  Others will be on culture, human agency, science, technology & morals – almost anything that allows us to get a grip  on how we can push society in a positive direction.

Salon Aberystwyth is one of a network of Salons in the UK, Europe and the USA.   We take our inspiration from the Academy of Ideas and its annual festival of debate, the Battle of Ideas.

We want Salon Aberystwyth debates to be as informed and open as possible.  The point is for the discussion to allow us all to clarify ideas by engaging with other people’s points of view.  From time to time, we all have to deal with ideas we find offensive.  We think it’s important to figure out what’s wrong with them, not just ignore them or insult the messenger.   By sharpening the arguments on all sides, we hope to persuade and influence people.

We expect a useful discussion to involve disagreement and challenge.  Intellectual  stretching and even bruising is part of the democratic tradition.  At the same time, we want the debate to be civil.

If you’d like to get involved in the discussions or contribute to the website, please get in touch.