Last Hurrah Picnic

[uj phenomenology]

Dear Philosophers!

As our deadline approaches, we'd like to celebrate all the hard work that went into this year. What better way to do so than by enjoying a picnic with friends?

Philosophy doesn't have to be confined to the university. Rather, philosophy can, and should, be found in the everyday spaces that we inhabit. Additionally, some of the best philosophy historically was done in the outdoors. Immanuel Kant famously went for his daily walk, Friedrich Nietzsche was an avid hiker, and Henry David Thoreau dedicated his life to exploring the outdoors. The practices of these, and many other, philosophers should urge us to occasionally leave our enclosures – our schools, homes, and offices – in order to promote deeper philosophical reasoning and cognitive functioning

As a last hurrah for the 2025 academic year, the UJ Philosophy Department proposes an outdoor picnic and philosophical discussion in the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens for postgraduates. For some, this time might mark the end of your academic career or the start of a different journey, and we hope to use this opportunity to wish you well in your future endeavours. For others, this gathering will be a wonderful chance to connect with fellow thinkers, meet other philosophers, and continue building our intellectual community in a more relaxed and social setting.

In order not to interfere with the academic calendar, we propose to host the event on Saturday, 8th November 2025 @10:00 - 15:00.  For this event, we ask that every attendee contribute R150 for refreshments and transport from UJ APK to the Botanical Gardens and back. Under the trees of Johannesburg, we hope to say goodbye to the year that was and welcome the year to come, and perhaps, if we're lucky, spot a Jacaranda blossom or two

Should you be interested, please contact us at gabriell...@gmail.com ;)

Best,

Cate Otto and Gabrielle Chabuda