Philosphy@UWS seminar series

Abstract:

In this paper, I will explore this question and the irony that is proper to it through the celebrated readings of Walter Benjamin, Lacoue-Labarthe and Nancy, Paul de Man and others.

Particular attention will be paid to a chapter in Friedrich Schlegel’s novel Lucinde (1798) and his essay “On Nonunderstanding” (Über die Unverständlichkeit) (1800), which was the final piece included in the journal The Athenaeum.

Consideration will be given to Lacoue-Labarthe and Nancy’s thesis in The Literary Absolute that “Romanticism defines the epoch to which we still belong” and also the hypothesis that what is called Romanticism cannot be reduced to any particular epoch, because it is undecidable. Bio: Peter Banki holds a Ph.D in German from New York University (September, 2009) and a D.E.A. in Philosophy from the Université Marc Bloch (Strasbourg).

He attended Jacques Derrida’s seminars in Paris from 1993-1996, which was a formative experience for his general philosophical orientation. He has published articles in French and English on the work of figures such as Maurice Blanchot, Jacques Derrida, Martin Heidegger, Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, Jean-Francois Lyotard as well as recently Simon Wiesenthal’s Die Sonnenblume. His current research interests include Romanticism, Sex/Philosophy and the globalization of scenes of reconciliation and forgiveness.