What we’re about
The Existentialist Society is for those who question whether life has a meaning and a purpose. And for those who despairingly ponder whether one can live without self-deception or without hedonistic escapism. Yet who, despite the anguish of life's futility and meaninglessness, still seek purpose and an authentic existence.
The Existentialist Society is for those who are fascinated by the ideas of Simone de Beauvoir, Nicholas Berdyaev, Martin Buber, Rudolph Bultmann, Albert Camus, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Viktor Frankl, Martin Heidegger, Karl Jaspers, Franz Kafka, Nikos Kazantzakis, Soren Kierkegaard, R.D. Laing, Gabriel Marcel, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean-Paul Sartre, Max Stirner, Paul Tillich, Colin Wilson, etc.
'Existentialism' is an umbrella term covering diverse and often conflicting schools of thought. Consequently we are not agreed on who or what is an Existentialist; we simply agree to disagree.
Inspired by the Student Revolt of the late Sixties, the Existentialist Society commenced in 1971.
LECTURES take place at 2pm on the first Saturday of the month.
All are welcome. Participation is free.
NOTE: Due to the pandemic, our physical in-person Meetups and lectures were cancelled. All the lectures are now online via Zoom. This enables participation by those interstate and overseas.
Following our monthly lecture, during the extended question and discussion period, additional comments are encouraged from those of our participants who might have more knowledge than the speaker on particular aspects of the topic, as well as from those who have an alternative viewpoint.
Sometimes our lecture topics have no direct bearing upon Existentialism. The speakers on such topics may or may not be conversant with Existentialism.
The Existentialist Society has no formal membership, so there is no membership fee.
See the Existentialist Society website for future lectures, past transcripts and videos etc: www.existentialistmelbourne.org
Facebook: Please feel free to comment on the lectures: - www.facebook.com/Existentialist-Society-866984573402226/
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- The Missing First Person: Rethinking Science from Within.Link visible for attendees
EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
An online presentation, followed by discussion. All viewpoints welcome.
Remco Van Santen will present the topic and lead the discussion.
"Science claims objectivity, yet it is always mediated by the observer. This presentation challenges the assumption that science reveals an external reality, arguing instead that it structures how we articulate experience.
Exploring quantum mechanics, time, and the nature of observation, we critically examine the limits of scientific models - how they exclude the first-person perspective and create an illusion of detachment. Drawing on Henri Bergson’s distinction between lived and mathematical time, as well as Adam Frank’s Blind Spot, this webinar critiques the belief that reality exists independently of our awareness.
By recognising science as a way of speaking rather than a direct window into the world, we uncover a deeper, reflexive approach - one that acknowledges the role of subjectivity in shaping knowledge itself."
The Zoom Link will appear for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 827 7665 7260 - - Passcode: 069262Existentialist Society's Website - - - Youtube - - - Facebook
- Non-Absolute Absolutism: A Personal PhilosophyLink visible for attendees
AGNOSTICS GROUP - Melbourne, Australia.
Some of us are participating in their online event.
Andrew Walker (Guest Speaker) will present the topic and lead the discussion.
~ An objective and subjective look at cognition. 'Meaning' is a psychological value-state of being. Because of Truth’s ambiguity, Humanity requires constant truth-seeking for the best values and meanings which serve the Self, the Other, and everything that is current and which will be in the future.
Having lived a life of wonderment and having observed my self and others making conclusions, many of which have proven to be wrong in hindsight, my current understanding is that Meaning is the contribution which each consciousness produces in our world ~
The Agnostics Group discusses the pros and cons of Agnosticism.
They welcome ALL viewpoints, including criticism of Agnosticism.Agnostics Group Facebook
The ZOOM Link will appear for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 845 4002 6434 - - Passcode: 393728 - The Nubian Pharaohs' impact on Biblical History.Link visible for attendees
EXISTENTIALIST MEETUP - Melbourne, Australia.
Our monthly online Meetup presentation on the History of Religion.
The presentations are followed by questions, comments and discussion.
All viewpoints welcome.Early Religion: An Alternative History
What do the historians and archaeologists think of the veracity of religious legends? Legends are an amalgamation of history and mythology. But how much of each?"THE NUBIAN PHARAOHS' IMPACT ON BIBLICAL HISTORY."
When the Assyrian Emperor, Sargon II, was killed battling the Cimmerians in Anatolia in 705 BC, Egypt's Nubian Pharaoh, Shabaka, decided to attempt to regain the 'New Kingdom', the old Egyptian Empire. He found an ally; King Hezekiah of Judea.
The new Assyrian Emperor, Sennacherib, defeated Egypt's northward advance and laid siege to Jerusalem. But the 'Angel of the Lord' visited and 185,000 besiegers lay dead. (2 Kings 19:35). The Assyrians fled.
However, the ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, suggested that it might have been the plague.David Miller will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Background reading for those interested in doing so:
Wikipedia's entry on the 25th Dynasty of Egypt
Wikipedia's entry on the Neo-Assyrian Empire
"The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finkelstein, Professor of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University and his historian colleague, Neil Asher Silberman.
YouTube Audiopedia summary of the book.The Zoom link will appear for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 871 4584 8666 - - Passcode: 280898Existentialist Society's Website - - - Facebook - - - YouTube
- Interbelief and the Level Playing Field.Link visible for attendees
SEA OF FAITH IN AUSTRALIA (SoFiA) - Melbourne.
Some of us are participating in SoFiA's online event.
Dr. Neville Buch will present the topic and lead the discussion.
"Interbelief and the Level Playing Field."
~ A "Level Playing Field" is against those who seek to privilege specific religious (or even secular) positioning through state power. ~
Questions, comments and discussion will follow the presentation.
The ZOOM LINK will eventually appear on this page for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 823 4589 4786 - - Passcode: 591762~SoFiA promotes the open exploration of religion, spirituality and the search for meaning. They welcome ALL viewpoints, including Atheism~
Facebook: 'Sofiatalk' - Please join their ongoing discussions.
