Life's (Re-)Emergence: Philosophy, Culture, and Politics



A one-day conference * Friday 23 May 2003 * Goldsmiths College * London

Ian Gulland Lecture Theatre * 10am - 6pm



Speakers:

Brian Massumi (University of Montreal): Living Memory

John Mullarkey (University of Sunderland): Bio-Aesthetics or the Memory of

the Senses

Luciana Parisi (University of East London): Abstract Sex: bio-digital

machines and symbiotic micropolitics

Jamie King (Mute/University of Minnesota) and Matthew Hyland (Wolverine): An

inherited agenda for annihilating nothingness

Howard Caygill (Goldsmiths College): Life and Energy

Scott Lash (Goldsmiths College): Comments on "Living Memory"In recent years life has emerged as a concept of extraordinary scope,

reaching into a wide variety of fields. In the tradition of continental

philosophy, life as well as related concepts (virtuality, emergence,

multiplicity, etc.) opens up novel ways in which crucial ontological

problems can be addressed. In the social sciences, the concept of life has

begun to redefine critical disciplines such as cultural studies. In more

praxis-oriented fields such as management (complex adaptive systems), or

computing (a-life), life is increasingly established as a central paradigm.

Most visibly, though, it is the advances in the fields of biotechnology and

biomedicine that has led to the problematisation of life.



Clearly, the conceptual terrains covered by the different notions of life

diverge rather substantially. Life, it seems, does not always equal life. Or

does it ever?



In the context of this conference, life's (re-)emergence is strongly linked

to the comeback of Henri Bergson. His philosophy of life shall serve as

point of departure for the exploration of life?s importance for mind,

individuality, and culture. It is our intention to provide a platform on

which connections can be drawn among heterogeneous approaches to life. In

doing this, we hope to be able to create a temporal life-machine that can be

employed to explore new approaches to philosophy, culture and politics.



Attendance is free, but please reserve seats in advance.