Peter Bolland

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.

If empathy is the ability to understand and feel the feelings of another, how is it different from sympathy? Is empathy innate or is it learned? Was our capacity for empathy selected by Darwinian evolution as a desirable trait that enhances our survival? Or was empathy built into human nature by a benevolent Creator? Why do some people seem to have so little of it, while others effuse empathy through their every pore? What role does the consciousness of empathy play in the establishment of moral norms, and even our political stances? And what’s up with Narcissists and psychopaths? Join us for this fascinating and timely investigation into the nature of empathy.

Any discussion of Existentialism begins with Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Weary to his bones of the pointless and ineffectual ramblings of Western philosophy, Kierkegaard turns his incisive gaze on the subjective, personal realm. The meaning of life cannot be explained by grand and allegedly objective metaphysical systems—it is only to be found in the subjective details of our own personal choices and actions. Watch how Kierkegaard explodes the malaise and superficiality of 19th century European culture and sets into motion the intellectual revolution of Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, and all who follow him.