All sessions will take place in room F 673 (staircase G2, 2nd floor) at the Université Paris Descartes, Faculté des Sciences Humaines et Sociales – Sorbonne, 1 rue Victor Cousin 75005 Paris, from 2 to approximately 6 p.m. The Rencontres are open to the general public.
JULY 2
2-5 p.m.
Introduction
Seminar Session 1: “Democracy as a Value-Concept”
Discussion with Julian Sempill
Readings:
- Raymond Williams, “Democracy” in Keywords. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983: English Version
- Cornelius Castoriadis, “La démocratie comme procédure et comme régime” in La montée de l’insignifiance. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1996: French Version / English Version
- Étienne Balibar, Introduction and Chapter 1 in La proposition de l’égaliberté / Equaliberty
- Optional: Francis Dupuis-Déri, “Introduction” in Démocratie: histoire politique d’un mot. Montréal: Lux Éditeur, 2013: French Version
This session will be followed by a “pot d’accueil” catered by Côte2Bœuf
JULY 3
10:30 a.m. at the Centre Pompidou
Guided tour of the Martial Raysse exhibit with Ludmilla Barrand
JULY 4
2-3:30 p.m.
Seminar Session 2: “Democratic Theodicy”
3:30-5 p.m.
Discussion: Democracy and Equality between Castoriadis and Balibar
Readings:
- Cornelius Castoriadis, “La démocratie comme procédure et comme régime” in La montée de l’insignifiance. Paris: Éditions du Seuil, 1996: French Version / English Version
- Étienne Balibar, Introduction and Chapter 1 in La proposition de l’égaliberté / Equaliberty
JULY 9
2-3 p.m.
Preparation for the Rencontre
3-5 p.m.
Rencontre avec Patrick Vauday*
The video recording of this event is available here
Readings:
- Patrick Vauday, selection from “Esthétique: ce que font les images” in L’invention du visible: l’image à la lumière des arts. Paris: Éditions Hermann, 2008: French Version
- Patrick Vauday, “Conclusion” in L’invention du visible: l’image à la lumière des arts. Paris: Éditions Hermann, 2008: French Version
JULY 11
2-3 p.m.
Seminar Session 3: “For an Intransitive History of Democracy”
Readings:
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “Démocratie” in Du contrat social, Œuvres complètes. Vol. III. Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1964: French Version / English Version
- Arthur Rimbaud, “Démocratie” in Complete Works, Selected Letters: A Bilingual Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005: French-English Version
- Alexis de Tocqueville, “Introduction” in De la démocratie en Amérique. Vol. I. Paris: Flammarion, 1999: French Version / English Version
- Étienne Balibar, Chapter 3 in La proposition de l’égaliberté / Equaliberty
3-4 p.m.
Preparation for the Rencontre
4-6 p.m.
Rencontre avec Bruno Karsenti*
Reading:
- Bruno Karsenti, “Introduction” in D’une philosophie à l’autre. Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 2013: French Version
JULY 15
Guided tour of Parisian art galleries with Ludmilla Barrand
JULY 17
Guided tour of the Musée Rodin with Ludmilla Barrand
JULY 22
Guided tour of the historic sites of the Paris Commune with Julien-Désiré Feugueur
JULY 23
2-5 p.m.
Seminar Session 4: “The Performative Contradictions of Really Existing Democracy”
Primary Reading:
- Gabriel Rockhill, “A quoi sert la démocratie? Urgence d’une question inopportune” (for a French or English version write to gabriel.rockhill@villanova.edu)
Additional Readings:
- Cornelius Castoriadis, “Ni Dieu, ni césar, ni tribun!…” in Post-scriptum sur l’insignifiance. Paris: Éditions de l’Aube, 2007: French Version / English Version
- Jacques Derrida, “Le dernier des États voyous” in Voyous. Paris: Éditions Galilée, 2003: French Version / English Version
- Étienne Balibar, Chapter 12 and Conclusion in La proposition de l’égaliberté / Equaliberty
- Optional: Jean-Paul Sartre, “Sommes-nous en démocratie?” in Situations, IV. Paris: Éditions Gallimard, 1964: French Version
JULY 25
2-3 p.m.
Seminar Session 5: “Critique of the Purification of the Political”
Readings:
3-4 p.m.
Preparation for the Rencontre
4-6 p.m.
Rencontre with Alan Schrift
Readings
- Alan Schrift, “French Nietzscheanism and the Emergence of Poststructuralism”: English Version
- Alan Schrift, “Effects of the Agrégation de Philosophie on Twentieth-Century French Philosophy.” Journal of the History of Philosophy. Vol. 46, no. 3 (2008): 449-474: English Version
JULY 29
2-5 p.m.
Final Discussion in Working Groups
Readings:
JULY 31
2-3 p.m.
Preparation for the Rencontre
3-5 p.m.
Rencontre avec Claire Pagès*
Readings:
- Claire Pagès, “La psychodynamique du travail aux croisements du psychique et du social”: French Version
- Optional: Claire Pagès,”Corps et travail dans la pensée freudienne de la cure.” Champ Psy. no. 65 (2014): 27-44: French Version
*Sessions will take place in French with English summaries / Q&A in English and French