The company is curated
We seat strangers who might bring different perspectives to the table. The room is composed around the issue and we're conscious that the group-think-groan-zone makes for a dull date.
A senate of the streets
A topical question from a fresh angle, and a table of people who won't all see it your way.
Workshoppers of the Commons hosts small, structured conversations over breakfast or dinner in Sydney. We compose each table around an issue and use the questions you answer when you register to help us seat people who think differently, together.
First event · Wednesday 16 September
Hold the whistle
The sociology of whistleblowing in an age of institutional distrust. Do we honour the act and abandon the person?
One topic. One breakfast. One dinner. Book, and discuss.
In the city
Breakfast
$25
Wednesday 16 September
In The Rocks
Dinner
$60
Wednesday 16 September
Tables are small, so voices are heard.
When you sit down
Your table will be set with cards intended to provoke discussion. Each carries a point to talk through, and the name of someone seated with you, who is asked to play devil's advocate on it.
Anyone can take the point on. The devil's advocate is insurance against comfortable agreement.
Table card
“Whistleblowing can sound like exposing wrongdoing. But what if nothing unlawful has happened? When does moral objection become justification for blowing the whistle?”
Frances Haugen did not claim Facebook's algorithms were unlawful. She thought that the harms should be regulated. How wrong must conduct be before blowing the whistle is legitimate?
Devil's advocate
Sam
Why pull up a chair
The question does the work
In the week leading up to the date, we send short notes that surface the interests, incentives and tradeoffs behind perspectives. Use them to let your thoughts take shape before you sit down to discuss.
What's said stays here
No recording, no publication, no performing. It's a place for healthy, in-person discussion. Eight principles keep it curious rather than combative. Read them.
Elinor Ostrom showed that people can govern the ‘commons’ through shared rules and values, rather than markets or top-down authority.
Waiting in the wings
One question at a time. These are queued up for the tables that follow.
You can't say thatInherited power structuresPhilanthropic influenceIn the direction of truthData centre maniaNationalising the AI labsInternalising externalitiesTechno-MarxismTax me if you can
Q&A
Isn't this just the internet with cutlery?
Here you've got the pause after you've said something, you'll see the face of the people listening, and you've got to dodge the groan-zone. Mistakes might be made.
Who should come?
People who'd like to meet someone they might not otherwise meet, and hear a point of view they might not otherwise hear.
Do I need to know anything about the topic?
No. We send notes in the week prior to share some insights - maybe there's something in those notes that is different to what gets shared at your water cooler.
What if I'm not a talker?
The ear-to-mouth ratio might comfort you. These are small tables, and the people sitting with you want to share a meal and conversation with you.
What if I change my mind?
There are no pitchforks or retweets.
What if I'm the only one who thinks what I think?
It's possible. You may also discover that someone arrived at the opposite conclusion from a starting point you hadn't considered.
Is this a debate?
No. It's a discussion. There's no motion, no monitor, and no medal. Just a place to talk to people in your neighbourhood about something happening in the world around you.
Is this networking?
You'll meet people. But what you do for a living isn't the focus or the fringe (if you register to come along, you might find ice-breakers in the questions you answered when you booked your seat). We don't ask about your professional background or formal accomplishments. We want to find people who might contribute to an interesting conversation.
Do I have to be the devil's advocate?
Only if a card nominates you for a point. It's a few minutes. Try making the strongest case you can for a position you don't hold.
What if I say something stupid?
The city has seen worse. You're at a table of people who are not from your tribe. It's reasonable to expect that there'll be a moment where something lands wrong. Then someone asks for the bread and it passes.
Who shouldn't come?
If you're looking for a room in which everyone agrees with you, this probably isn't it. You're allowed to arrive convinced. You just have to leave enough room for someone else to reveal another way of thinking.
Is this a moral vacuum?
Bring your moral and civic convictions. Bring your economic perspectives and political instincts. Bring your experience and your imagination. Bring your curiosity and your scepticism. Bring your empathy and your indignation. Bring your sense of humour and your sense of outrage. A lively, respectful discussion with your companions is the goal.
What are we eating?
We rotate the restaurants located in the Sydney CBD and surrounding fringe (The Rocks, to East Sydney, to Surry Hills) to keep things interesting. Tell us about your dietary requirements when you book.
What happens if the conversation gets heated?
Listening to bad ideas is okay. A weak argument can be wrestled with and dismantled. It's not a personal failure to recognise different personal values, but it is an opportunity to get curious about how they formed and are reinforced. Everyone is expected to participate respectfully and to contend with disagreement without disparagement. If things get uncomfortable, leave. Email us and we will follow up. This is the internet and people who join these discussions might have strong opinions and express frustration, but there is no tolerance for disrespect.
How many people are at the table?
Breakfast tables seat 4-6 people. Dinner tables seat 6-8 people.
Can I come alone?
Yes. Most people will.
What does the ticket price cover?
A meal and a drink (coffee or tea at breakfast, water, soft drink or a glass of wine or beer at dinner). The ticket does not cover any additional drinks or extras.
Book, and discuss.
Breakfast in the city or dinner in The Rocks — Wednesday 16 September.