Ece Tekbulut is a cultural entrepreneur and political theorist with a PhD from Columbia University, now bringing philosophy beyond academia through her Thinking Through Social Club. In our conversation, she reflects on how public theatre in Turkey shaped her belief that ideas should be shared openly, and why we’re living through an “existentialist moment” defined by collapsing social scripts, loneliness, and a crisis of meaning. We discuss how art and philosophy prompt us to take a stance on social and political questions, how social media erodes space for independent thought, and why dialogue—rooted in the Socratic tradition—matters more than passive listening. At the heart of her project is a simple aim: to cultivate curiosity and connection through collective reflection.
Ece, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. For the benefit of our readers, let’s begin with your background. Your journey into global politics and social justice is both personal and academic. Can you share a formative moment or influence that first sparked your passion for these fields?
I’m a cultural entrepreneur. I’ve completed my PhD in political theory from Columbia University, where I completed my dissertation on democracy and taught classes on ethics and political philosophy. Now I’m running a philosophy salon, bringing focused, deep reflection outside academia. I’ve always been uncomfortable with barriers between institutions and the public. When I was young, I did theater in the parks in Turkey, open performances where anyone could stop and watch. What I’m doing right now feels like an extension of that: creating a public space for creative thought and connection. And this probably ties to my deep care for democracy, because democracy doesn’t work when people are withdrawn, isolated, and intellectually disengaged.
The Thinking Through Social Club was founded on the idea of gathering to reflect on life’s big questions. What inspired you to create a space for philosophical exploration outside the traditional academic environment?
I believe we are in an Existentialist Moment, similar to the aftermath of WW2. In the sense that traditional structures, institutions that once provided people a direction in life, moral scripts that distinguished good and evil, and career paths that you could work safely until retirement, have collapsed. Like Sartre once said, today too we are “condemned to be free,” we’re facing the burden of carving a path for ourselves without reliable scripts or value systems. In addition, we are facing accelerating climate change, rise of general intelligence, economic precocity, and an epidemic of loneliness. I fear this might all create a crisis of meaning for us humans, a resignation and alienation that make us ask, “What’s even the point?” And as existentialists would suggest, the universe will be indifferent to this angst and won’t provide the answers we are seeking. But we can make choices each day, however small, create who we are. As our choices and actions accumulate, we can even find an overarching narrative that gives meaning and purpose to our lives and a moral compass authentic to us as individuals.
Philosophy is the practice of self-reflection, scratching the surface of what we treat as obvious. It helps us gain self-awareness, a better understanding of where we stand on things, why we do what we do, and how we want to live. In this way, it can help us navigate the existentialist ‘burden of carving our own path’ in the absence of reliable scripts.
I founded Thinking Through to create space for philosophical reflection. But it’s less burdensome and more fun because, being a social club, we do philosophical reflection collectively. We question and discover together.
In your recent article, “Philosophy Meets Art: Thinking Through Time,” you highlight the interplay between art and philosophy. How do you see the arts uniquely enabling us to grapple with complex social and political questions?
I think both philosophy and art, when it comes to social and political issues, are primarily a question prompt, asking the viewer: what do you think, where do you stand? Sometimes we tend to think political art functions primarily as awareness-raising, as if it has some sort of informational role. But both philosophy and art work through abstraction. They’re less about the peculiarities of one specific thing (that’s reporting) and more about revealing tensions or general patterns through abstractions. And it always reflects the artist’s point of view, so inevitably the art object makes a claim rather than presenting an objective truth. Plus since art works through abstraction (rather than explicit argumentation), the viewer has interpretive freedom when understanding that claim. So philosophy and art, rather than filling us in on social and political issues, ask us: okay, so here’s what I’m thinking, what’s your take, where do you stand?
Social media often accelerates and fragments our experience of information. How do you think this impacts our ability to think independently and reflect deeply, and how does Thinking Through counteract these trends?
Social media impacts our ability to think independently and reflect deeply in two key ways. First, the addictive pattern of constant exposure doesn’t open up space for thought to emerge. There’s a reason we have the phrase “shower thoughts” because ideas need space to develop, not constant stimulation. Or developmental psychologists say boredom is good for kids because it’s when their imagination develops. When there’s not much stimuli in your environment, you’re bored, so in your mind you build an exciting one. Second, hot takes and rage bait—content devoid of nuance—get amplified algorithmically, which means we’re constantly consuming the most extreme, least thoughtful versions of ideas. Thinking Through at least carves out two hours on your weekend away from your phone. And it’s a space that is deliberately designed for thoughts to emerge and where complexity and nuance is acknowledged.
