What we’re about
A monthly reading group for those interested in Continental Philosophy. The plan is to look at the works of the French Postmodernist thinkers (Foucault, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Lacan, Kristeva, Lyotard, Derrida, Barthes) and Frankfurt School thinkers (Adorno, Benjamin, Horkheimer, Marcuse, Habermas).
I've been dabbling in Postmodern thinkers and Marx just enough to know that I don't know very much but that I'd love to know more. I thought a reading group would be a fun way to dig down into these thinkers and texts. There's so much depth (or rhizomatic breadth perchance (I'm probably even misusing that but hey that's why reading group)) I thought a group of like minds would be a great way to pool the knowledge so all of us could get more out of this. So I thought we'd read the texts then meet up and discuss what it was about and what the implications of it all are.
I've never been part of a reading group before so the approach will probably evolve as some of you bring more experience and ideas. My initial plan was to start with some shorter essays and pieces and maybe move onto longer pieces. A few pieces I had in mind:
- Habermas: The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article (seems like a relevant starting point)
- Marcuse: One-Dimensional Man
- Adorno: On Popular Music
- Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
- Derrida: Structure, Sign, and Play in the Discourse of the Human Sciences
- Foucault History of Sexuality vol. 1 part 4 (where he introduces his theory of power)
- Deleuze/Guattari: Introduction: Rhizome (from A Thousand Plateaus)
- Lyotard: The Postmodern Condition (book but a short one)
I'm interested in reading more of Marx himself and always fond of a bit of Nietzsche. As I said this is more of a starting point and then happy to let the group evolve organically.
Look forward to meeting and reading with you all,
James
