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THE ART OF ORGANISING HOPE: RETHINKING CRITICAL THEORY TODAY
THE BATH-BRISTOL STANDING SEMINAR IN CRITICAL THEORY
Presents
A CRITICAL THEORY OF HOPE
with
ANA CECILIA DINERSTEIN
Critical Research in the Global Politics of Hope
Social & Policy Sciences, University of Bath
on the 12th of February 2019, 13:15-14:45, 6E 2.2, University of Bath
Following the discussion held at the Seminar ‘Critical Theory in Conversation with John Holloway’, convened by the Bath-Bristol Standing Seminar in Critical Theory last October, Ana Dinerstein discusses critical theory today.
Abstract: “In this seminar, I will first explore the limitations of contemporary neo Adornian critiques of society and challenge the view that there can cannot be a political practice to fought Barbarism (Bonefeld). I suggest that such practice is not only possible but necessary and is being developed at the grassroots around the crisis of the social reproduction of life. Following Zechner and Hansen (2015) this crisis has opened onto a ‘myriad of struggles around social rights, resources and survival, all of which put life at their centre’.Second, I illustrate my argument with examples from The Art of Organising Hope projects in Mexico and Belgium. Third, I offer some ideas that can contribute to the development of a critical theory of hope based on Bloch’s philosophy.
My overall argument is that while neo-Adornian critical theory lacks a ‘front’, the critical theory of hope that I propose brings a front to the “world without Front”’ (Bloch 1959). This means, it brings openness to a world where there is no place from where ‘to enunciate or engage in responses to ‘badly existing’ realities to alter them. The critical theory of hope amends Adorno’s over appreciation of theory over practice within social praxis, and transforms the critique of political economy as a critique of society into a prefigurative critique of political economy as a critique of society, that engages with the ontology of the not yet reality offers by Bloch. The critical theory of hope brings a front to the struggles for alternative forms of the social reproduction of life in a wrecked world.”
Join us for this lunchtime seminar which brings to the fore the struggles for alternative forms of social reproduction of life and the need for a new critical theory, in a wrecked world
ALL WELCOME!
TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-critical-theory-of-hope-tickets-55517861418