Thinking Through Social Club emphasizes conversation over lectures or panels. Why is dialogue, rather than passive listening, so central to your vision?
Socrates, often credited as the founder of Western philosophy, believed that philosophy was a public and communal act, not a private or solitary one. He would walk through Athens, gather people in public squares, and ask short questions about big ideas—What is justice? What is love?—creating what we now call the Socratic Dialogue. The Socratic method is about challenging assumptions and countering reasoning to improve the other party’s thinking. Thinking Through builds on this, but dialogue primarily works as a vehicle for the cocreation of ideas, not so much the twists and turns of argumentation. Participants say it’s a very connective experience: you get to know someone by learning how they think about an issue, their perspective, and thought patterns. That’s a very intimate access to a person.
What role do you believe independent thinking plays in sustaining democracy and social justice, especially in a world where consensus seems shaped by algorithms and viral trends?
My dissertation is on democracy, so I care about this deeply. Thank you for asking. I see two crucial problems facing democracy today. The first is the post-truth environment: a growing backlash against expertise and a deep erosion of trust in institutions, such as the media, that once sustained a shared sense of reality. This problem will only be amplified by AI-generated misinformation. The second is affective polarization, where people not only disagree with opposing views but come to see those who hold them as enemies. Democracy is collective self-rule: it requires deliberation about how we want to organize our common life. That, in turn, depends on a minimum shared reality and on seeing members of society as fellow citizens rather than enemies within. Independent thinking is, therefore a civic capacity. It involves critically assessing information while recognizing our epistemic limitations, and transcending tribalism as we make judgments about the direction we want to take together toward the common good. Paradoxically, it is precisely independent thinking that makes collective self-rule possible.
The concept of “New Beginnings” is your current theme. How do you approach this philosophically, and what do you hope participants will discover about themselves and the world through this lens?
It is hard to think abstractly about a broad and vague topic like this.
In my experience, abstract thinking needs progression.
My method is to move through a sequence of questions that eases the transition from the personal to the general. I start with personal experience rather than abstract blocks.
I begin by asking participants about their attitudes toward the New Year. Who feels they opened a new chapter with 2026, and who feels it is business as usual? I then ask what experiences they have counted as new beginnings.
From there, I encourage them to identify general criteria for what makes something count as a new beginning.
Please walk us through the objectives of the Thinking Through Social Club -What kind of transformation or experience do you hope members will undergo?
I don’t make claims about promising big transformations. It’s an hour-and-a-half discussion, after all. What I hope to ignite is curiosity.
We each have topics we’re curious about in life. In fact, I begin every session by asking participants what they’ve been curious about lately. But beyond any single topic, what I want to cultivate is curiosity as a general, ever-present disposition toward life.
I don’t try to settle answers. I know some people are disappointed when there are no overarching conclusions. But what I aim to develop is the muscle of asking questions, the realization that we can ask infinitely many questions about even the most ordinary experiences: new beginnings, love, adulthood, habits, city life.
Having those “curiosity glasses” on enriches our experience here on Earth, because deep thinking about an experience magnifies the experience itself.
Is there specific membership criteria or a process for joining the club? How can someone interested in participating get involved, and what should they expect at their first session?
Everyone is welcome; no prior knowledge is required.
Looking ahead, are there upcoming dates, themes, or events you’re especially excited about?
Looking ahead, I’m excited about a few upcoming themes we’ll be exploring, including love, friendship, adulthood, and city life. These sessions foreground the social element of the club. They bring people together through shared experiences and everyday questions, and they remain the heart of Thinking Through.
As the community grows, I’d like to expand into more structured formats alongside these sessions. I’m interested in organizing reading groups and author talks around books that engage with social and political theory.
In an era where attention is a scarce resource, what advice would you offer to individuals seeking to reclaim their capacity for deep thought and meaningful connection, both within and beyond the Thinking Through community?
Definitely finding and joining a community in their area centered on their interests.
For further information on the Thinking Through Social Club, please visit the following links:
Photos courtesy of Ece Tekbulut
Main Images Ece Tekbulut (by @people_i_love__) Additional photographs by Furkan Temir
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