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The Reed is an interdisciplinary undergraduate journal of Existentialism.

 

 

 

"Thinking Reed. It is not in space that I must seek my human dignity, but in the ordering of my thought. It will do me no good to own land. Through space the universe grasps me and swallows me up like a speck; through thought I grasp it."
Blaise Pascal, Pensees

 

 

"Existentialism, as we understand it, has been perennially concerned with relating philosophical issues back to the human. Based on the state of contemporary philosophy--and its relative ignorance of the topic--we believe it is important to emphasize today the significance of Existential thought. With the apparent craving in our society for self-help programs, ethics courses, social activist groups, et cetera, there is an apparent demand for philosophy that can inform the individual. We see Existentialism as filling this void, as a link between abstract philosophical theories and systems and human action and meaning. Distinct from both Analytic and Continental thought, yet cooperative with both, Existentialism offers a unique and needed path for exploring the philosophical issues that matter to human beings.

The Reed functions as a forum for Existential themes at the undergraduate level. Our hope is to create a textual space wherein Existentialism can be explored through various mediums, such as philosophical essays, short fiction, poetry, and artwork. We hope that The Reed will continue to grow as it taps into all the manifold existing demands for Existentialism in the world today."

--The Reed

View Past Issues A note to our readers (from a recent issue of The Reed): For a movement that, officially speaking, is dead, there seems to be quite an interest in existential matters. Be it "virtual" or "extreme," be it "religious" or "narcotic," people today crave experience. Existentialism: (roughly speaking) thinking about one's existence. Because this is an interdisciplinary journal, we try to include various takes on Existentialism (creative writing, literary criticism, visual art, psychological analysis, philosophical and religious discourse) while maintaining a cohesive and intellectual rigor present throughout disciplines and genres. Because this is an undergraduate journal, we attempt to offer selections hitting on various levels of the broad realm of Existentialism. Some readers have never encountered existential themes and lingo (at least not explicitly). Others are steeped in it. We hope we have allowed you various points of entry in the following selections. Enjoy the reed.