Continental Philosophy

2008 is the centenary of the birth of the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty. He was a friend of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre and a man who wanted to get philosophy back to its basics and the physical reality of the lived body. This week, we pay tribute to his work and his influence on modern cognitive science.

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Harvard’s Political Theory magazine, The Utopian, is of interest to the readers of the site. This piece on Habermas is particularly good.

Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) ranks as one of the most original Jewish thinkers of the modern period. As a historian of philosophy, Rosenzweig played a brief but noteworthy role in the neo-Hegelian revival on the German intellectual scene of the 1910s. In the years immediately following the First World War, he sought to bring about the “total renewal of thinking” through a novel synthesis of philosophy and theology he named the “new thinking.” Rosenzweig’s account of revelation as a call from the Absolute other helped shape the course of early 20th-century Jewish and Christian theology. His reflections on human finitude and on the temporal contours of human experience made a lasting impact on 20th-century existentialism; and his account of dialogue presented the interpersonal relation between “I” and “You” as both constitutive of selfhood and as yielding redemptive communal consequences. Rosenzweig engaged in two major works of translation, most notably the German translation of the Bible in which he collaborated with Martin Buber. He founded a center for Jewish adult education in Frankfurt—the Lehrhaus—which attracted the most important young German-Jewish intellectuals of its time, and which is still held up today as a model for educational programs of its type.

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Michael Tweed has translated and posted five Michel Henry texts over on his site. Great contribution.

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TOC

The Pregnancy of the Real: A Phenomenological Defense of Experimental Realism, Pages 1 – 25
Author: Shannon Vallor

Knowledge, Freedom and Willing: Hegel on Subjective Spirit, Pages 26 – 52
Author: Damion Buterin

Between Internalism and Externalism: Husserl’s Account of Intentionality, Pages 53 – 78
Author: Lilian Alweiss

Mental Capacity and Decisional Autonomy: An Interdisciplinary Challenge, Pages 79 – 107
Authors: Gareth S. Owen; Fabian Freyenhagen; Genevra Richardson; Matthew Hotopf

Phenomenology did not begin as a religious philosophy, but recently several prominent European phenomenologists have asked whether a coherent phenomenology of human experience must find its fulfillment in religion.

Christian phenomenologists such as Jean-Luc Marion, Michel Henry, and Jean-Louis Chrétien have all pressed an incisive and provocative question to modern secular philosophy: do our lived human experiences of self, other and world finally make sense only when we see them as founded on God’s creative act? By answering this question affirmatively, these thinkers have asserted that a rigorous philosophical account of human experience must also involve a philosophy of God. Human experience, precisely in order to be true to itself, must include practices of religious gratitude and praise. As a corollary, philosophy must include theological analysis.

The Silverman Center’s 2009 Symposium on phenomenology and the theological turn will therefore investigate sympathetically and critically this radical turn to religion in phenomenology. We hope you will join us for what is sure to be a spirited conversation about a matter that is of far more than just theoretical interest.
Speakers

Jean-Luc Marion, University of Chicago and University of Paris-Sorbonne
“On the Foundation of the Distinction Between Theology and Philosophy”

Richard Kearney, Boston College
“Returning to God After God: Levinas, Derrida, Ricoeur”

Edith Wyschogrod, Rice University
“Confessional Memoirs: The Phenomenology of Telling It All”

Jay Lampert, University of Guelph
“Do the Arguments for Saturated Phenomena Prove That They Are Necessary or That They Are Possible? Time to Decide”

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15th International Philosophy Colloquium Evian Conditions of Freedom

Evian (Lake Geneva), France — July 12-18, 2009

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Georg W. Bertram
Freie Universitaet Berlin, Institut für Philosophie, Habelschwerdter Allee
30, D-14195 Berlin, Germany

Call for Papers:
We invite proposals for presentations (maximum length: one page), along with a short CV (maximum length: two pages), by April 1st, 2009. Please send these documents via e-mail to the following address: evian@philosophie.fu-berlin.de

A detailed exposition of the topic and all relevant information concerning the character and history of the colloquium as well as matters of accomodation and costs can be found on our website: http://www.geisteswissenschaften.fu-berlin.de/eviancolloquium/

The idea of freedom stands at the center of practical philosophy, embedded in a thick web of relations with concepts such as subjectivity, rationality,morality, and existence. It draws its force from the tension between two roles: on the one hand as a fundamental metaphysical or anthropological determination of human beings; on the other as designating a political ideal that can more or less be realized or fail to be realized in concrete forms
of life. Rousseau’s opening flourish in The Social Contract, “Man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains,” underlines this tension. In this sense the idea of freedom stands not only practically but also conceptually under complex conditions, which need to be understood in order to grasp what we really mean by “freedom.”

