Existentialist Society

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Peter Wessel Zapffe: The Norwegian Existentialist."
Online: Saturday 7th September 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. AEST. GMT/UTC+10.
Tim Oseckas will present the topic and lead the discussion:

Peter Wessel Zapffe [pronounced ZAP-fe] was a Norwegian philosopher, author and mountaineer. He was well known for his somewhat pessimistic view of human existence and his philosophy is widely considered to be pessimistic, much like the earlier work of Arthur Schopenhauer, by whom he was inspired.
His thoughts regarding the error of human existence are presented in the essay, The Last Messiah (original: Den sidste Messias, 1933). This essay is a shorter version of his best-known work, the philosophical treatise, 'On the Tragic' (original: Om det tragiske 1941). He called his brand of thought, Biosophy, which he defined as "thinking on life".

All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82582341878?pwd=bUxzQ1Y1YjZHWkVCNkFydnR2VldkZz09
Meeting ID: 825 8234 1878 - - Passcode: 082118

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"The Saviour Syndrome: Searching for Hope and Meaning in an Age of Unbelief."
Online: Saturday 3rd August 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. AEST. GMT/UTC+10.
Professor John Carroll will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Abstract:
"Christ the Saviour is no more. Gone is the Redeemer, who, for two thousand years, forgave sin, made ordinary lives meaningful, and brought joy. In the modern West, the life of the most significant figure in the history of the culture has largely been forgotten. Jesus is assumed to be obsolete. Further, most find any mention of God, in prayer or creed, bafflingly antiquated.

What remains? Do we now inhabit a metaphysical wasteland? Do we wander aimlessly along a vague dirt track signposted by the black stump of dead faith, winding through a desert strewn with the bones of lost beliefs? On the contrary, I shall argue, human experience is, of its nature, saviour seeking—at least, it is in the Western tradition.
What might be termed a saviour syndrome impels humans to find someone, or some equivalent, to show the way, and counter the quintessentially modern ordeal of unbelief."

All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84845571717?pwd=MklxSCtQakdXVW5sNEdUY3lhNVM4QT09
Meeting ID: 848 4557 1717 - - Passcode: 323540

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EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Trust and Tribalism: Knowledge versus Power."
Online: Saturday 6th July 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. AEST. GMT/UTC+10.
Remco Van Santen will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Abstract:
"This presentation explores the complex relationship between trust, power, and societal cohesion. It critically examines how trust underpins social harmony and individual relationships, yet faces challenges from conflicting narratives and actions by powerful entities.
The discussion aims to delve into the multifaceted aspects of trust in society, particularly in the context of declining faith in institutions and the spread of misinformation. It questions the implications of plummeting trust levels, exploring whether these reflect a shift in values and worldviews, and how historical precedents can shed light on the current crisis of confidence in institutions.
Key topics include an examination of the complex dynamics leading to the deterioration of institutional trust, such as media fragmentation and failures in leadership integrity. The presentation also contemplates the evolving notions of truth and trust in changing social consciousness, juxtaposing individual cynicism with the collective yearning for inspiration.
Furthermore, it addresses the link between trust, prosperity, and well-being, questioning the metrics used to measure trust and exploring expert opinions on the subject. It delves into the reasons behind Nietzsche's reservations about trust and the significance of "post-truth" being named the word of the year by the Oxford Dictionary in 2016. The discussion also includes a critique of the suppression of information, drawing parallels between the imprisonment of Julian Assange and the ex*****on of William Tyndale for translating the Bible.
Ultimately, the presentation seeks to demonstrate that trust is a complex term, deeply influenced by various factors and significantly impacting society's overall well-being."

