The Toronto Philosophy Meetup

Phaedo is a fictional account of the conversation that took place between Socrates and his adherents just as Socrates was waiting to drink the hemlock. It marks a transition from the earlier ethical dialogues the more comprehensive works that involve proper epistemological and ontological inquiry. It is also the first dialogue to give a proper account of the theory of forms and contains a very short intellectual autobiography of Socrates. Phaedo remains important in our modern age both as a treasure trove of intellectual possibilities and because it provides a firm and coherent foundation for the philosophical life which, in Socrates' case culminates in death.

Therefore, Phaedo is both an ideal introduction to the platonic theory of forms and a summary of some of the arguments that would be used to defend the immortality of the soul for more than 2300 years.

Phaedo, along with the Euthyphro, the Apology, and Crito comprise the quartet of Plato’s works and are sometimes collectively called "The Trial and Death of Socrates". It is part of the first tetralogy of Platonic works and belongs to Plato’s middle creative period.

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This is a live reading of Phaedo. No previous knowledge of the Platonic corpus is required but a general understanding of the question of philosophy in general and of ancient philosophy in particular is to some extent desirable but not presupposed. This Plato group meets on Saturdays and has previously read the Apology, Philebus, Gorgias, Critias, Laches, Timaeus, Euthyphro, Crito and other works, including ancient commentaries and texts for contextualisation such as Gorgias’ Praise of Helen. The reading is intended for well-informed generalists even though specialists are obviously welcome. It is our aspiration to read the Platonic corpus over a long period of time.

The host is Constantine Lerounis, a distinguished Greek philologist and poet, author of Four Access Points to Shakespeare’s Works (in Greek) and Former Advisor to the President of the Hellenic Republic. May 3 is the introductory session for Phaedo and hence an ideal opportunity to join the group without having to do any catching up.

We continue with our exploration of the Deleuzian line of flight, contrasting it with Bataille's logic of transgression. The reading for this week is a Fitzgerald text much beloved by Deleuze plus a brief secondary reading:

F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Crack-Up"
Fredrika Spindler, "Event, Crack-up and Line of Flight – Deleuze Reading Fitzgerald"

You can find all texts in the Google folder linked at the VERY BOTTOM of this description. The Zoom link is also posted there.
👇 scroll all the way down for the links 👇

Some discussion questions:

• How does the Deleuzian line of flight differ from the Bataillean logic of transgression? Is one to be preferred over the other?
• What exactly is the Deleuzian event? Must an event necessarily be accompanied by an experience of personal trial or breakdown?
• Is Deleuze's argument for the superiority of Anglo-American literature (over the French or German, say) convincing?

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ABOUT THIS READING GROUP
This is a comprehensive reading group focusing on the works of French writer Georges Bataille. We are reading key texts from Bataille himself, as well as tracing his relationship with other major thinkers such as Hegel, Nietzsche, André Breton/Surrealism, Blanchot, Lacan, Foucault, Deleuze, Derrida, etc.

Some familiarity with Bataille's mode and style of thought is helpful but not necessary. You're welcome to join the group in medias res at any time. See, however, the group rules below.

Please take the time to read and reflect on the reading prior to each meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend, but speaking priority will be given to people who have read the text.

Topics to be discussed in the future:

• Bataillean transgression and Deleuzian line of flight
• Erotism and the 'logic' of transgression
• Foucault's "A Preface to Transgression"
• Bataille's critique of Hegel: the negative and general economy
• Derrida's reading of Bataille in "From Restricted to General Economy"

Past topics included:

• Bataille's aesthetics: the rift with Surrealism
• Susan Sontag on avant-guarde literature
• Bataille's novel Blue of Noon
• Inner Experience and a-theological mysticism
• Bataille's reading of Nietzsche and his critique of fascism

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MORE ABOUT BATAILLE
Georges Bataille stands out as an eclectic, fascinating and controversial figure in the world of French letters. A contemporary of Sartre and Lacan, he combined ideas from diverse disciplines to create a unique position that he called 'base materialism'. In the early 20s, Bataille abandoned Catholicism, embraced psychoanalysis and Marxism and initiated an unorthodox search for the sacred in late modernity. His obsessive pursuit of ecstatic liminal experiences took him across the boundaries of philosophy, sociology, political economy, mythology, poetry, literature and mystical theology. His works develop a libidinal economy of unconditioned expenditure, offer a critique of fascism and embrace marginal experiences in the style of the French poets. Though he remained largely outside the academic mainstream and worked as a librarian, Bataille is a formative precursor to the post-structuralist philosophers of the '60s -- and may well be more relevant to our time than ever.

In this group we look at a significant cross-section of Bataille's texts. Our aim is to understand his thought on its own terms as well as place him in the context of his predecessors and the French thinkers who followed his lead. In view of Bataille's early relationship with Surrealism, the referenced artworks will spotlight this movement.

Note: Bataille's texts, while philosophically important, discuss difficult themes such as mortality, violence, the unconscious, eroticism, rituals of sacrifice, etc. Discretion is advised as you approach him, especially if this is your first experience with French philosophy.

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GROUP RULES

• Please spend 1-2 hours per week reading and preparing for the discussion.
• Keep your comments concise and relevant to the text.
• Please limit each comment to a maximum of 2-3 minutes. You're welcome to speak as many times as you wish.
• Virtual meeting courtesy: let's not interrupt each other and keep mics muted when not speaking.
• We'll focus the discussion with key passages and discussion questions. Be sure to bring your favorite passages, questions, comments, criticisms, etc.

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This will mostly be a discussion around major recent and ongoing events in international relations, while applying as much IR concepts and frameworks as possible.

[Placeholder for references]

1. Middle East
2. Ukraine
3. NATO / Transatlantic
4. China / BRICS
5. Other