Philosophy and Psychology book club

This month we will be reading:
The Myth of Sisyphus — Albert Camus

- “The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart.”

About
In The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus confronts the absurd head on: the clash between our hunger for meaning and an indifferent universe. Instead of despair, he proposes lucid acceptance — living fully without illusion, hope, or metaphysical escape.

We will focus on:

• The absurd: what it is, and what it demands of us
• Camus’ rejection of religion, transcendence, and “false hope”
• Why Camus calls suicide a philosophical mistake
• What it means to “imagine Sisyphus happy” — and whether that’s convincing

Connections to previously read books

• The Stranger

In December we read The Stranger — a novel of emotional clarity, detachment, and acceptance without appeal. This time, we go beneath the surface and read the philosophical foundation behind it:
Meursault lives the absurd instinctively.
Sisyphus explains it consciously.

• Determined

Sapolsky dissolves free will through biology and causation.
Camus dissolves meaning through the absurd.

• “Why Buddhism Is True”

Buddhism diagnoses craving and illusion as the source of suffering.
Camus rejects illusion — but refuses transcendence.

• The Schopenhauer Cure

Schopenhauer says suffering is structural, not accidental.
Camus agrees — but refuses resignation.

This book will also serve as the philosophical foundation for our upcoming readings of The Plague and The Fall, where we will explore what happens after absurd clarity

This month we will be reading:
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom
by Jonathan Haidt (Open Session)

Format
This session is part of our Open Session format: discussion-focused and accessible to a range of reading backgrounds.

About
In The Happiness Hypothesis, Haidt explores whether ancient philosophical traditions — Stoicism, Buddhism, Aristotle — anticipated what modern psychology is now discovering about the human mind.
Rather than offering motivational advice, the book asks:
Are we largely driven by intuition rather than reason?
Can happiness be cultivated, or are we mostly constrained by temperament?
Do ancient moral traditions capture psychological truths about human nature?
Is “happiness” even the right goal?
Haidt proposes the well-known metaphor of the “rider and the elephant” — reason riding on top of intuition — and tests classical wisdom through empirical research.
For those who’ve attended our more existential discussions (Camus, Yalom, Freud), this session provides an interesting contrast:
Is modern psychology offering practical clarity — or simply a softer form of consolation?
No prior background in philosophy or psychology is required. Curiosity and willingness to engage critically are enough.

Connections to previously read books:
Camus — The Myth of Sisyphus
Camus rejects consolation and insists on lucid confrontation with meaninglessness.
Haidt, by contrast, asks whether structured practices can still improve well-being without illusion.
Yalom — Existential Psychotherapy
Where Yalom examines isolation and meaninglessness as existential givens, Haidt looks at how psychological mechanisms influence resilience, relationships, and perceived purpose.
Freud — The Future of an Illusion
Freud sees religion as psychological consolation.
Haidt examines whether ancient traditions contain psychological insight independent of metaphysical belief.
Sapolsky — Determined / Behave
If much of human behaviour is shaped by biology and context, what remains within our control?
Haidt explores whether ancient practices work within those limits.

This month we will be reading:
Existential Psychotherapy — Isolation (Irvin Yalom)
We are only reading part 3, chapters 8 and 9.

Format: Deep Session (operate via waitlist approval)
This session is part of our Deep format: small group (max 6 participants), slower reading, and sustained discussion of dense primary material.
It will require either prior attendance or a brief note indicating recent philosophical reading or interest in the session.

About
In the “Isolation” section of Existential Psychotherapy, Yalom explores one of the fundamental existential givens: the irreducible separateness of human existence.
Existential isolation is not loneliness in the everyday sense. It refers to the structural gap between self and world — and between self and others — that no relationship can completely erase.
Key themes include:

• The difference between interpersonal loneliness and existential isolation
• Love as bridge — and its limits
• Dependency, fusion, and avoidance
• The therapist’s encounter with irreducible separateness
• Whether connection can coexist with existential clarity

Connections to Previous Discussions

Camus — The Myth of Sisyphus
If the universe is silent and meaning is not given, what does that do to human intimacy?
Yalom translates cosmic absurdity into relational reality.

Freud — Civilization and Its Discontents
Freud examined tension between instinct and society.
Yalom examines tension between self and other.

Dostoevsky — Notes from Underground
The refusal of connection as a defense against vulnerability finds psychological articulation here.

Note
To maintain discussion quality and minimise no-shows, Deep Sessions operate via waitlist approval.
When requesting a spot, please include one of the following:
• You’ve attended previous sessions regularly
OR
• A brief note (1–2 sentences) including:
– A philosophical or psychological book you’ve read recently,
OR
– What particularly interests you about this Deep session.
Requests without a note may be declined to prioritise committed participants.