All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

Existentialist Society | Meetup **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

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Poetry and Philosophy: Heidegger and Celan ."
Online: Saturday 1st June 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. AEST. GMT/UTC+10.
Dr. Desmonda Lawrence will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Abstract:
Todtnauberg: A meeting between Paul Celan and Martin Heidegger:
The tension between how poetry as art relates to our existence as citizens of a society is stretched to breaking point in Theodore Adorno’s famous pronouncement that there can be no poetry after Auschwitz. Paul Celan implicitly replies that after ‘that which happened’ to mankind and to language, poetry meant, more than ever, a reaching out; a handshake; a message in a bottle. He writes: “I went with my very being towards language” .Martin Heidegger wrote some of his most influential work ‘almost within earshot of the death camps’ and his relations with Na**sm, as well as his refusal to ever address the issue later in his life, has tainted his reputation and the reception of, if not the content of, his work. Paul Celan visited Heidegger in 1967, in Todtnauberg, in the Black Forest.
In this talk I will briefly discuss Celan’s life and work, address his interest in Heidegger’s philosophy and open up a close reading of the poem entitled Todtnauberg that ‘records’ his meeting with Heidegger.
Following the talk, I would like to invite participants into a discussion of the poem, and of any issues of interest in relation to Celan’s and Heidegger’s work more broadly.
(View the poem in the Comments section, below):

All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"The Problem of the Outside: Geophilosophy and the Unthinkable in Deleuze and Guattari."
Online: Saturday 4th May 2024 at 2pm to 4pm. GMT/UTC+10.
Dr. Timothy Deane-Freeman (Deakin University) will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Existenzphilosophie: The Philosophy of Existence."
Online: Saturday 6th April 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. GMT/UTC+11.
Brian Nelson will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Dostoevsky's fictional universe as artistic cognate to Hegel."
Online: Saturday 2nd March 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. GMT/UTC+11.
Dr. Millicent Vladiv-Glover will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Bio: https://www.aseees.pitt.edu/about/slobodanka-millicent-vladiv-glover
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Social Renovation as a Social Change Strategy."
Online: Saturday 3rd February 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. GMT/UTC+11.
Richard Volpato will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Summary:
Social Renovation is a social change strategy that mobilises three distinct facets (and indeed, traditions) of wonder: the Wonderous, Wondering and Wonderment. These respectively stem from Hebraic, Hellenic and (somewhat surprising) Roman Stoic traditions:
● The Wondrous relates to epiphanies of excellence in: individual, social and societal settings. Social Renovation aims to amplify and protect the ‘productive ethos’ and the daring that the Wondrous can provoke.
● The Wondering, by contrast, relates to pathways of discovery within the dynamics of feelings (passions), believing and striving. These discoveries can appear subjective and relativistic. Social Renovation tests and champions the realism of such discoveries.
● Finally, the Wonderment is a state of openness to worlds (and indeed infinities that lurk therein). As such, Wonderment gives various forms to ‘love’ - that can operate at the intersections of wondrous epiphanies and realistic discoveries. Socially, the resulting changes typically come ‘from below’ and move ‘sideways’. This process, I call, ‘suffrage’.
A summary contrast:
If Social Renovation aims to deliver, through wonder, ‘productive ethos’, realism, and suffrage, then Social Reformism (today’s secular arrangement) works, by contrast, through: consumerism, relativism and sovereignty.
Key Sources:
The sources of this kind of thinking come primarily by re-engaging (over many years) the realisms of both John Anderson (Scottish philosopher, based at Sydney Uni, 1927-1958) and Samuel Alexander (a Melbournian who became professor of philosophy at Manchester Uni. (1893-1924). The elaboration of forms of love are informed also by Jean-Luc Marion (The Erotic Phenomenon) and CS Lewis (The Four Loves). The enactment and revision of Social Renovation as a praxis has emerged over decades in educational, corporate, governmental and community settings. Out of the fray of such encounters I am now seeking to elaborate this as a more formal discourse, accessible praxis and adventure for others.
BIO: https://independent.academia.edu/Richard_Volpato
Richard Volpato, born Vicenza, Italy; Instructed in high schools: Rome, Italy & Canberra. Oz; Educated at ANU (sociology & anthropology: Hons & Uni. Medal) & Cambridge (Trinity Hall), UK. Worked in, for or with: federal & state government agencies, Universities (notably Tas. Uni).

All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
ZOOM Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85968373915?pwd=K3BJSEZFSGhVMzJyYmczb3dXbTBtZz09
Meeting ID: 859 6837 3915 - - Passcode: 934031

Richard Volpato - Academia.edu Academia.edu is a place to share and follow research.

