2400 years ago in the gardens of Academe in Greece a group of people committed to understanding their lives established what today we call the ‘academy’ (or university). It was originally conceived as a place for conversation about fundamental questions pertaining to our existence and the good life. Academia is ideally a place for deep conversations aimed at making us better human beings and Existential Conversations provides you with the space to ask those incisive questions that will hopefully make you a little wiser about yourselves and about others.

If you have questions about your identity in contemporary South Africa, if you are preoccupied with questions about justice, morality, our duties and responsibilities in modern society, or if you value integrity and psychological freedom, then this course is for you.

Existential Conversations is offered in semesters 1&2. You can choose to take it in either semester (15 credits), or you can take it as a one year course (30 credits). The latter is preferable but not mandatory. The course is aimed at putting flesh onto the idea that self-understanding—which cannot be separated from understanding our place among others—is a condition for leading a good life. Students from any year and from any discipline are welcome to take the course.