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The Camden Philosophical Society meets on the third Tuesday of each month for reading and discussion. Read below to learn about the topic for the meeting on July 18. If you wish to participate via Zoom, please email sarahmiller@usa.net. You will receive a Zoom invitation on the morning of the meeting, Click on the “Join Zoom Meeting” link in that invitation at the time of the event.
“Even in the darkest of times we have the right to expect some illumination, and … such illumination may well come less from theories and concepts than from the uncertain, flickering, and often weak light that some men and women, in their lives and their works, will kindle under almost all circumstances and shed over the time span that was given them on earth.” This is how historian and political philosopher Hannah Arendt described the “background” for a series of profiles of individuals that she published in 1968 under the title Men in Dark Times. Her profile of Enlightenment-era dramatist and critic Gotthold Ephraim Lessing is the reading for the Camden Philosophical Society’s next discussion on Tuesday, Aug 15, from 3:30-5:30 pm.
While not a contemporary of Arendt’s, Lessing (1729-1781) heavily influenced German thought and literature in the Enlightenment era. He was a rebel and free thinker, often at odds with conventional religious thought. He emphasized the importance of “friendship” among people as a foundation for interaction. Friendship, as a concept, is understood differently for Arendt than for those who apply a more sentimental attachment to the idea.
The essay has four parts, each one puts forward an idea of how we choose to interact with the world: through individual lives each holding their own beliefs and inflexible identities; in groups that present a united front out of a shared persecution and prejudice; people who remove themselves from the world – an inner migration; and finally, the concept of friendship where people with differences come together in common spaces in the spirit of respect and friendship. Again, Arendt’s concept of friendship does not entail compassion or agreement but encourages challenge with respect.
A PDF of the essay that forms the reading for the Aug. 15 session is attached.
Those who wish, in addition to the Lessing essay, to read either Arendt’s preface to Men in Dark Times or other essays on individuals including Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Jaspers, Walter Benjamin, and Bertolt Brecht can find the complete book for free on the web here: https://zlib.pub/book/men-in-dark-times-3vtr485n4v90
Those who are interested can find out more about Lessing here: https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/lessing-gotthold-ephraim-1729-1781