What we’re about
CURRENT READING LIST: Google Spreadsheet
Welcome! As the name suggests, this group aims to explore the history of ideas through some of the most influential texts in science, philosophy and literature. Each month we will choose a text or topic to read/research and discuss. The group is open to everyone and is intended as an informal way of engaging with some of the key ideas that have shaped our societies and cultures down through the centuries. No prior understanding of any of the texts or ideas is required and newcomers are always welcome!
It is not a requirement to have read the assigned text to join in the discussion. For those with less time, I will post links to abridged versions, as well as short videos and podcasts providing a general overview of the topic.
Members are welcome to suggest texts/topics and share links to resources such as study guides, podcasts, documentaries, etc.
Upcoming events
1
The Conference of the Birds by Farid ud-Din Attar discussion
Costigan's Pub, 11 Washington Street West, Cork, CO, IEComposed in the twelfth century in north-eastern Iran, Attar's great mystical poem is among the most significant of all works of Persian literature. A marvellous, allegorical rendering of the Islamic doctrine of Sufism - an esoteric system concerned with the search for truth through God - it describes the consequences of the conference of the birds of the world when they meet to begin the search for their ideal king, the Simorgh bird. On hearing that to find him they must undertake an arduous journey, the birds soon express their reservations to their leader, the hoopoe. With eloquence and insight, however, the hoopoe calms their fears, using a series of riddling parables to provide guidance in the search for spiritual truth. By turns witty and profound, The Conference of the Birds transforms deep belief into magnificent poetry.
Text…
Podcasts…
- The Logic of the Birds: Attar https://logicofthebirds.com/podcast/episode-6-attar/
- Myth Matters: Flying Together: The Conference of the Birds by Farid ud Din Attar https://mythicmojo.com/flying-together-conference-of-the-birds/
Video…
- Let’s Talk Religion: Attar's "Conference of the Birds" - The Greatest Sufi Masterpiece? https://youtu.be/LkWlDDVB8b8?si=d2YG2s97Vyha1sVG
- The Met: The Long Journey Home - Attar’s “The Conference of the Birds” https://youtu.be/dE5iWeCVpGI?si=2P_W-5dhrZJ21dJS
- Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music Of The Islam https://youtu.be/aLICOQypyJE?si=2XaZiOY35a-akJTX
Other Resources…
- The Met: On Birds and Beauty by Alexandra Gimbel https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/concourse-of-the-birds
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