FSC's Seminar on Anarchism and Philosophy

with Todd May and Peter Staudenmaeir

August 19-21, 2005

Cosponsored by the Institute for Anarchist Studies
and Black Sheep Books

JACQUES RANCIERE AND RADICAL EQUALITY
Presenter: Todd May

French theorist Jacques Ranciere has promoted an idea
of politics as acting from the presumption of radical
equality -- a presumption most societies deny in their
actions if not in their words. His ideas intersect
with both anarchist theory and with the thought of
recent theorists like Michel Foucault. We will discuss
how Ranciere’s ideas might help us think through
political organization and political action. Each of
the three sessions will consider one chapter from
Ranciere’s 100-page "On the Shores of Politics" (it is
highly recommended that participants read chapters 2-4
in advance of this seminar).

Todd May is a professor of philosophy at Clemson
University. He has written on recent French thought,
including the intersection of anarchism and
poststructuralism, and is author of several books,
including "The Political Philosophy of
Poststructuralist Anarchism." Todd has also been
active in a variety of politics movements, in
particular the resistance to Israel's occupation of
Palestine.

DIALECTICAL THINKING IN PRACTICE:
A PARTICIPATORY READING OF HEGEL
Presenter: Peter Staudenmaier

Dialectical thinking has played a crucial role in the
analyses of modern society put forward by a range of
radical critics of capitalism and the state.
Anarchism's theoretical and practical profile can be
enriched by engaging with the formidable, but
rewarding tradition of dialectical thought. This study
seminar will focus squarely on a single text, the
notoriously challenging preface to Hegel's
"Phenomenology of Spirit" (in "Hegel: Texts and
Commentary," by Walter Kaufmann, University of Notre
Dame Press; participants are encouraged to read the
preface ahead of time). We will read the text together
and attempt to draw out the dialectical structure of
the argument it presents, while relating its insights
to our own experience. No prior knowledge of Hegel is
required, but a willingness to engage with
often-difficult philosophical writing is necessary.

Peter Staudenmaier has been in involved in anarchist
politics since the 1980s. He is currently a graduate
student at Cornell University, focusing on modern
European intellectual history. His perspective on
dialectical philosophy is strongly influenced by the
Frankfurt school and social ecology.