The Fifteenth International Philosophy Colloquium Evian invites philosophers to Lake Geneva to discuss issues concerning the conditions of freedom. It aims especially to encourage its participants to transcend the narrow confines of different traditions in philosophy. It is conceived particularly as a place where the divide between continental and analytic philosophy is overcome, or at least where their differences can be rendered philosophically productive. The passive mastery of French, German, and English (the three languages of discussion of the colloquium) is an indispensable prerequisite for its participants.
Organisation: Georg W. Bertram (Berlin), Robin Celikates (Bremen), David Lauer (Berlin); in cooperation with: Karin de Boer (Groningen), Karen Feldman (Berkeley), Jo-Jo Koo (Pittsburgh), Christophe Laudou (Madrid), Jérôme Lèbre (Paris), Diane Perpich (Clemson), Hans Bernhard Schmid (Basel), Chris Doude van Troostvijk  Strasbourg/Amsterdam)

Canada Research Chair in Environment and Culture

The Department of Philosophy at Laurentian University invites applications for the position of a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Environment and Culture at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. The CRC Program was created by the Government of Canada to cultivate world-class research and development. More information concerning the CRC is available at www.chairs.gc.ca.

Applicants for this tenure-track position should demonstrate a record of research excellence and the potential to emerge as an internationally recognized expert in environmental and cultural studies. The position will be contingent on being approved by the Canada Research Program. The candidates should have the ability to attract excellent graduate students and have demonstrated potential for excellence in teaching in both the graduate and the undergraduate level. The successful candidate will have an active research interest in at least one of the four following areas: aesthetics, gender, health, and/or indigenous studies. Candidates are expected to complement the pre-existing strengths of Laurentian’s philosophy department, areas that include contemporary continental philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, gender and health studies, social and political thought, and environmental philosophy. A strong commitment toward interdisciplinary research would be an asset. They will also be expected to participate in, and help supervise graduate work in, the Interdisciplinary Humanities M.A. in Interpretation and Values and the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Human Studies.

Normally, the Tier II competition is open to candidates who have at most ten years experience from the highest degree at the time of nomination.

Applicants should provide a letter of intent, a summary of research interests (including research program), a complete curriculum vitae, and at least three letters of references to:

Patrice Sawyer

Acting Vice-President, Academic

Laurentian University

935 Ramsey Lake Road

Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6

or by e-mail to asr@laurentian.ca.

Laurentian University is strongly committed to employment equity and diversity within its community. Laurentian University especially welcomes and encourages applications from members of visible minorities, women, Aboriginal persons, members of sexual minorities and persons with disabilities. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however Canadian and permanent residents will be considered first for this position.

Laurentian University (LU) is located in Sudbury, Ontario, an attractive modern city offering unique cultural, recreational, and educational opportunities. LU is a bilingual institution and an equal opportunity employer. It has a policy of passive bilingualism (English/French) as a condition of tenure. LU faculty members are part of LUFA (the Laurentian University Faculty Association). Information and the Collective Agreement can be found at ‹www.lufapul.ca›. More information on the University can be found at www.laurentian.ca.

For enquiries and questions, please contact Dr. Brett Buchanan (bbuchanan@laurentian.ca). Applications will be reviewed commencing in April 15, 2009 and will be accepted until a nominee is found. We are planning to send the nomination to the CRC program before November 16, 2009 for a start date on July 1^st, 2010.

How does your research meet future challenges?
How can research challenge the social, political and scientific status quo?
How does interdisciplinary communication advance knowledge?
What constitutes ‘progress’ in your field?

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference (IGC09) is a two day conference hosted by the University of Cambridge; it exists to allow postgraduate researchers to discuss their work amongst peers and to encourage interdisciplinary communication. Graduate students from all fields of study are invited to submit abstracts related to the conference theme.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

•  Anthropology (eg. knowledge, kinship, museum studies)
•  Art (eg. architecture and society, philosophy of art, fashion)
•  Biology (eg. evolution, diversity, genetics)
•  Biomedicine (eg. cancer, ageing, neuroscience)
•  Economics (eg. development, depressions, behaviour)
•  Energy (eg. energy security, sustainability, climate change)
•  Environment (eg. ecology, demographics, migration)
•  History (eg. religious history, economic history, empire)
•  Identity and Place (eg. borders, globalisation, citizenship)
•  Language and Linguistics (eg. sociolinguistics, literature, media)
•  Maths (eg. number theory, probability, numerical analysis)
•  Music (eg. psychology, music and science, ethnomusicology)
•  Philosophy (eg. ethics, aesthetics, theorising ‘progress’)
•  Physics (eg. quantum computing, nuclear physics, cosmology)
•  Politics (eg. human rights, international relations and law, social justice)
•  Technology (eg. automation, security, materials)

As part of Cambridge University’s 800th Anniversary celebrations, we are also welcoming papers relating to the past, present and future of research itself:

•  The history of research
•  The changing role of research and the university in society

Application:

Abstracts of 300 words should be submitted on the submission webpage.
The deadline to abstract submission is Friday 3rd April 2009.
The deadline to registration: Friday 12th June.

