What we’re about
The BIG IDEAS book club is a monthly meetup for members wanting to discuss important or intriguing ideas and issues in society and our lives. Originally called the 'Phil-Psyc' book club, the discussions include not only big ideas in philosophy and psychology but also from economics, politics, sociology, and science.
Each month a big idea or key thinker will be selected for discussion. For example, a topic could be something like ’free will’, ‘identity’, ’meritocracy’, ‘the simulation hypothesis’, ’post-capitalism’, etc. Similarly, the key thinker could be someone like ‘Carl Jung’, ‘Michel Foucault’, ‘Daniel Kahneman’, etc.
For each topic, a key book and video material will be suggested. The attendees are not required to have read/watched these in order to attend and are welcome to engage in their own reading/viewing material. However, I do strongly encourage reading the set book as it helps in creating focal points for the discussion.
This monthly Meetup will be hosted by Paul T. Many thanks to Dr Steve Mayers who started this book club (and who also started Café Psychologique Sydney) but who unfortunately has moved on from Sydney. Hopefully, the meetup organizer pool will expand so as not to rely on one person.
During the post-Covid restart of this book club (late 2023), it may take some time to find a favourite meeting venue, and hopefully members will have some promising ideas on venues. Being relatively quiet, having food and drink, being approximately central to Sydney and close to public transport are at least four criteria that make sense to me. As a starting place, we can test the 2nd floor (one below the rooftop) of the Keg & Brew Hotel, 26 Foveaux St, Surry Hills. It’s close to Central Station and the light rail. But make sure to check the actual event location.
Come along and join in the conversation!
Keywords: Book club, philosophy, psychology, sociology, economics, politics, science, critical thinking, intellectual discussions, conversation.
Upcoming events
2
The Meaning of Life: What Are We Really Asking? (And What Might the Answers Be?)
Keg & Brew Hotel, 26 Foveaux St, Surry Hills, NS, AUWhat is the meaning of life? It's perhaps the oldest question humanity has asked, yet how often do we ever stop to ask what we really mean by it? When we search for life's meaning, are we seeking our purpose—a direction, a calling, something we're meant to do? Or are we asking about significance—whether our existence matters, whether we leave a mark that endures? Or is it about sense-making—finding coherence in the chaos, weaving our experiences into a narrative we can understand? Is it all three or something else? Once we've figured out what we mean by ‘meaning’, then what? What answers might actually satisfy us? Join us in the new year as we explore what we're really asking—and what answers might be out there. Should be easy to crack over a couple of hours, right?
Short primer: The 3 Types of Meaning—and 10 Ways to Build Them
Key article: The three meanings of meaning in life
(Optional) book: The Meaning of Life – Letters from Extraordinary People and their Answer to Life’s Biggest Question (2025) by James Bailey
For this month, we have three main readings that work together nicely. The first two readings tackle the conceptual puzzle head-on: what do we actually mean when we ask about life's meaning? The short Psychology Today article by Ryan Niemiec offers an accessible introduction to the tripartite framework—the idea that "meaning" encompasses three distinct dimensions: coherence (making sense of our experiences), purpose (having direction and goals), and significance (feeling that our lives matter and are worth living). Although several frameworks exist for understanding meaning in life, this tripartite model is currently one of the most influential and the one we'll focus on for our discussion. The academic paper by Martela and Steger is the key article in this area and provides a more rigorous philosophical and psychological analysis of these three dimensions, exploring why they're often conflated, how they differ from each other, and how they work together to create our sense of meaningfulness. These two readings will give us a shared conceptual vocabulary—a lens through which to understand what different people might be asking when they pose that ancient question.
The book, The Meaning of Life by James Bailey, rather than analyzing the question, presents 100 actual answers from extraordinary people—Jane Goodall, Oliver Burkeman, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Hilary Mantel, and many others. The contributors were asked “what you think the meaning of life is, and how you find meaning, purpose and fulfilment in your own life?” and, as can be seen from the answers, the contributors draw upon different understanding of what "meaning" means, which you should be able to identify after reading the first two articles. For those of you more interested in a population-level understanding of what gives people meaning in their lives, see the international surveys by Pew Research and Voluntas linked below.
As always, we strongly encourage you to read the articles and book before attending. Having read them will enrich both your experience and our collective discussion. We’ve also put links below on further resources on the topic, including resources covering other perspectives on the framing of the question.
So join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 12th January, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (i.e. up two flights of stairs). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail.
We look forward to seeing you there!
P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to other people if there is a waitlist.
P.P.S. Please adjust your email notification settings (particularly the 'Event updates from organizers' in the Big Ideas Book Club settings). This is useful for receiving any final details or late changes to the event.
--------------------------------------------------------
These are just some optional extra resources to consider. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section.
