Civilisation in Crisis

Philosophy Salon with Ingo Farin

It used to be said that philosophers think about the good life. These days, we are more inclined to discuss the bad state of the world in general and how it affects our own wellbeing. Moreover, the old fixation on the eternal has given way to a fascination with decline, catastrophe, and the looming collapse of civilization and the destruction of the earth as we know it. Do we still have a handle on truth, or values, or is it all relative? Is the crisis or poly-crisis of our days descending into outright chaos or nihilism? If life on earth, even the earth itself, is at risk through climate change or nuclear war, what real, emotional, and intellectual allegiance and resonance connects us to the earth? Is there a meaningful adaptation, deep or otherwise, to the crisis? Or do we first need to re-think who we are and what there is? 

We meet every Wednesday from 7-9pm at TopSpaceStudio, 109 Elizabeth Street, Hobart.
As new themes may emerge in the discussion, we will make room to accommodate them as well. References to philosophers will be explained and put in perspective. There are no philosophical prerequisites for this Philosophy Salon.

Week 1: Truth. Is truth relative? What if we cannot agree on what truth is? Is truth a secret death-wish? How are truth and power related? How are truth and trust related? Has science a monopoly on truth? 

Week 2: Values, criticism, power, tradition, and common sense. The problem of nihilism.  

Week 3: How do truth, values, and power play out in politics, society, and culture today?  

Week 4: Crisis and poly-crisis. Crisis of Civilisation? Sustainability, adaptation, deep adaptation, regime change, collapse? Is there an upside to societal collapse on the global scale?   

Week 5: Beyond control and power: poetically living together on earth in precarious times.

The Philosophy Salon encourages open and respectful discussion. Ingo will give brief introductory remarks before each session. Suggestions and links for short readings (from Cervantes to Nietzsche, Freud, Weber, Wendy Brown, Jem Bendell, Peter Turchin, Hartmut Rosa, Andreas Reckwitz, and others) will be provided throughout these five weeks. The main purpose is to facilitate a deeper exploration of our contemporary world for everyone by listening and participating in the discussions.