Existential Reading Circle

Existentialists

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 21:00:11 PST

Dear Other:

The Book Club is currently in Hiatus.
Please email suggestion for readings.

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AUTHOR: TBA
- - TITLE OF WORK: TBA
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TIME and DATE: TBA
LOCATION: TBA

Self

Discourse on Method

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:31:02 PDT

First Modern Philosopher

Dear Other:

The November 2010 reading will be the following:
(Click Blog title and picture for links.)

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AUTHOR:
Rene Descartes

TITLE OF WORK:
Discourse on Method and Related Writings

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TIME and DATE:
November 20, 2010 at 2PM, Saturday.

LOCATION:
Philosophy Book Club
Queens Library at Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375

TRANSPORTATION:
MTA (E, F, V, R) or LIRR to Forest Hills.
5 minutes walk to library.

! ! ! FREE AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ! ! !

Participants with the book given priority.

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COMMENT:
While reading this book,
please make note of an Existential idea
for comparative reasoning in group discussion.

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SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

- - REFERENCE 1:
Bruns, Gerald L. “A Literary Guide to Discourse on Method” Boundary 2 8.2 (1980), 141-164

- - REFERENCE 2: (Listen)
http://www.philosophytalk.org/pastShows/Descartes.htm

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ANNOUNCE PDF
Print and Post in your local community bulletin board.

Self

The Myth of Sisyphus

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 19:04:26 PDT

Dear Other:

The September 2010 reading will be the following:
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

AUTHOR:
Albert Camus

TITLE OF WORKS:
"The Myth of Sisyphus"

The following chapters:
- - An Absurd Reasoning
- - The Myth of Sisyphus

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TIME and DATE:
September 25, 2010 at 2PM, Saturday.

LOCATION:
Philosophy Book Club
Queens Library @ Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375

TRANSPORTATION:
MTA (E, F, V, R) or LIRR to Forest Hills.
5 minutes walk to library.

! ! ! FREE AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ! ! !

Participants with the book given priority.

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SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

- REFERENCE 1:
Barnett, R. Suicide and Atheism: Camus and The Myth of Sisyphus. Atheism and Evolution webpage. Retrieved 8/26/2010 from
http://web.archive.org/web/20071012140207/http://www.geocities.com/a_and_e_uk/Sisyphus.htm

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Self

The Stranger @ Forest Hills

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:54:45 PDT

Dear Other:

The August 2010 reading will be the following:
(click on title of blog to go to biography.)
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AUTHOR:
Albert Camus

TITLE OF WORKS:
"The Stranger"

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TIME and DATE:
August 21, 2010 at 2PM, Saturday.

LOCATION:
Philosophy Book Club
Queens Library @ Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375

TRANSPORTATION:
MTA (E, F, V, R) or LIRR to Forest Hills.
5 minutes walk to library.

! ! ! FREE AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ! ! !

Participants with the book given priority.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:

- REFERENCE 1:
Online @ Google Books

- REFERENCE 2:
Camus: The Stranger (A Student Guide: Landmarks of World Literature)
by Patrick McCarthy

- REFERENCE 3:
Critical Analysis

Self

Ethics of Ambiguity

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:35:20 PDT

Dear Other:

The July 2010 reading will be the following:

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AUTHOR:
Simone De Beauvoir

TITLE OF WORKS:
[The following is an excerpt]
- The Ethics of Ambiguity
- - Section III: The Positive Aspects of Ambiguity,
- - - Part 5. Ambiguity.

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The reading will come from the book:
"Basic Writings of Existentialism"
[ISBN-13: 978-0375759895]
- by Gordon Marino
- - Pages 413-436
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TIME and DATE:
July 24, 2010 at 2PM, Saturday.

LOCATION:
Philosophy Book Club
Queens Library @ Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375

TRANSPORTATION:
MTA (E, F, V, R) or LIRR to Forest Hills.
5 minutes walk to library.

! ! ! FREE AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ! ! !
Participants with the book given priority.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
- REFERENCE 1:
http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/existentialism/debeauvoir/ambiguity.html
Self

Existentialism/Being & Nothingness

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:12:20 PDT

Dear Other:

The June 2010 reading will be the following:
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

AUTHOR:
Jean-Paul Sartre

TITLE OF WORKS:
[The following are excerpts]

1) Existentialism and Human Emotions
- -Existentialism.

