PWL International Seminar #4

PWL INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR #4

“Affability, Attention to the Present and Cosmic Consciousness: Byung-Chul Han and Philosophy as a Way of Life”

LUCAS NASCIMENTO MACHADO

ONLINE | June 25 | 8 PM (CET)

Abstract

In our presentation, we will discuss the similarities in Hadot’s understanding the philosophical way of life and Han’s understanding of Freundlichkeit (“Affability”) as a mode of being in the world. Focusing on Hadot’s understanding of spiritual exercises and their practice as meant to bring about attention to the present and cosmic consciousness, we will show how such exercises can be seen in Han’s philosophy through the discourse he elaborates on Affability and the kind of practice he prescribes as a different way of being in the world, contrasted to today’s capitalistic and achievement oriented way of life. We will further discuss how Han’s own understanding and practice of philosophy is very much aligned with Hadot’s views on it, in a way that allows us to see Han not only as belonging to the tradition of PWL, but also as a case study for the possibility of doing philosophy as PWL today.

Bio

Lucas Nascimento Machado is a researcher on the history of philosophy at the University of Verona. He was previously professor of history of philosophy at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and teacher of philosophy, German and sociology at the Humboldt School in São Paulo. He is the former director of the Latin-American Network on Intercultural Philosophy (ALAFI), a fellow and one the scientific secretaries of the ISPWL, and one of the main translators of the work of Byung-Chul Han into Brazilian Portuguese.

Attendance is free but restricted to the members of the ISPWL. If you wish to become a member, please fill in this form.