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
Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@existentialistsociety8453
Facebook: Please feel free to comment on the lectures: - www.facebook.com/Existentialist-Society-866984573402226/
Upcoming events
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•OnlineThe Linguistic Origins of Terrestrial Legends and Celestial Myths.
OnlineAGNOSTICS GROUP - Melbourne, Australia.
Some of us are participating in their online event.
John Noack (Carl Jung Society) will present the topic and lead the discussion:
"THE LINGUISTIC ORIGINS OF TERRESTRIAL LEGENDS AND CELESTIAL MYTHS."
Three Mythological Realms and Rationales:
(from John Noack on SoFiA's Facebook Sofiatalk page).
[1] Ancient Mythology.
The comment has been made on one of our Zoom sessions that some participants tend to focus mainly on the Christian or Biblical aspects of Legends and Myths. If this comment includes me, my response would be that, during the 1970s, I was able to study Mesopotamian legends, myths, religions, languages and the Sumerian and Akkadian cuneiform script from an academic and critical perspective, during my Middle Eastern Studies course at Melbourne University. From 1975 onwards, as a member of the Carl Jung Society, I was able to observe how Carl Jung’s Depth-psychology explored a source and origin of myths to be within the archetypal human psyche. At the same time, I was aware that the Hebrew and Christian Bible mentioned in Genesis 11:31 that the Jewish ancestor Abraham originally came from “Ur of the Chaldeans”, which is in Lower Mesopotamia and that in Joshua 24:14-15, Abraham and his family had revered or worshipped the deities of this region between the Rivers Tigris and Euphrates.
[2] Three Realms.
In relation to analysing mythology, I have explored the interactions between the relevant “Three Realms” of the (1) Mental, (2) the Mythological and (3) the Material; and also the “Three Rationales” or explanatory principles of the {1} Positivistic, {2} Psychical and {3} Practical perspectives and methodologies. The interactions and flows between the “Three Realms” of the early humans have included (3) the existence and experiences of early humans in their material and natural World and Environment; (1) their mental responses to and their supernatural and theistic explanations of the features, events and beings in their World; and (2) their imagined mythical and legendary narratives.
Their myths were often based on the celestial constellations and their embellished oral and written legends were based on earlier events such as the verified Ice Ages, including the Younger Dryas in about 10,000 BCE and extensive flooding during glacial melting. However, there were also periods of productivity and of very good weather, which appear to have given rise to the Mesopotamian myth of Adam and Eve in their equally idyllic “Garden of Eden”, a legendary myth with a core of fact, which was later borrowed by the Hebrews for their Tanakh and then adopted by Christianity.
[3] Three Rationales.
The “Three Rationales” or methodologies for the analysis of myths include {1} the Positivistic, which is based on experience, on critical evaluation and on its scientific status and factual truthfulness; {2} the Psychical, which involves the human psyche’s literary, archetypally-based symbols; its projection outwards of its legendary and mythical narratives and its metaphorical theology and its anagogical spiritual sustenance; and {3} the Practical applications and appropriations of the cultural, ethical, aesthetical and other ethological customs, values and practices.
[4] Re-mythologization.
It appears to me that on their surface level, myths are not empirically or objectively true or factual and that they are in need of “de-mythologizing”. However, on a sub-surface, symbolical, metaphorical and allegorical level, myths can be “re-mythologized”, in order to express the human instincts, impulses, images and life-situations, which are experienced, expressed and projected outwards from the archetypal psyche. Like fictional parables, they can be explored for their deeper meanings, messages and applications. Although the more prominent concept of “myth”, which is in common use today, tends to stress a negative, fictitious and obsolete evaluation, perhaps it is now the right time to also affirm the positive and constructive uses and applications of the Realm of Mythology.Wikipedia on Myth and Mythology
~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: 812 2168 5611 - - Passcode: 500656Existentialist Society's Website - - YouTube - - Weekly Zoom Meetups
22 attendees
•OnlineMaccabees and Messiahs.
