16091
Advanced seminar
SoSe 22: Needs: Philosophical Perspectives
Robin Celikates
Comments
Needs are central to many social controversies – think of the many references to needs in debates about the pandemic, climate change, housing, and capitalism. At the same time, needs are widely regarded as non-negotiable. While they are often assumed to be nature-like and simply given, they also seem to be extremely variable, both historically and culturally. But if needs appear as natural and at the same time always stand in need of social interpretations that can be contested, this gives rise to some fundamental philosophical questions: How can needs be determined at all given their variability and contestedness? Are they merely socially constructed or grounded in human nature? Is it possible to distinguish needs from preferences and desires? What kind of normative relance do needs have and can they ground a critique of contemporary forms of domination (e.g. by distinguishing true from false needs)? In this seminar we will discuss both classical and contemporary approaches to the philosophy and politics of needs, from Plato via Hegel and Marx to Adorno and Nancy Fraser.
In order to get a sense of the relevant debates, please consult https://archive.krisis.eu/needs/ and/or https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/needs/ .
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12 Class schedule
Regular appointments
Mon, 2022-04-25 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-05-02 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-05-09 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-05-16 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-05-23 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-05-30 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-06-13 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-06-20 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-06-27 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-07-04 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-07-11 14:00 - 16:00
Mon, 2022-07-18 14:00 - 16:00