Exemplarity, authority, universalizability: how is a geopolitics of philosophy to be conceptualised?

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Time: 11.00am - 6.30pm
Venue: Room 0001, John Galsworthy building, Penrhyn Road campus, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE
Price: free

This conference will interrogate the critique of philosophy after the move of race, colonialism and imperialism to the forefront of political thought. How does the nexus of racial and postcolonial capitalism transform our practice of philosophy and our way of reading the history of philosophy? What becomes of philosophy as critical practice when its 'geopolitical' underpinning is laid bare? In other terms, how should we conceptualise a 'geopolitics of philosophy' and what is its particular urgency?

When working with the overwhelming legacy of Western thought, the most difficult challenge is to enact Spivak's reiterated invitation neither to accuse nor to excuse by upholding a resolute critique of philosophical reason whilst continuing to operate within the parameters of conceptual thought. Our working hypothesis will be that philosophical discourse fundamentally rests on procedures that reproduce philosophy's centrifugal dynamics and set the parameters of its universalizability. Rather than calling for a greater inclusiveness on the part of philosophy, we will focus on two such dynamics, exemplarity and authority. Whilst the notion of 'exemplarity' refers to the rapport between the historical-specific case and conceptual generalisation, the concept of 'authority' denotes the constitutive and legitimising effect of the philosophical tradition and the strategies through which the latter may be transformed, or interrupted. Exploring the subjective standpoints that have emerged at this critical juncture, the 'geopolitical' conflict over universality will constitute our red thread across the three panels. The conference will close on a roundtable followed by a drinks reception open to all. 

Speakers:

Mohamed Amer-Meziane (Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne)
Etienne Balibar (Kingston University and Columbia University)
Hourya Bentouhami (Université Toulouse II - Jean Jaurès)
Jamila Mascat (Utrecht University and Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne)
Hager Weslati (Kingston University)

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Picture credit: Miranda Iossifidis, Construction Works, 2011

For further information about this event:

Contact: Lucie Mercier
Email: l.mercier@kingston.ac.uk