SOPHIA alpha is a circle that was established in 1997 by a handful of students who wanted to give an experiential dimension to their Philosophical Anthropology Course, offered by the Faculty of Comparative Culture at Sophia University. It bases its activities on Political Philosophy, believing that it is necessary to reflect on the world and try to understand it better in order to engage in the wolrd in a meaningful way.
Q 2: What are the activities of SOPHIA alpha?
SOPHIA alpha centres on Political Philosophy and so Reflection lies at the core of SOPHIA alpha. Students engage in discussions about various matters concerning the world, ranging from initially abstract questions such as "what is evil" to concrete issues such as "sexuality education in contemporary Japan". Based on such Reflection, SOPHIA alpha tries to put their thoughts into action, finding different approaches to engage in and change the world for the better. We enter Japanese Schools and let pupils encounter the diversity of Sophia students in order to allow them to constantly modify their image of "foreigners", "exchange students", "Japanese" etc.; we engage in community and voluntary work based on research; we try to promote communication between Sophia students and Exchange students, offering free Japanese Tutoring for example; we offer forums for artistic expression etc. The activities of SOPHIA alpha change and grow as we try to adjust to the needs of the community.
Q 3: How do I become a member of SOPHIA alpha?
If you are interested in SOPHIA alpha, just drop by at out weekly meetings and see what we are up to. If you wish, you can also send us a little note about your coming in advance. You can then decide to become either a Core Member of an Associate Member - you will surely be welcomed as we appreciate any kind of help.
Q 4: What's the difference between Core and Associate Members?
Core Members are the heart of SOPHIA alpha because they make SOPHIA alpha happen? They attend the weekly meetings, go on a camp together once a semester, participate in monthly trips and run the diverse programmes that SOPHIA alpha offers. Associate Members are members of SOPHIA alpha who are engaged in one of its programmes.