The new video Merleau-Ponty with an Australian Accent, co-produced by Deakin’s Dr Marilyn Stendera and featuring a number of prominent Australian philosophers including Deakin’s Dr Helen Ngo, and Prof. Jack Reynolds, will be officially launched on 2 June 2022.

Merleau-Ponty with an Australian Accent features interviews with Maurita Harney, Jack Reynolds, Andrew Inkpin, Marguerite La Caze, Fiona Utley, Jane Lymer, Helen Ngo, and Ryan Gustafsson, on the Phenomenology of Perception and its impact and influence of their work and thinking—together with the remix video art of David Greenhalgh.

The launch features the video’s world premiere, followed by a discussion with developers of the video and interviewees, Fiona Utley, Marilyn Stendera, and Ryan Gustafsson (Australia), and other interviewees as well: Maurita Harney, Jack Reynolds, Marguerite La Caze, and Andrew Inkpin (Australia). The discussion will be hosted by David Morris (Canada). This will be followed by a question and answer session with attendees. The launch is via a Zoom meeting, on 2 June, 9:00h-11:00h EST (Montreal). It is free but requires registration. 

The film will be premiered during the launch via the series site vimeo.com/phparw. After the launch it will be permanently available for streaming. 

The Philosophy and the History of Ideas Affiliated Research Team is proud to have contributed to the production of ‘Merleau-Ponty with an Australian Accent’.

The Religion, Society and Culture Network at Deakin University presents

‘Putin’s War and the Role of Religion’ 

Thursday 5 May 2022, 3:30 – 5:30pm (AEST) via Zoom. 

Presentations:

•  A/Prof. Matthew Sharpe, ‘Aleksandr Dugin, Eurasianism, and the Ukrainean Invasion’ 
• A/Prof. Cai Wilkinson, ‘”Foie Gras, Oysters and Gender Freedoms”: Russia’s Intimate Geopolitics and the Invasion of Ukraine’ 
• A/Prof. Anna Halaffof, ‘Putin, Religion and Anti-cosmopolitan Terror’ 
• with discussant Prof. Greg Barton
   

This is a free event, but registration is required. Click here to register and for more information about the speakers and their presentations. 

A/Prof. Matthew Sharpe will be presenting on Thursday 7 April 2022 1-2pm, via Zoom, as part of the Contemplative Studies Centre’s new interdisciplinary colloquium series, ‘Wise words: A deep dive into contemplative science’.

Conceptions of contemplation in Greek and Roman philosophies

The possibility of a contemplative way of life was widely recognised in ancient Greek and Roman thought. Aristotle conceives of the bios theoretikos as the highest form of life, on grounds of its pleasures, its objects, and its independence. Even the Stoics and Cicero, who valorise the active life of public service, each recognise that humans have a distinct contemplative capacity whose fulfilment will be part of the best life. Yet, to the extent that we presently identify philosophy with rational argumentation, this dimension of ancient philosophy has often been overlooked. This seminar will explore conceptions of contemplation (theoria), the contemplative life (bios theoretikos), as well as specific contemplative practices, across different philosophical schools, including Aristotle, the Stoics, and Epicureans.

This event will be facilitated by Associate Professor Nicholas Van Dam, Director of the Contemplative Studies Centre. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end.

Click here to register for the event.

Deakin Philosophy’s Dr Cathy Legg was recently interviewed at length by Laureano Ralón for Figure/Ground, on C.S. Peirce’s pragmatism and its ongoing relevance. 

This rich array of Peirces can seem like completely different philosophers. But I prefer to see them like scattered initial excavations of a ruined city, which ultimately presents a strongly integrated and brilliant plan.

The interview is available here.

Deakin student Matt King’s contribution to the December Religion, Politics and Hope seminar is discussed by speaker Christina Petterson on the Faith and Capital podcast. 

A reminder that the Stoicon-X Melbourne event will be taking place in Melbourne on Sunday 26 February 2022, featuring former NSW Premier Bob Carr, tennis great Pat Cash, and our own A/Prof. Matthew Sharpe.

The final lineup for the forthcoming Philosophy and the Rise of Fascism online event is now available. Register here, or contact A/Prof Matthew Sharpe for further details. 

Deakin Philosophy’s Dr Petra Brown and A/Prof. Matthew Sharpe will be among the participants in a two-part roundtable session on the role of hope in the contemporary political and social context.For details, please contact A/Prof Sharpe.

A/Prof. Matthew Sharpe was interviewed on the Telos Press Podcast hosted by David Pan.

In their conversation they discussed the ways Albert Camus engaged himself politically during his life; how Camus justified his aesthetic work in relation to his political activity; how he responded to critiques of his focus on contemplation rather than political engagement; and how he understood the relationship between aesthetic contemplation and philosophical contemplation.

You can listen to or download the podcast here.

Philosophy and the Rise of Fascism

A Symposium on Lukác’s Destruction of Reason

February 1st, 2nd, and 3rd 2022, 5 – 8 pm EST (via Zoom)

Join us for a three-day symposium centered around discussion of the legacy and importance of György Lukács’s 1954 work, The Destruction of Reason, one of the most important twentieth century works of philosophy, hosted by Study Groups on Psychoanalysis and Politics, Deakin University, and Verso Books

Presenters

Mariana Teixeira, Freie Universität Berlin

Vanessa Wills, George Washington University

Dirk Moses, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Adrian Johnston, University of New Mexico

Carl Sachs, Marymount University

Daniel Lopez, Jacobin Magazine

Ishay Landa, Open University of Israel

Margit Köves, Delhi University

Tijana Okić, Scuola Normale Superiore

Organizers

Daniel Tutt, Study Groups on Psychoanalysis and Politics

Matthew Sharpe, Deakin University

Please  RSVP to A/Prof. Sharpe