Thinking in Unity after Postmodernism – Figures of
Unity, Presence, and Transcendence at the Millennium
International
Workshop at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, 12-13 November 2010
Dates:
12-13 Nov 2010
Organization:
PD Dr. Raoul Eshelman, Irina Hron M.A.
Conference
Languages: English and German
Deadline
for Proposals: 15 April 2010
In the last 15 years in the
humanities a situation has arisen that is often rather wistfully called
“the end of theory” or “after theory.” This refers to the
fact that the (post)structuralist theories developed by Lacan, Derrida,
Foucault, Barthes, and Deleuze are slowly being exhausted without having found
successors of equal weight. The dominant theoretical direction in the liberal
arts is that of post-colonial studies, which hybridize existing
poststructuralist theories but lack the potential to develop essentially new
positions. Aside from these hybridizing strategies a number of theories have
arisen in the last few years that differ markedly from poststructuralism by
virtue of their focus on figures of unity and closure. The standard-bearers of
this new thinking in unity include Jean-Luc Marion’s phenomenology, Peter
Sloterdijk’s theory of “foams,” and the Generative
Anthropology of Eric Gans. In contradistinction to poststructuralism, these
theories are all based on figures of unity, of positively understood identity,
of closure, and of presence.
The goal of the workshop is to
establish these and similar theories of unity as successors to poststructuralism
and to use them to analyze literature, film, drama and other media before and
after the millennium (1990-2010).
Papers must not refer explicitly or
systematically to the three theories mentioned, but they should touch upon at
least one of the following topics:
-
Figures
of unity and closure: How do closed, unified spaces, signs, and subjects arise?
-
Figures
of presence: How is a feeling of presence created semiotically, spatially, and
temporally?
-
Figures
of transcendence: Which modes of boundary transgression can be said to overcome
borders rather than simply to violate them? What higher orders of value are
created in doing so?
-
Figures
of love: What possibilities of reconciliation and emotional unity are made
available to subjects? How are the ludic heterogeneity and superficiality of
gender discourses compensated for through unified relations of mutual bonding?
-
Figures
of plenitude: How are closed, unified spaces filled out with value and meaning?
How can we describe effects of saturation and of overflowing proceeding from
such spaces?
Figures of reduction and
consolidation: How is unity created through reduction, simplification, and
consolidation? What is gained and lost in the process?
Figures of belief: How do
unified, steadfast relations of trust to others arise? What ethical positions
can be derived from them?
The workshop is directed explicitly
at younger scholars (doctoral candidates and postdocs) who are interested in
interrogating innovative new approaches and actively participating in the
development of cutting-edge theory.
The workshop is funded by the
Please
send an abstract of no longer than 500 words along with a short CV by 15 April
2010 to [log in to unmask]
Contributors will be informed
whether their abstracts have been accepted by 15 May 2010.
Organizers:
PD Dr. Raoul Eshelman: [log in to unmask]
Irina
Hron M.A.: [log in to unmask]
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
München
Fakultät für Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften, Department II
Institut für Slavische Philologie, Raum E 302
Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1
80539 München