Reading Ulysses: A Philosophical Discussion Group

This is the first meeting of a group reading Joyce's Ulysses from a philosophical perspective; i.e., concentrating on the philosophical themes, whether latent or explicit, identifying the philosophical references and allusions, and discussing the significance and value of the philosophical content. This will be a live reading of the novel, and so, although everyone is encouraged to read the opening chapter or even the first two or three chapters, it is not necessary to be at all familiar with Joyce's work. Having had some experience of the best known philosophy in the Western tradition would be good, because we won't be reading texts other than Ulysses. In short, having a few philosophically minded Joyceans in the group would be great, but anyone with an interest is welcome. We'll discuss our approach to the novel in detail at the beginning of the meeting.

The edition we'll be using is available free online here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4300/4300-h/4300-h.htm

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About the text:

James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922) is a groundbreaking modernist novel that follows a single day — June 16, 1904 — in the lives of three Dubliners: Leopold Bloom, Stephen Dedalus, and Molly Bloom. Loosely structured on Homer’s Odyssey, the book transforms the hero’s epic journey into the wanderings of an ordinary man through the modern city. Through its shifting styles, interior monologues, and linguistic experimentation, Ulysses explores identity, consciousness, and the texture of everyday life. At once comic, profound, and daringly innovative, it stands as one of the most influential works in twentieth-century literature. (Penguin)