Arendt, Beauvoir, Rand, Weil; Thinking Together; from Kant to Kink

An essay, a digital event and a London event

Dear all,

I am going on holiday shortly (to rural New Hampshire with no possibility of phone or email access - yay!) and still haven’t really got ready, so as I need to prep a few of these newsletters to cover this week and the next one, I will keep them short and sweet.

Your Sunday Read
“What Does It Mean to Think Together?” by Jana Bacevic

What does it mean to think with others even if, or particularly when, our living (social, political, climactic) conditions may not be conducive to thought?

In anticipation of Jana being in conversation with Wolfram Eilenberger tomorrow on, amongst others thinkers, Hannah Arendt (more on this below), it seemed like a good idea to upload her new essay that uses Arendt to ask important questions about thinking, solitude, and politics. You can read Jana’s essay here.

Monday Event: 12pm PT/3pm ET/7pm UK
The Visionaries: Arendt, Beauvoir, Rand, and Weil
Wolfram Eilenberger in conversation with Jana Bacevic

N.B. This event will be one hour later than normal for viewers in the US due to the UK clock having changed, but not the US one!

The year is 1933.
Hannah Arendt escapes Berlin, seeking refuge among the stateless gathering in Paris.
Simone de Beauvoir reimagines the dance between consciousness and the world outside in a Rouen café.
Ayn Rand labours in Hollywood exile on the novel she believes destined to reignite the flame of liberty in her adoptive nation.
Simone Weil, disenchanted with the revolution’s course in Russia, devotes her entire being to the plight of the oppressed.

Join bestselling author Wolfram Eilenberger for a discussion of the radical philosophies each of these thinkers lived as well as created, showing the two to be part of the same story, all testament to the redemptive power of thought. You can find out more and register here.

Recording of last week’s event
For those of you who missed Monday’s event on “The Philosophy of Hope” featuring Alex Douglas, Yarran Hominh, and Helen De Cruz, you can watch the recording here.

From Kant to Kink: Manon Garcia in London
Thursday 2nd November, 7-9pm (UK time), Conway Hall, London
“The Joy of Consent”: Manon Garcia, Kate Kirkpatrick, and Andrés Saenz de Sicilia

In conversation with Kate Kirkpatrick and Andrés Saenz de Sicilia, feminist philosopher Manon Garcia will discuss key themes in her critically acclaimed new book, The Joy of Consent: A Philosophy of Good Sex, upending the assumptions that underlie this very American debate and reframing consent as an ally of pleasure rather than a legalistic killjoy. Drawing on sources rarely considered together—from Kantian ethics to kink practices— Garcia will offer a framework grounded in commitments to autonomy and dignity.

This promises to be a fantastic evening of philosophy from three of the most interesting and exciting voices in the field! You can find out more and buy tickets here.

Ending
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Wishing you all a lovely Sunday, wherever you are.

Anthony Morgan
Editor