The Optimates Society | 24 followers on LinkedIn. The Optimates Society was formed to encourage learning, debate and the exchange of philosophies and ideas among Yale students and in the greater New Haven community. The Society believes such activities are central to the development of well-rounded, principled leaders with a fundamental understanding of the ideas that have shaped history. To promote these initiatives, the Society sponsors dedicated space near the Yale campus to host public forums, intellectual debates, and lectures by leading scholars.