OnlineEXISTENTIALIST MEETUP - Melbourne, Australia.
History of Religion - Our monthly online series.
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?"MACCABEES AND MESSIAHS"
The Maccabean revolt in 167 BC, and its subsequent Hasmonean Dynasty, eventually wrested independence for Judea from the Seleucid Empire. The Maccabees had gained almost everything land-wise that the Judean Messiah was meant to achieve. Nevertheless, the Maccabees weren't treated as Messiahs, and they didn't claim to be.
However, this led to the Judean concept of the Messiah expanding from parochial to international.
The eventual revolts by the Judeans against their Hasmonean Kings, and the consequent civil-wars between the Sadducees and Pharisees, caused both sides to appeal for support from the nearby conqueror of the Armenian Empire, the Roman General Pompey.
The Judeans gained Empire-wide notoriety because, despite the Roman conquest of Jerusalem, the Romans had failed to quell the internecine killings amongst the Judeans.However, for the Empire's slaves and lower-orders there was only one god who had promised to destroy their hated Evil Empire: the Judean God. But getting into an alliance with that God entailed converting to Judaism; which they didn't want to do (because of circumcision, etc). Luckily, Saint Paul offered them Jesus the Christ as the Judean Messiah. They leapt at the chance in their thousands. Christianity became political dynamite!
David Miller will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Background information for those interested:
Wikipedia's entry on the Maccabean RevoltThe Zoom Link will appear for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 835 6105 6590 - - Passcode: 078652Existentialist Society's Website - - - Youtube - - - Facebook
17 attendees
•OnlineThe God Who Doesn't Exist.
OnlineSEA OF FAITH IN AUSTRALIA (SoFiA) - Melbourne.
Some of us are participating in SoFiA's online event.
Fergus McGinley will present the topic and lead the discussion.
"The God Who Doesn't Exist."
Abstract: The amazing story of two Gods: one who doesn’t exist whom we created ourselves, and one who does exist whom we didn’t create.
The first of these gods is the familiar God of human history, the God or gods we believed in just about forever, then very recently dumped. An unpredictable and judgemental God who seemed occasionally to do right by us, but more often went AWOL just when we needed them the most. We lived in constant fear of offending them and were terrified that if we didn’t play our cards right in this life, they’d consign us to hell in a handcart in the next.Good riddance to the God who doesn’t exist! The God who exists, however, is a very different god to the one who doesn’t. Their primary quality seems to be something vastly more urgent for the human race than providing daily bread, saving us from enemies and forgiving our sins; it is selfless love teaching. Yes, the acquisition of the capacity for intentional selfless cooperation is a fundamental evolutionary imperative, essential for our survival and flourishing generally, especially critical right now when we seem to be on the brink of self-destruction.
But will we survive the latest threats of global warming, nuclear holocaust, pandemic, rising authoritarianism, uncontrolled development of AI? Will the selfless love-teaching God who exists ride to our rescue just in the nick of time? If you dare, come and find out.
The ZOOM LINK will appear on this page for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 815 7620 2422 - - Passcode: 214965~ SoFiA promotes the open exploration of religion, spirituality and the search for meaning. They welcome ALL viewpoints, including Atheism.~
Facebook: 'Sofiatalk' - The discussion continues. Have your say!
20 attendees
•OnlineAncient Curses.
OnlineATHEIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
Some of us are participating in their online event.
Chris Guest (Victorian Skeptics) will present the topic and lead the discussion.
"ANCIENT CURSES."
Ancient Curses can be found at the intersection of fantasy lore, pseudo-history and conspiracy theories. But what can we learn by reading the ancient proscriptions on inscriptions, magical objects and tombs of Egypt and the Near East?
Wikipedia on the Curse of the Pharaohs
The ZOOM link will eventually appear for those who RSVP.
The Atheist Society welcomes ALL viewpoints, including criticism of Atheism.
Enquiries: atheist7agnostic@gmail.com
Facebook and Website for past and future Atheist Society topics, etc.
12 attendees
Past events
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