Wandering with Spinoza Conference

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The Centre for Ideas
Victorian College of the Arts
Melbourne, Australia
13 =96 15 September, 2006

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Closing date for abstracts is 30 May 2006

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The Centre for Ideas at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, =
Australia presents an interdisciplinary Conference on the work, thought =
and influence of Spinoza.

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=91Wandering with Spinoza=92, 13, 14, and 15 September, 2006.

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Confirmed Keynote speakers: Alain Badiou, Jean-Luc Nancy, Mieke Bal, =
Thomas Hirschhorn and Genevieve Lloyd.

Other confirmed speakers: Michael Mack, Andrew Benjamin, Alexander =
Garcia Duttmann and Paul Carter=20

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There are at least two senses in which =93wandering=94 can be taken as a =
productive category to approach Spinoza=92s thought. First, it could =
designate Spinoza=92s image of the human as the =93little worm in the =
blood=94 which wanders around the cosmic circulation system. To follow =
this =93worm=94 is to follow Spinoza=92s thought, from the impassioned =
geometrical writings to the personal epistolary exchanges. But, like =
the =93worm=94 that the human is, one=92s thought will not be allowed to =
rest at one particular point, instead one wanders on with Spinoza. The =
second meaning of the =93wandering=94 could refer to the divergent =
routes and detours that the explications of Spinoza=92s work has taken. =
>From materialist to rationalist, from political philosopher to =
metaphysician, from heretic to theologian =96 the import of Spinoza=92s =
thinking also eludes a single trajectory.

At the same time, if both of the above senses are retained, then a third =
one will also come into light. Namely, that as one confronts =
Spinoza=92s thought and its reception, then that confrontation itself =
will become nomadic, passing on and through various spheres. A =
wandering that goes from the purity and eternality of philosophical =
thinking to the particularity and heterogeneity of art and politics =96 =
and then back again. Thus, Spinoza raises a challenge to the =
disciplines that approach questions of what it means to be human.

The conference =93Wandering with Spinoza=94 will respond to those =
movements, not by remaining faithful to Spinoza himself. Rather, the =
conference calls on the responsibility to =93wander with=94 as an =
enterprise which can be reduced neither to an individual, nor to =
determinate boundaries. This call for papers is extended to everyone =
who likes to take on this responsibility.

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Abstracts of 150 words should be sent by 30 May 2006 to =
e.presa_at_vca.unimelb.edu.au

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _=20

Dimitris Vardoulakis
Centre for Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies
Building 11
Monash University
Clayton, Vic 3800
Australia

tel: +61 3 9905 9009
fax: +61 3 9905 5593
email: Dimitrios.Vardoulakis_at_arts.monash.edu.au

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Received on Wed Dec 21 2005 - 14:03:28 EST