Existentialism for the 21st Century

Existentialism, one of the most engaging and important philosophical

movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, has special

relevance for the twenty-first century. Its central concerns include dealing

with anxiety, preserving humanity in the face of powerful technologies, and

figuring out how to be free in a messy world. Join the award-winning

philosopher and author Scott Samuelson for any or all of four

sessions—each a lecture with a discussion period afterward—on key

existentialist philosophers and how they can guide us to live more

authentically.

Session 1: Søren Kierkegaard on Anxiety and Being Human

The brilliant and influential Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once

observed, “Whoever has learned to be anxious in the right way has learned

the ultimate.” This session will explore why he believes that we need to

think of anxiety as more than a disorder and how we can live with anxiety in

a way that brings out our true humanity.

Session 2: Martin Heidegger on Idle Chatter and Authenticity

One of the most important and controversial figures of modern philosophy,

the German thinker Martin Heidegger gives an analysis of what he calls

“idle chatter” that foresees the kind of discourse we associate with social

media, ChatGPT, and corporate jargon. This session will examine his

diagnosis of the problem of superficial language and how we can live and

speak more deeply.

Session 3: Simone de Beauvoir on Freedom and the Struggle for Justice

One of the greatest feminists of all time, the French philosopher and

novelist Simone de Beauvoir holds that freedom can’t be separated from

justice. This session will explore her ideas about how to liberate ourselves

and why we can’t be truly free until those around us are free too.

Session 2: Gabriel Marcel on Technology and the Mystery of Being Present

One of the most significant religious existentialists, the French philosopher

Gabriel Marcel argues that humanity is now at the mercy of its technology:

we serve what is supposed to serve us. This session will examine why he

believes that we fall into the trap of technology and how we should open

ourselves to a great mystery: the mystery of being present to ourselves, the

people around us, our creativity, and existence itself.

Host or Publisher The Des Moines Lyceum