2) Being and Nothingness:
- -Self-Negation
* - *- 1. Bad Faith
* - *- 2. The Unconscious
* - *- 3. Play-Acting.
- -The Encounter with the Other
* - *- 1. The Look
* - *- 2. Shame.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The reading will come from the book:
"Basic Writings of Existentialism"
[ISBN-13: 978-0375759895]
- by Gordon Marino
--Pages 337-409
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TIME and DATE:
June 26, 2010 at 2PM, Saturday.

LOCATION:
Philosophy Book Club
Queens Library @ Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375

TRANSPORTATION:
MTA (E, F, V, R) or LIRR to Forest Hills.
5 minutes walk to library.

! ! ! FREE AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ! ! !

Participants with the book given priority.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
REFERENCE 1:
"For Sartre there is no unalterable structure of essences or values given prior to man's own existence. That existence has meaning, finally, only as the liberty to say No, and by saying No to create a world. If we remove God from the picture, the liberty which reveals itself in the Cartesian doubt is total and absolute; but thereby also the more anguished, and this anguish is the irreducible destiny and dignity of man. Here Cartesianism has become more heroic and more deamoniacal."
Quote Source: Barrett, B. (1958). IRRATIONAL MAN. New York, NY: Doubleday.

REFERENCE 2:
Sartre, J.P. (1946). Existentialism Is a Humanism. (P. Mairet, Trans).
Existentialism from Dostoyevsky to Sartre, ed. Walter Kaufman,
Meridian Publishing Company, 1989
(First published by World Publishing Company, 1956).
Retrieved June 6, 2010, from
http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/sartre/works/exist/sartre.htm
Self

Dasein's Possibility of Being-A-Whole, and Being-Towards-Death

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Mon, 03 May 2010 08:41:41 PDT

Dear Other:

The May 2010 reading will be the following:
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

AUTHOR:
Martin Heidegger
TITLE OF WORK:
(Excerpt from)
Being And Time:
-Division Two: Dasein and Temporality
- -I. Dasein's Possibility of Being-A-Whole,
and Being-Towards-Death
- - -46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The reading will come from the book:
"Basic Writings of Existentialism"
[ISBN-13: 978-0375759895]
- by Gordon Marino
- -The Possible Being-A-Whole of
Da-Sein and Being-Toward-Death
- - -Pages 299-336
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TIME and DATE:
May 22, 2010 at 2PM, Saturday.

LOCATION:
Queens Library @ Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375
[Meeting held in the Story Room on 2nd Floor.]

TRANSPORTATION:
MTA (E, F, V, R) or LIRR to Forest Hills.
5 minutes walk to library.

! ! ! FREE AND OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ! ! !

Participants with the book given priority.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
REFERENCE 1:
Inwood, M. (2000). Heidegger: A Very Short Introduction. United States: Oxford University Press Inc., New York.

REFERENCE 2: [Course Listening]
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/course_details.php?seriesid=1906978475

Self

Saint Manuel Bueno, Martyr

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 09:17:33 PDT

Dear Other:

The April 2010 reading will be the following:
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

AUTHOR:
Miguel De Unamuno Y Jugo

TITLE OF WORK:
Saint Manuel Bueno, Martyr
(a novella - "nivola")
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The reading will come from the book:
"Basic Writings of Existentialism"
[ISBN-13: 978-0375759895]
- by Gordon Marino
--Pages 255-294
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

TIME and DATE:
April 10, 2010 at 2PM, Saturday.

LOCATION:
Philosophy Book Club
Queens Library @ Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375
[Meeting held in the Story Room on 2nd Floor]

Participants who bring the book will be given priority in the discussion.
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SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
REFERENCE 1:
Longhurst C. The Problem of Truth in 'San Manuel Bueno, Martir'. Modern Language Review [serial online]. July 1981;76(3):581-597. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed March 21, 2010.
- - - - - - - - - -
REFERENCE 2:
Muray, L. A. (n.d.). Ultimate Reality and Meaning and Lived Experience in Unamuno. Curry College. Retrieved March 14, 2010, from http://www.ctr4process.org/publications/Biblio/Papers/Leslie%20Muray,%20Ultimate%20Reality%20and%20Meaning%20and%20Lived%20Experience.html
- - - - - - - - - -
REFERENCE 3:
Trigo-Gilbert, M. L. (10/27/1998) Discovering Miguel de Unamuno. Go Inside Magazine - Boles Books Publication. Retrieved from http://goinside.com/98/10/martyr.html
- - - - - - - - - -
REFERENCE 4:
Mora, J. F. (2002). The Language Of Religious Experience. (P. Cohn, Trans) International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 1 (Orignial work published Spring 1970): 22-33. Retrieved from The Essayist March 14, 2010, from http://www.ferratermora.org/essa_philo-religion.html

