Erotic conversations; Feminist killjoys; Hannah Arendt and AI
A double review by Isabelle Laurenzi; an event with Sara Ahmed; a seminar with Audrey Borowski
Dear all,
I am very excited that we are hosting the legendary Sara Ahmed for an event tomorrow to discuss her book, The Feminist Killjoy Handbook. To coincide with the event, we have published a review of both Ahmed’s book and Manon Garcia’s The Joy of Consent by Isabelle Laurenzi (who will be Ahmed’s interlocutor tomorrow).
Also, SAPERE's annual Philosophy for Children conference will take place at the University of Winchester, UK on Saturday 16th November. They welcome educators, academics, practitioners, parents and policymakers to join them for discussion of Philosophical Enquiry in education. Presenters will include Darren Chetty, Stephen Law, and Lisa Whiting. You can see the full programme, as well as buy tickets here. As a subscriber to our newsletter, you can get a 20% discount with the following code: SAPCON20
Your Sunday Read
“Reclaim or Let Go?”
Isabelle Laurenzi reviews The Joy of Consent by Manon Garcia and The Feminist Killjoy Handbook by Sara Ahmed
What are the conditions for having honest and not-always-joyful conversations, and how do we create them? How would such conversations take seriously the fact that we are never fully transparent to each other, let alone ourselves? And why is it that, for all our supposed talk about sex, most people still don’t seem to know how to talk about sex well? Isabelle Laurenzi’s wonderful and wide-ranging review looks at themes of desire, feminism, consent, alienation, and much more. You can read it here.
Monday Event: 11am PT/2pm ET/7pm UK
“On Feminist Killjoys”
Sara Ahmed in conversation with Isabelle Laurenzi
Do you refuse to laugh at offensive jokes? Have you ever been accused of ruining dinner by pointing out your companion’s sexist comment? Are you often told to stop being so “woke”? If so, you might be a feminist killjoy – and Sara Ahmed’s Feminist Killjoy Handbook could be for you. In this conversation with Isabelle Laurenzi, Ahmed will show how killing joy can be a radical world-making project. You can find out more and register here.
Latest Event Recording
Online Seminar
Thinking AI Through the Lens of 20th Century Philosophy: Hannah Arendt
Sat 23 Nov 2024, 9am-12pm ET/2pm-5pm UK
Online, Zoom
This three-hour online seminar will probe the nature and effects of the digital age and the algorithmization of society through the lens of Hannah Arendt’s thought and writings. The 20th-century German philosopher’s work – and in-depth study of totalitarianism – lends itself particularly well to analyzing how, in the algorithmic age, we are rendered ‘superfluous’, stripped of our subjectivity and even our ability to think. Algorithmic systems exert a devastating hold: mechanizing language, making us beholden to digital signals and temporality, and funnelling us further down the rabbit hole of algorithmic complexity and isolation. Crucially, they undermine democracy by favouring ideological propaganda over traditional political processes. You can find out more and register here.
Ending
The Philosopher is unfunded and directly relies on your support to keep doing the work we do. The best way you can do this is becoming a supporter via Patreon, if you’re not already. This helps us to keep our events series free and to pay our contributors. Find out more and become a member.
Anthony Morgan
Newsletter Team