George Pattinson is a British philosopher, whose main field of research is the work of Kirkegaard and Heidegger will talk about the art theory of modernity at Budapest Metropolitan University.

Place: METU Rózsa campus, A009

Date: 18:00-20:00,  7 May 2018

Summary:

The starting point of the lecture is the decline in belief in the immortality of the soul in Western societies. Given that, in the past, this used to be one of the defining marks of the difference between humans and animals, does this mean human life is now regarded as essentially no different from animal life?

One response to this situation is found in the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben's reflections on death and language, following Hegel's analysis of the difference between human and animals as the difference between an animal's cry of terror at impending death and the human's articulation of this terror in language. But can language - the Greek Logos - provide sufficient grounds for consolation and hope in face of annihilation? The lecture engages Heidegger, Herder, and Pindar in a search for an answer, illustrated also from the writings of Hermann Broch and the film Incendies.

The event is free of charge and open to the public.

2018. 05. 02.