What we’re about
This group is for anyone interested in exploring literature, philosophy, and cinema through occasional film viewings and reading discussions that will be centered around classic and contemporary works of (primarily) Western Philosophy, Fiction, and Cinema. We will not only look at the traditional cast of existential characters (Sartre, de Beauvoir, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Dostoevsky, Camus, Kafka), but will also be very open to other work within the European philosophical tradition that is derivative of, influential to, or critical towards "existential" philosophy. Special consideration will also be given to works within the "phenomenological" tradition. Join us in this exciting intellectual endeavor! Get ready for fun, riveting, and thoughtful discussions about society, values, faith, spirituality, truth, experience, subjectivity, and existence (of course).
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExistentialismPhenomenologyLiterature/
Upcoming events (4)
See all- Martin Buber, I and ThouBoheme, Houston, TX
For August's meeting, we will begin our three-month exploration of Martin Buber by discussing part one of his I and Thou. Originally published in 1923, it is Buber’s best-known work and is considered his magnum opus, setting forth a critique of modern objectification in relationships with others.
We'll be sitting inside Boheme (in the side room next to the front entrance). Below is a link to a PDF of the reading, followed by a brief description of the work:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE READING
"Buber's main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways: (1) that of the "I" towards an "It", towards an object that is separate in itself, which we either use or experience; (2) that of the 'I' towards 'Thou', in which we move into existence in a relationship without bounds. One of the major themes of the book is that human life finds its meaningfulness in relationships. All of our relationships, Buber contends, bring us ultimately into relationship with God, who is the Eternal Thou.
Considered a landmark of twentieth-century intellectual history, this is Martin Buber's classic treatment of the religious and social dimensions of the human personality."
- Martin Buber, I and ThouBoheme, Houston, TX
For September, we will continue our three-month exploration of Martin Buber by discussing part two of his I and Thou. Originally published in 1923, it is Buber’s best-known work and is considered his magnum opus, setting forth a critique of modern objectification in relationships with others.
We'll be sitting inside of Boheme (in the side room next to the front entrance). Below is a link to a PDF of the reading, followed by a brief description of the work:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE READING
"Buber's main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways: (1) that of the "I" towards an "It", towards an object that is separate in itself, which we either use or experience; (2) that of the 'I' towards 'Thou', in which we move into existence in a relationship without bounds. One of the major themes of the book is that human life finds its meaningfulness in relationships. All of our relationships, Buber contends, bring us ultimately into relationship with God, who is the Eternal Thou.
Considered a landmark of twentieth-century intellectual history, this is Martin Buber's classic treatment of the religious and social dimensions of the human personality."
- Martin Buber, I and ThouBoheme, Houston, TX
For October's meeting, we will conclude our three-month exploration of Martin Buber by discussing part three of his I and Thou. Originally published in 1923, it is Buber’s best-known work and is considered his magnum opus, setting forth a critique of modern objectification in relationships with others.
We'll be sitting inside of Boheme (in the side room next to the front entrance). Below is a link to a PDF of the reading, followed by a brief description of the work:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE READING
"Buber's main proposition is that we may address existence in two ways: (1) that of the "I" towards an "It", towards an object that is separate in itself, which we either use or experience; (2) that of the 'I' towards 'Thou', in which we move into existence in a relationship without bounds. One of the major themes of the book is that human life finds its meaningfulness in relationships. All of our relationships, Buber contends, bring us ultimately into relationship with God, who is the Eternal Thou.
Considered a landmark of twentieth-century intellectual history, this is Martin Buber's classic treatment of the religious and social dimensions of the human personality."
- Hannah Arendt, On RevolutionBoheme, Houston, TX
For our final meeting of 2025, we will be discussing the Introduction ("War and Revolution") and Chapter One ("The Meaning of Revolution") from Hannah Arendt's 1963 book On Revolution. In it, she presents a comparison of two of the main 18th-century revolutions: the American Revolution and the French Revolution, where they failed, where they succeeded, and where they diverged from each other.
We're meeting at Boheme again and will be sitting inside (in the side room near the front entrance). Below is a link to a PDF of the reading followed by a brief description of the work:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR DOWNLOAD READING
"A unique and fascinating look at violent political change by one of the most profound thinkers of the twentieth century and the author of Eichmann in Jerusalem and The Origins of Totalitarianism
Hannah Arendt’s penetrating observations on the modern world, based on a profound knowledge of the past, have been fundamental to our understanding of our political landscape. On Revolution is her classic exploration of a phenomenon that has reshaped the globe. From the eighteenth-century rebellions in America and France to the explosive changes of the twentieth century, Arendt traces the changing face of revolution and its relationship to war while underscoring the crucial role such events will play in the future. Illuminating and prescient, this timeless work will fascinate anyone who seeks to decipher the forces that shape our tumultuous age."
