Primal Fears Explored with Humanity’s Oldest Story as Our Guide – The Epic of Gilgamesh

Humanity’s most primal fear is the fear of death.  The desire to escape physical death is a  fundamental fact of human existence.  Recent technological advancements in medicine and robotics have made the ability to live forever a much more tantalizing possibility.   In this lecture and workshop, we will explore the meaning of this primal fear and fundamental yearning, using humanity’s oldest story, The Epic of Gilgamesh, as our guide. This story from ancient Iraq tells of the exploits of mighty King Gilgamesh whose fear of physical death compelled him to seek out a legendary figure considered to be the only human granted immortality by the gods. Gilgamesh’s exploits reflect enduring truths about our fears and desires and suggest how we can better prepare for life’s ultimate goal. During the Friday lecture, we will discuss the contemporary search for immortality and sketch the elements of the Gilgamesh story. On Saturday, we will use lecture and discussion to explore the roots of our own yearning for immortality with the Gilgamesh story as a valuable guide.