Self

Notes From the Underground & The Brothers Karamazov

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:24:05 PST

Dear Other:

The March 2010 reading will be the following:
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
AUTHOR:
Fyodor Dostoevsky

TITLE OF WORKS:
(The following are excerpts)

a) Notes From the Underground:
-Part 1: Underground
--- Page 193
b) The Brothers Karamazov:
-The Grand Inquisitor
--- Page 231
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The reading will come from the book:
"Basic Writings of Existentialism"
[ISBN-13: 978-0375759895]
- by Gordon Marino
--Pages 190-254
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

TIME & DATE:
March 13, 2010 at 2PM.

LOCATION:
Queens Library @ Forest Hills
108-19 71 Avenue
Forest Hills, NY 11375.

Participants who bring the book will be given priority in the discussion.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL:
Lukacs, Georg. (1973). Marxism and Human Liberation: Essays on History, Culture and Revolution. (R. Wellek, Trans.). Dell Publishing Company. (Original work published 1949). Retrieved March 01, 2010, from http://www.marxists.org/archive/lukacs/works/1949/dostoyevsky.htm

Self

On the Genealogy of Morals

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:05:04 PST

Dear Other:

The February reading will be the following.
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TITLE OF WORK: On the Genealogy of Morals

AUTHOR: Friedrich Nietzsche

DETAIL:

a) First Essay: “Good and Evil,” “Good and Bad”

- Page 111

b) Second Essay: “Guilt,” “Bad Conscience,” and the Like

- Page 145
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The reading will come from the text

"Basic Writings of Existentialism"

by Gordon Marino

[ISBN: 978-0-375-75989-5]

Pages 107-187.
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TIME & DATE:

February 20, 2010 at 2PM

in the Queens Library at Forest Hills.

Participants who bring the book will be given priority in the discussion.-

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ANALYSIS LINK BELOW:

Geddes, Dan. (n.d.). Toward an Evaluation of Nietzsche’s Genealogy. The Satirist. Retrieved February 9, 2010, from

http://www.thesatirist.com/books/GenealogyofMorals.html

SELF

A New Yorker on Uncertainty

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 10:16:26 PST

Dear Other:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeCHiUe1et0&NR=1

A Genius and Doubt!

Self

Sickness unto Death

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:19:08 PST

Dear Other:

The next reading will be "The Sickness unto Death" written by Kierkegaard. The reading will come from the text "Basic Writings of Existentialism" [ISBN: 978-0-375-75989-5] pages 42-105.

The time and date are January 30, 2010 at 2PM in the Queens Library at Forest Hills.

I was able to schedule for December but no promotional literature was going to be available from the library. In other words, I was unable to contact those participants who wanted to continue.

Further questions, please email me at:

exist314159@gmail.com

Self

Fear and Trembling

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:54:46 PDT

Dear Other:

A meeting will be held at the Forest Hills Library on November 21, 2009 to discuss Kierkegaard's "Fear and Trembling." The meeting is free and open to the public. Please review the links on the side of this webpage. I am using written selections from the book, "Basic Writings of Existentialism" by Gordon Marino [ISBN: 978-0-375-75989-5]

SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCE:
- Knight_of_faith

Self

IN MEMORIAL

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:24:19 PDT

JAMES LANGERGAARD
("The crowd is untruthful.")

Dear Other:

I met James in January of 2009 at the NY Existential Book club which was discussing the "The Irrational Man." James was the founder of the group. We were scheduled to meet again at the Existential Reading Circle's August 2009 meeting. Unfortunately, this was not to occur due to tragedy. James was killed in a bicycle accident on the boulevard a few days before the meeting.

I wanted to say something about James here, as I felt it was a tribute to his efforts in running an Existential book club. James was a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science, an advocate for bicyclists and sometimes street philosopher. Oh, and he was fond of cats.

May he rest in peace.

