A philosopher who teaches at Douglas College, facilitates public dialogue, and practices Socratic inquiry one-on-one — bridging academic rigour and lived philosophy.
A Working Biography
Michael Picard is a philosopher, author, and Socratic practitioner based in British Columbia, Canada. Educated at MIT, he has spent over two decades exploring philosophy as a living discipline — not merely an academic exercise.
As the founder of Café Philosophy in Victoria, BC (weekly sessions running for 12 years), and Faculty at Douglas College, Michael brings rigorous philosophical inquiry into accessible conversation. His work focuses on examining the language behind our beliefs, probing the reasoning we rarely question, and helping individuals think more independently.
His approach is neither therapeutic nor didactic. He acts as an impartial witness — using semantic analysis and Socratic questioning to reveal the hidden assumptions that shape how we see the world.
“Philosophy is not about having the right answers — it's about learning to ask better questions.”— Michael Picard
Philosophy as Liberation
Most of what we believe, we believe because we absorbed it — from culture, family, media, and social contagion. Very little of our thinking is genuinely our own.
Michael calls these inherited structures 'zombie metaphors' — figurative language that moves us without our awareness. He helps you see them, name them, and choose what to do with them.
The result is not a new worldview imposed from outside, but a more honest, more flexible relationship with your own mind.
Examine Inherited Thinking
Question what you've absorbed from culture, family, and media without conscious choice.
Identify Zombie Metaphors
See the figurative language that moves you without your awareness and decide what to do with it.
Develop Mental Freedom
Build a more honest, flexible relationship with your own mind and thinking patterns.