Jiří Přibáň and Karel Hvížďala: The Quest for Meaning

The discussion will introduce Hledání smyslu (The Quest for Meaning), the latest volume in a loose trilogy that follows on from The Quest for History and The Quest for Responsibility. In the new book the authors turn from history toward human culture and man as a being that seeks the meaning of everything, particular his own existence. The very combination of “quest” and “meaning” may, however, create a false impression that search is a matter of effort or movement, while meaning represents the permanence and certainty that such a quest is focused on. In reality it is the other way around. Hidden in the search itself is our essential living experience, while meaning often turns out to be a moving target. And today’s crisis of culture stems from the fact that man does not search for meaning, which leads him to want it all the more. In reality the quest for meaning is a continuous, ongoing and never-ending process.