From April 8–10, 2026, Aix-Marseille University hosted the international conference “Atheism and the Meaning of Life”, co-organized by the ZRKG at KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt under Prof. Dr. Sebastian Hüsch and Dr. Dr. Klaus Viertbauer.
The event brought together leading scholars from around the world to explore questions of meaning in secular, post-metaphysical, and atheistic contexts, bridging analytical and continental philosophical traditions.
Highlights included three plenary keynote lectures: Thaddeus Metz (University of Pretoria) examined how atheistic frameworks shape moral and existential resources; Fiona Ellis (University of Nottingham) analyzed desire, motivation, and human fulfillment without transcendent reference; and Philip Kitcher (Columbia University) reflected on the ethical implications of God’s existence (or absence) for human projects.
In addition, twenty selected papers were presented in parallel sessions, covering topics from naturalism and existentialism to antinatalism and ethical autonomy. The sessions fostered lively discussions, combining historical, analytical, and continental perspectives on the meaning of life in contemporary secular societies, and brought together participants ranging from full professors to PhD students from eleven countries around the globe.
The conference underscored ZRKG’s international reach and scholarly rigor, providing a platform for interdisciplinary engagement on one of philosophy’s most central questions. Keynote lectures, together with contributions from David Benatar and J. L. Schellenberg, are under contract for publication in Religious Studies (Cambridge University Press) in 2027.
The event was a resounding success, inspiring new research directions and deepening international dialogue on life’s meaning in secular contexts.
The photographic documentation was provided by Anna Dahl and Patricia Schöllhorn-Gaar:
Photo 1: Thaddeus Metz, Photo 2: Fiona Ellis, Photo 3: Philip Kitcher, Photo 4: Frans Svensen, Photo 5: Iddo Landau, Photo 6: Jeffrey Hanson, Photo 7: James Tartaglia
