Webster’s beloved Pearson House is usually home to dignified discourse, quiet collaboration and an overall sense of cozy intellectualism.
But one Saturday night in late February, the recesses of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences home were aglow with lasers, black lights and neon streamers. EDM thumped away in the basement while students above chatted over “Descartes Daiquiris” and karaoke.
Plato’s Rave is lovingly named by President of the Philosophy Coalition and organizer, Maxi Glamour, and is a metaphor for the philosopher’s famous cave allegory: a celebration of the liberation from ignorance.
“We’ve done panels, we’ve done conferences,” Glamour explained over the racket of karaoke. “It’s really intellectually engaging, but sometimes students need more than just intellectual engagement. We need to have fun.”
Glamour hopes attendees will harken back in a decade and think, “One time in college I went to this thing called Plato’s Rave, I know what you’re talking about!” They said, “It puts them in a frame of reference, makes things easier to recall and gives them a positive memory of the story.”
Plato’s cave describes a group of people who are bound to the inside of a cave, only seeing the cast shadows of the outside world. The captive cave dwellers are shackled by their own ignorance, while the enlightened are liberated and able to appreciate the entire world.
“I want people to love knowledge,” they said. “I want people to see outside of their small frame.”
The self-styled “Demon Queen” has been an artist and drag performer for 15 years now. While their appreciation for philosophy partially stems from their challenges as an artist, they initially became interested in it because of the power of language.
Glamour has been engaged with the Philosophy Coalition since transferring to Webster University two years ago, noting that the pandemic gave the club the opportunity to start fresh.
“It took two years [to become] something this cool,” they explained.
The Webster University Philosophy Coalition asserts itself as a democratic and inclusive organization dedicated to the unpretentious discussion of all things philosophy. The club meets Wednesdays at 4 p.m. and hosts regular events on campus.
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