Self

(See link below for more. )
http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/08/17/in-memoriam-james-langergaard/

Ascent into Rationalism - The Stranger

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:23:51 PST

Dear Other:

On Tuesday night, July 28th 2009, the Existential Reading Circle discussed “The Stranger,” by Albert Camus. The conversation became animated at the end of Part 1.

At the end of Part 1, Meursault returns to the beach where the Arab, who is an agent of Meursault’s dead mother, confronts Meursault with a knife. The knife represents a phallic symbol. The Sun, which represents a violent process, causes Meursault to lose control. In losing control, Meursault squeezes once on the trigger of his gun. The gun being a counter phallic symbol to the knife. This one shot results in the death of the Arab, ending the threat of the mother bringing Meursault closer to death.

The main issue is Meursault pauses, after this first shot, and then shoots the Arab four more times. The number 4 became significant and contrasted with the number 3. The number 3 represents a cycle. The number 4, on the other hand, represents linearity. Reading from my outline, I suggested the 4 shots represented the linearity entry of Meursault into the world of rationalism, where power and authority dominate in the form of the court in Part 2.

This was further enhanced by Meursault’s words after the shooting, “I understood that I had destroyed the harmony of the day.”

What do you think?

Self

(Post will appear at online group, please see “Online Discussion Group – Join” link.)

The Stranger by Camus

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 08:46:16 PDT

An Unfamous Quote

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:36:11 PST

Dear Other:

Q: Where shall Self turn to? --------------------> Ans: To Hope.

In a world of evermore modern secularization and computerized automatons employment is shifting to the machine. Talk to a taxi toward your destination is under development, jobs being filled by e-ployments.

Machines have become common peripherals to existence. Thus the role of the local neighborhood has diminished as our community goes online or to a favorite channel. Real time interpersonal communications are on the intermediary of a transistor?

"Believe in yourself. Nobody else will."

ARTICLE:
Markoff, John. (July 25, 2009). Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man. New York Times. Retrieved July 19, 2009 from
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/science/26robot.html?_r=1&hp

Self

Pizza Construction

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 09:25:40 PDT

Dear Other:

Q: What is Existentialism? - - - - - - - - - -> Ans: A pepperoni pizza!

The pepperoni is where one can stand on a hard surface, confident and sure of oneself. Here one can reason logically to find meaning in life. Plato and Descartes stand tall there. Once, I got up on the pepperoni studying at the University. Trying very hard to stay atop on my hands and knees, the turbulence soon became too much. I fell back into the pie.

Fell into the cheese. Once in the cheese, I found flaws in logic, irrationalism and a struggle in the thick ooze of life. Stuck I almost drowned, almost. Now, I manage to stay afloat. How? One grabs a handful of cheese and forms this into a shape one finds meaning in. I hold onto this shape, stay afloat and survive.

This task is difficult as I bob up and down, bumping my head against the pepperoni. Another swims by and points out the absurdity of my creation. I must agree but stay alive.

Let us not forget the final ingredient, the crust. This is the most important because the crust is love. Love surrounds the whole and gives structure and support to our cheese and pepperoni. The crust is a place where we find each other.

I will wait for you there.

Self

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:06:26 PDT

txamg6ryf9

The Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:21:15 PST

Dear Other:

Monday night walking through the park on Madison and 25th street, a man sitting on a bench was yelling, loudly and psychotically about unfulfilled wants or needs. I did not ask. I continued on.

In these difficult economic times many people are in, one might ask, was he homeless, mentally ill, a man in difficult financial situations?

Looking upon myself as blogger there appeared similarities. Ready to cry to the abyss of cyperspace, receiving no ping or knowing who cares not, others are busy to their destination.

The role of organizer of the Existential Reading Circle came unexpectedly. A blooger? Who me? This man on the bench and me, in a situation not planned or imagined. A destination arrived by choices, a responsibility too.

I am the blogger on a bench, screaming in anguish!

Self.

Day One

noreply@blogger.com (The Organizer:) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:20:43 PST

Dear Other:

I want to introduce myself. I am the organizer of the Existentiali Reading Circle. Please follow this link for more information: http://www.meetup.com/existentialreading/.

I am only a reader. I am not an existentialist or a philosopher. I am somebody like you. This means I have been moved by recent events in our world.

This blog will be about those events and what I learn from reading existentialist material. I hope together we can share our experiences here in this place, a place we call home.

Self