Peter Bolland

One of the most compelling figures in all of philosophy, Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) ushers in the modern world by shattering the paradigms of the old. A brilliant scholar and misanthropic outsider, Nietzsche left behind a sprawling, literate body of work that ignited and set aflame the twentieth century. In his merciless critiques of both traditional philosophy and contemporary morality Nietzsche’s infamous utterance “God is dead” and his notoriously misused notion of the Ubermensch (superior human) changed philosophy forever.

Algerian-born philosopher Albert Camus (1913-1960) firmly rejected the label “existentialist” his whole life. Nevertheless, his work stands as its most heartfelt expression. Through the rubble of the Russian revolution, WWII, the Holocaust, and the nuclear bomb, Camus helps us chart a course toward a life of meaning and value. Life, Camus argues, is fundamentally absurd, and we will not find any meaning or purpose in it, other than that which we impose upon it ourselves. Join us for a study of Camus’s bracing but ultimately inspiring work.