Audio-Visual
- Some presentations on meaning in life, including Michael Steger and Frank Martela:
TEDx What Makes Life Meaningful - Michael Steger
TEDx The meaning of life - Frank Martela
Meaning in Life: The Deep End of Flourishing Michael Steger
TED How to live a meaningful life – Brian Lowery
TED There's more to life than being happy - Emily Esfahani Smith
- James Bailey on his book:
James Bailey – The meaning of life (10 mins)
Written
- Two international surveys on meaning in life:
Pew Research Center — What Makes Life Meaningful?
Voluntas - Global Meaningfulness Index 2024
- Two more accessible explanations of Martela & Steger's framework:
LifeHack - What Is the Meaning of Life
What Is the Meaning of Life According to Positive Psychology
- For a broader and historical discussion of the meaning of life, including supernatural and other philosophical perspectives, have a look at these three encyclopaedia entries:
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Meaning of Life
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - The Meaning of Life
Wikipedia – Meaning of Life45 attendees
Beyond the Swipe: What Can Behavioural Science Teach Us About Modern Dating?
Keg & Brew Hotel, 26 Foveaux St, Surry Hills, NS, AUWith Valentine's Day on the horizon, our February meetup dives into the question that keeps many singles up at night: why is modern dating so difficult? Are people making the same predictable mistakes—swiping endlessly through apps, agonizing over whether there's really a "spark", and wondering if the perfect person is just one more profile away? True to form for the Big Ideas Book Club, we won't settle for platitudes and pop psychology! Instead, we will dig into the behavioural science behind romantic choices. Can understanding our cognitive biases and cultural narratives help us make better dating decisions and find lasting love, or is it all just a matter of numbers and luck?
So join us to discuss the surprising psychology behind dating decisions, debate whether you’re secretly a "Romanticizer", "Maximizer" or "Hesitater", and discover why the best relationships might be built rather than discovered. Everyone is welcome—whether you're single, dating, partnered, or just fascinated by human behaviour.
Book: How to Not Die Alone – The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love (2021) by Logan Ury
In our book this month, Logan Ury offers a practical, science-backed guide to modern dating that helps readers overcome self-sabotaging patterns and find lasting love through what the author calls ‘intentional love’. Drawing on her background as a Harvard-trained behavioural scientist and her role as Director of Relationship Science at Hinge, Ury argues that great relationships are built through deliberate choices rather than discovered by chance. She provides readers with tools to identify their dating blind spots, recognize what truly matters in a long-term partner beyond superficial qualities, and navigate the overwhelming landscape of modern dating—from dealing with too many online options to overcoming the tendency to endlessly search for someone "better."
The book offers actionable strategies for each stage of the relationship journey, from getting ready to date to deciding whether to commit, all while emphasizing that successful relationships require effort, self-awareness, and a willingness to work through challenges rather than giving up when things aren't perfect.
As always, we strongly encourage you to read the book before attending—it will enrich both your experience and our collective discussion. We've also included links below to interviews and podcasts with Logan that explore her research and ideas.
Join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm on Monday, 2nd February, on the 2nd floor of the Keg & Brew Hotel in Surrey Hills (two flights up). The venue is conveniently located near Central Station and the Light Rail.
We look forward to seeing you there!
P.S. Please adjust your RSVP if you have indicated that you will come but are no longer able to do so. This is courteous to other people if there is a waitlist.
P.P.S. Please adjust your email notification settings (particularly the 'Event updates from organizers' in the Big Ideas Book Club settings). This is useful for receiving any final details or late changes to the event.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
These are just optional links to consider. Feel free to pass on other useful links in the discussion section.
Audio-Visual
- Podcasts with Logan Ury:
How to Not Die Alone - Chris Williamson interview (1.1 hrs)
How to Make Dating Not Suck (40 mins)
Unlock the Secret to Building Strong Relationships (2 hrs)
How to Not Die Alone – Eli Finkel (1hr)
- Netflix: The Later Daters (2024) - Logan serves as the dating coach helping singles over 55 find love (8 episodes)
Written
- Summaries of the book:
Eric Sandroni Summary
Triple J Article
- YouGov Australia survey articles on dating:
Which dating app’s best for Aussies looking for a fling vs life partner?
Why are some singles in Australia hesitant about dating apps?
What Aussies want in a romantic partner
- Hinge and eHarmony Dating Research Reports:
Hinge Research and Advice
eHarmony Research and Advice
- Some evidence favouring meeting IRL over online:
Couples who meet online less happy in love
- The 2025 Dating Trends Wrapped:
Bumble’s 2025 Global dating Trends
Tinder’s Year in Swipe 2025
How love, sex and AI converged in a pivotal year.11 attendees
Past events
37
Group links
Organizers
Members
1,492
