
A Philosopher’s Guide to Meaning – GI 25 097 (Online)
29 September 2025 @ 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm BST
Tutor: Darren Harper BA (Hons), PGCE, DipBSoM
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This talk addresses the profound question of what gives our lives meaning, drawing on the insights of Albert Camus and Viktor Frankl. We will explore Camus’ notion of the absurd, which highlights the possibility of creating meaning in an indifferent universe and contrast it with Frankl’s belief in finding purpose through suffering, love, and work, as expressed in Man’s Search for Meaning. Engage in thoughtful discussions that challenge your perspectives and invite deeper reflection on these timeless philosophical concepts.
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About the Speaker
Darren Harper
Darren holds a BA (Hons) English & Creative Writing (1st class), a PGCE in Lifelong Learning, and has been an adult education teacher for 10 years. Darren has a 1st class honours degree in English & Creative Writing in 2012 with the University of Cumbria. I then went on to do a PGCE and taught GCSE English and A Levels at Carlisle College before becoming a self-employed adult education teacher.
Darren has have been an adult education teacher for about 10 years. Having previously served in the Royal Navy, Darren now travels around the UK teaching Philosophy, Philosophy & Literature, Global Philosophy, Philosophy for Life and Stoicism, amongst other related subjects. Though based in Northumberland, he teaches regularly in Cumbria and Newcastle upon Tyne, London, Guildford, Bristol and Penzance. Additionally, Darren teaches residential courses in Cumbria, Northamptonshire, Perthshire, Wiltshire and Somerset.
More recently, as my interests develop, I tend to focus on Global Philosophy and Stoicism. My research into Global Philosophy has rekindled my interest in Meditation, and so in 2023 I qualified as a Meditation Teacher with the British School of Meditation, gaining a Distinction. I am also beginning to explore the Philosophy of Spirituality, and am building a range of courses offering a secular and philosophical approach to spiritual ways of thinking, and spiritual ways of being.
Darren's first book, Encounters and Reflections: An Introduction to Philosophy, was published in 2022.
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