Topics in Critical Theory: Philosophy and the Irrational

The interrogation of the irrational that was undertaken by German Critical Theorists in the aftermath of the Shoah has once again become deeply topical today. After reconstructing this critical discourse, the seminar will scrutinize the jargons of authenticity and interiority in a range of current cultural discourses, while adding new perspectives from feminist theory, new materialism, and aesthetics. By mobilizing the stylistic forms, vocabularies, and philosophical frameworks of critical theory, the seminar seeks to expose and understand the contemporary resurgence of the irrational.