For more information, please contact us: info@igc.org

Downloads:

Call for Papers (pdf)
IGC09 Flyer (pdf)

Sorry about the delays folks. Minor under the hood upgrades and the site is back by tomorrow. Thanks for your patience

The Theory Reading Group at Cornell University invites submissions for its fifth annual interdisciplinary spring conference:

“Particularity, Exemplarity, Singularity”

Featuring keynote speaker Ian Balfour (York University)

Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
April 17th-18th, 2009

The place of the particular, the exemplary, or the singular in contemporary philosophical practice has yet to be decided. While much of the critical thought of the last fifty years has focused on affirming the rights of ephemeral experience or the singular instance by refusing grand narratives or universal systems, more recent years have seen the rebirth of a rationalism that, at least in one of its forms, again relegates particularity to the debased realm of illusion, solipsism, and doxa. At stake in the tension between these two positions is the possibility that there exists some form of specifically artistic or empirical truth, or even a non-phenomenalizable reality of the singular, even if this truth or this reality are not of the order of propositional knowledge.

This conference is guided by the following question: what is the role of the particular, the exemplary, or the singular in critical thought today? Alternatively, how might these terms mark an impasse within systematic knowledge? We understand these questions to accommodate and encourage original reflection on a wide range of topics within philosophy, aesthetics, and literary theory. We invite participants to consider such issues as the relation between literature and philosophy, the status of history or materiality with regard to aesthetic objects, and the contemporary inheritance of the critique of representation as it has been elaborated in continental philosophy since Kant.

Suggested paper topics include (but are not limited to):

Singularity and Event
Literature and its Outside
The Persistence of the Dialectic: Particularity and Universality
The Sublime Limits of Representation
Rhetoric and Philosophy
The Rebirth of Rationalism
The Future of the Linguistic Turn
Taste and Community
Poetics and Aesthetics
Literature and Epistemology, Literary Ways of Knowing
The Literary Absolute
Example, Instance, Case, Sample
Genre, Archetype, Paradigm
Origin, Originality
The Concept of Criticism
Literature and Disenchantment
The Transcendental and the Empirical
The Literal and the Figurative
Problems of Inscription
Symptomatic Reading
Bad Examples
The Genesis of the Singular

Please limit the length of abstracts to no more than 250 words. The deadline for submission of 250-word abstracts for 20-minute
presentations is February 28, 2009. Please include your name, e-mail address, and phone number. Abstracts should be e-mailed to
theory@cornell.edu. Notices of acceptance will be sent no later than March 5, 2009. For more information about the Cornell Theory Reading Group, visit http://www.arts.cornell.edu/trg

1.  Editorial: In this Issue of KRITIKE: An Online Journal of Philosophy – The Editor

Featured Essay:

2. To Build or to Destroy?  The Philippine Experience with Walls and a Southeast Asian Perspective – Ranhilio Callangan Aquino

Articles:

3. Some Useful Lessons from Richard Rorty’s Political Philosophy for Philippine Postcolonialism – F. P. A. Demeterio

4. Adorno, Obama, and Empire: Reflections on the U.S. Presidential Election and the Next President – Lukas Kaelin

5. Heidegger, Hegel, Marx: Marcuse and the Theory of Historicity – Jeffry V. Ocay

6. Derrida’s Turn to Franciscan Philosophy – Marko Zlomislic

7. Deconstruction and the Transformation of Husserlian Phenomenology – Chung Chin-Yi

8. Toward a Return to Plurality in Arendtian Judgment – Jack E. Marsh Jr.

9. Mistaking Judgments of the Agreeable and Judgments of Taste – Francis Raven

10. The Limits of Misogyny: Schopenhauer, “On Women” – Thomas Grimwood

11. Haecceitas and the Question of Being: Heidegger and Duns Scotus – Philip Tonner

12. Kong Zi on Good Governance – Moses Aaron T. Angeles

13. The Problem of the Inefficacy of Knowledge in Early Buddhist Soteriology – Ryan Showler

“Agamben’s Potential.” Diacritics. 30.2 (2000). 3-28

“The Suspended Substantive. On Animals and Men in Giorgio Agamben’s The Open.” Diacritics 33.2 (2005) 3-9.