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"A Strange Goodness? God and Natural Evil."
Online: Saturday 6th January 2024 at 2pm to 6pm. GMT/UTC+11.
Dr. Stephen Ames will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Bio: https://lonergan.org.au/stephen-ames/
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Existentialism and the Philosophy of Peace."
Online: Saturday 2nd December 2023 at 2pm to 6pm. GMT/UTC+11.
Dr. James Page will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Existentialism as Philosophy, Literature and Psychology."
Online: Saturday 4th November 2023 at 2pm to 4pm. GMT(UTC)+11.
Assoc. Professor Steven Taubeneck will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"The Existential Value of Complexity."
Online: Saturday 7th October 2023 at 2pm to 4pm. GMT(UTC)+11.
Dr. Pierre Van Osselaer will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"The Philosophy of Karl Jaspers."
Online: Saturday 2nd September 2023 at 2pm to 4pm. GMT+10.
Brian Nelson will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Online weekly Meetups: https://www.meetup.com/existentialist-society/
Zoom Link:

Existentialist Society | Meetup **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

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Your Self, Your Consciousness, Your Death:
- Crucial Distinctions and Connections."
Online: Saturday 5th August 2023 at 2pm to 4pm.
Dr. Colin Goodwin will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83196829178?pwd=ekNNb2FoaGtBY2xkK3o5TndoOTUxQT09
Meeting ID: 831 9682 9178 - - Passcode: 733891

www.existentialistmelbourne.org

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"The Time-Travel Fantasy."
Online: Saturday 1st July 2023 at 2pm to 4pm.
Dr. David Rathbone will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Zoom Link:

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Martin Buber's Philosophy of Dialogue: An Alternative Non-Duality."
Online: Saturday 3rd June 2023 at 2pm to 4pm.
Prof. Jonathan Weidenbaum (Berkeley College, New York).
will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82825213789?pwd=N29ZV0hmVXA2L1BtSGFseGt0Ky9kZz09
Meeting ID: 828 2521 3789 - - Passcode: 800330

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Politics and Spinoza's Image of Personal Change."
Online: Saturday 1st April 2023 at 2pm to 4pm.
A/Professor Janice Richardson (Monash University)
will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84831556523?pwd=YmNQRW9aOEF1elFxNFA5NUVDdGFSQT09
Meeting ID: 848 3155 6523 - - Passcode: 647418

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"The Road to Martyrdom: Kierkegaard vs Schopenhauer."
Online: Saturday 4th March 2023 at 2pm to 4pm.
A/Professor Patrick Stokes (Philosophy, Deakin University)
will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83780914130?pwd=eG14b1lpOFZWQWZYdmJZVjYycmlLUT09
Meeting ID: 837 8091 4130 - - Passcode: 748439
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/

www.existentialistmelbourne.org

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Albert Camus on Poverty."
Online: Saturday 4th February 2023 at 2pm to 4pm.
Dr. Valery Vinogradovs will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83930637967...
Meeting ID: 839 3063 7967 - - Passcode: 813228
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/

www.existentialistmelbourne.org

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Adventures in Existentialism."
Saturday 7th January 2023 at 2pm to 4pm. Online.
Professor Douglas Kellner (UCLA) will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87851662316?pwd=SUkxa3hwYi9PV0FQYzNHTGlRMU5qUT09
Meeting ID: 878 5166 2316 - - Passcode: 657532
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/

www.existentialistmelbourne.org

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"Simone de Beauvoir and 'The Ethics of Ambiguity'."
Saturday 3rd December 2022 at 2pm to 4pm. Online.
Akiva Quinn will present the topic and lead the discussion.
(Our scheduled December speaker needed to postpone).
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83017515525?pwd=M2xHOTBTSGREZFhFM0pFS1RaR2o1QT09
Meeting ID: 830 1751 5525 - - Passcode: 414022
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/

www.existentialistmelbourne.org

EXISTENTIALIST SOCIETY - Melbourne, Australia.
"The Relevance of Existentialism."
Saturday 5th November 2022 at 2pm to 4pm. Online.
A/Professor Steven Taubeneck will present the topic and lead the discussion.
All viewpoints welcome. Enquiries: [email protected]
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86880770402?pwd=dGtoMlU0dEp6d2JUbmZ3VU5udkV5QT09
Meeting ID: 868 8077 0402 - - Passcode: 500309
Existentialist Society: http://www.existentialistmelbourne.org/