“A Century of Violence” - co-hosted with the Centre for the Study of Violence at the University of Bath.
To coincide with the 100th year anniversary of The Philosopher, renowned philosopher of violence Brad Evans discusses five of the seminal philosophical texts on violence from the past century.
The final event in our “Century of Violence” series turns to arguably the most complex and critically debated essay ever written on the subject, Walter Benjamin’s “Critique of Violence”. This essay has proved to be the source of admiration and frustration alike for students of his work. Forcing us to question how violence has been integral to the formation of all modern political systems, so the text triangulates politics, religion, and violence to ask difficult questions regarding the theological nature of modern secularism. Brad Evans is joined by Professor James Martel to assess the relevance of Benjamin’s Critique today, to explore the distinction Benjamin draws between mythical and divine violence, and to consider how Benjamin’s essay can help us address the vexed problem of fascism in our times.
James Martel is a professor in the Department of Political Science. He is the author of eight books, most recently Anarchist Prophets: Disappointing Vision and the Power of Collective Sight (Duke University Press, 2022). He is also the author of many essays, encyclopedia entries, book chapters and book reviews.
Key book: www.routledge....
Interview: lareviewofbook...
Brad Evans is a political philosopher, critical theorist, and writer whose work focuses on the problem of violence. He is the author of twenty books and edited volumes, along with over a hundred and fifty academic and international media articles. He is the founding director of the Centre for the Study of Violence and holds a Chair in Political Violence & Aesthetics at the University of Bath.
Website: www.brad-evans...
Centre: www.bath.ac.uk...
29 сен 2024