“The Exceptional Life of the State: Giorgio Agamben’s State of Exception.” Genre. Spring/Summer 2005. 179-196.

“Homo profanus: Giorgio Agamben’s Profane Philosophy.” boundary 2 Volume 35, Number 3, Fall 2008 27-62.

Alexander Kluge’s nine-and-a-half hour long film of Marx’s “Kapital” is not a minute too long says Helmut Merker

What is a revolutionary? The writings of Marx and Engels both use the metaphor of revolution as the “locomotive of history”. Is, then, the revolutionary a standard bearer of progress, a pace setter, a frontrunner?

None of the above, because in a world ruled by a turbo “devaluation” where only the new has market value, where commodity production spirals out of control, the “train of time” is a deadly trend. Alexander Kluge instead opts for Walter Benjamin’s idea of the revolution as mankind “pulling the emergency brake”. We must hold up the torch of reason to the problems at hand, and the true revolutionary is therefore the one who can unite future and past, merging two times, two societies, the artist who montages stories and history. And so we come to Alexander Kluge and his art.

Kluge’s monumental “News from Ideological Antiquity. Marx – Eisenstein – Das Kapital” is a 570-minute film available only on DVD which is based on the work of two other montage artists, James Joyce and Sergei Eisenstein. These two met in 1929 to discuss filming Marx’s “Kapital” which had been written 60 years beforehand. Now, eighty years on, Alexander Kluge joins the party and takes up where Eisenstein failed, because neither Hollywood’s capitalists nor Moscow’s Communists were prepared to send the necessary funds his way.

Continue reading

Wilde’s extraordinary panegyric to Christ culminates in what he calls Christ’s ‘dangerous idea’. This turns upon the treatment of a sinner like Wilde himself. Christ does not condemn the sinner – “Let him of you who has never sinned be the first to throw the stone” – but rather sees sin and suffering as ‘being in themselves beautiful holy things and modes of perfection’. By this, Wilde does not mean that the act of sin itself is holy, but the transfiguration of this act that follows from the experience of long repentance and suffering. To this extent, and Wilde finds this a deeply un-Hellenic thought, one can transform one’s past through a process of aesthetic transfiguration or sublimation.

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From the Philosophers’ Magazine, an interview with Irigaray.

Mosaic, a journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature announces
A CALL FOR PAPERS
FREUD AFTER DERRIDA: AN INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE
October 6-9, 2010
The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS: David Farrell Krell, Anthony Vidler, Samuel Weber, David Wills, Sarah Wood

Proposals are invited for presentations that engage Freud?s work as it continues to inform and provoke research and discussion across the disciplines (e. g., architecture, film, history, literature, philosophy, religion, science), and particularly, as it opens through and “after Derrida.” We welcome consideration of such topics as: temporality, space, technics, responsibility, animality, embodiment, memory, dream, writing, the uncanny, life, death, desire, repetition, law, sovereignty, sexuality, silence, mourning, testimony, the unconscious, repression, identity, family.

Proposals should include the following: a title and an abstract of 450-500 words, author?s name, brief cv, institutional affiliation, complete contact information, and email address.

Graduate students presenting a paper at the conference may be eligible for a travel grant. Those intending to apply for a travel grant should enclose a covering letter with their abstract detailing anticipated travel costs for the conference.

Deadline for submission of proposals: September 8, 2009.

For information, see the Mosaic website at: www.umanitoba.ca/mosaic. A conference website will be available (and linked to the Mosaic website) by summer 2009.

Electronic submissions preferred (Rich Text Format). Please direct enquiries and proposals to: mosaconf@cc.umanitoba.ca. Or, by regular mail, please send to:

Freud After Derrida Conference
c/o Dr. Dawne McCance, Editor
Mosaic, a journal for the interdisciplinary study of literature
University of Manitoba
208 Tier Building
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada

Link to articles

Derek Attridge and Henry Staten – Reading for the Obvious: A Conversation

Scott Durham – “The Center of the World Everywhere”: Bamako and the Scene of the Political

Rosalind Galt – The Obviousness of Cinema

Sandra Gibson + Luis Recoder – Cinema/Film

Christian Keathley – Otto Preminger and the Surface of Cinema

David Farrell Krell – The School for Stupefaction

Scott Krzych – Kino Ex Nihilo

Ernesto Laclau in conversation with Brian Price and Meghan Sutherland – Not a Ground but a Horizon

Sam Lipsyte – A Pimple on the Ass of Drew Barrymore Speaks

Karen Pinkus – Nothing from Nothing: Alchemy and the Economic Crisis

Angelo Restivo – The Obvious: Three Reminiscences

Stephen G. Rhodes – Interregnum Reanimated: The Living Cemetery

Jeffrey Sconce – Circuit City Unplugged