Bios politikos: Hannah Arendt and Judith Butler 4018-KON335-CLASS
Hannah Arendt and Judith Butler, perhaps the most preeminent women philosophers in the whole history – created their theories in different times and in distinct styles, however they both share a conviction that man is political being. Bios politikos – political life – was the central topic of their interest. In spite of representing highly critical views towards political realities, they both preserved a belief in the authentic politics of life.
During the classes we will read the most important texts of Arendt and Butler, in search of a question about the political character of human life. Butler often refers to Arendt and elaborates her conceptions, that's why we will reflect upon the methods and reasons of this reception. What are the common grounds and what is contradictory between them?
We will try to employ the analyzed theories to reconsider modern political phenomena. On the one hand, what interests us is to reconstruct the vision of the human condition depicted by Arendt and Butler, on the other hand we will pose a question about the future politics.
In the first part we will give attention to the thought of Hannah Arendt. We will concentrate mainly, but not solely, on the concept of natality (created to serve as a descriptor of the condition of being born) widespread within her writings. The significant stress will be putted on the analysis of the XXth century politics – totalitarianism, democracy, fascism, Marxism – from a perspective of the Arendtian categories. We will discuss an actuality of those categories in a context of the contemporary issues (digital economics, biotechnology, ecological crisis, etc.)
The second part will be dedicated to the thought of Judith Butler. We will not only focus on her texts, but also we will try to built conceptual framework linking both philosophers. We will take into consideration to what extent, when and for what reason Butler evokes Arendt. When she remains faithful to her master and when she becomes a heretic. From that perspective we will reflect upon Butler's interpretation of the Arendtian conception of natality. Last but not least, we will touch upon a tension between Arendt's dubious and Butler's overt feminism.
The final point of our classes will be the question about the future politics and a possibility of the politics of life.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
- knowing the basic terminology of the humanities and social sciences
- knowing the relationships between humanities disciplines and the exact and natural sciences in a philosophical and social context
- basic skills in using interdisciplinary research methods and tools to analyze phenomena of contemporary culture
- analyzing artistic, philosophical and sociological texts using the appropriate research tools, and presenting the results of such work
- understanding the need for continual education after graduation
- understanding the dynamics of scientific, cultural and social development and keeping up with new research methods and paradigms
Assessment criteria
Participation in classes is compulsory. Student may choose between two assessment methods: final essay or final oral exam.
Bibliography
Hannah Arendt, „Love and Saint Augustine”, red. i wstęp Joanna Vecchiarelli Scott, Judith Chelius Stark, University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1996 (fragmenty).
Martin Heidegger, „Bycie i czas”, przekł., przedmowa i przypisy Bogdan Baran, wyd. 2, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2007 (fragmenty).
Hannah Arendt, „Rahel Varnhagen. Historia życia niemieckiej Żydówki z epoki romantyzmu”, przekł. i posłowie Katarzyna Leszczyńska, Pogranicze, Sejny 2012 (fragmenty).
Hannah Arendt, „Żyd jako parias. Ukryta tradycja” [1944], [w:] tejże, „Pisma żydowskie”, przekł. Mieczysław Godyń, Piotr Nowak, Ewa Rzanna, wstęp Piotr Nowak, Fundacja Augusta hrabiego Cieszkowskiego, Warszawa 2012, s. 311-335.
Hannah Arendt, „Korzenie totalitaryzmu”, przekł. Mariola Szawiel, Daniel Grinberg, Świat Książki, Warszawa 2014 (fragmenty).
Philip Rieff, „The Theology of Politics. Reflections on Totalitarianism as the Burden of Our Time”, „The Journal of Religion” 1952, vol. 32, no. 2, s. 119-126.
Hannah Arendt, „Kondycja ludzka”, przekł. Anna Łagodzka, Aletheia, Warszawa 2000 (fragmenty).
Hannah Arendt, „Żydowska armia – początek żydowskiej polityki?” [1941], „Żaden kadisz nie będzie odmówiony” [1942], [w:] tejże, „Pisma żydowskie”, przekł. Mieczysław Godyń, Piotr Nowak, Ewa Rzanna, wstęp Piotr Nowak, Fundacja Augusta hrabiego Cieszkowskiego, Warszawa 2012, s. s. 152-155, 183-184.
Hannah Arendt, „Wola”, przekł. Robert Piłat, przedmowa Hanna Buczyńska-Garewicz, Czytelnik, Warszawa 1996 (fragmenty).
Hannah Arendt, „Myślenie”, przekł. Hanna Buczyńska-Garewicz, wstęp Marcin Król, Czytelnik, Warszawa 1991 (fragmenty).
Hannah Arendt, „O przemocy”, [w:] tejże, „O przemocy. Nieposłuszeństwo obywatelskie”, przekł. Anna Łagodzka, Wojciech Madej, Fundacja Aletheia, Warszawa 1999.
René Girard, ważniejsze wyimki z różnych pism.
Butler, Judith. Undoing Gender. Routledge. August 27, 2004.
Butler, Judith. Precarious Life: The Powers of Mourning and Violence.
Butler J., 2008. Uwikłani w płeć, tłum. K. Krasuska, Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej, Warszawa.
Butler J., 2011. Ramy wojny, tłum. A. Czarnacka, Instytut Wydawniczy Książka i Prasa, Warszawa.
Judith Butler, „Żądanie Antygony”, przeł. Mateusz Borowski i Małgorzata Sugiera, Księgarnia Akademicka, Kraków 2010.
Butler, Judith. The Psychic Life of Power: Theories of Subjection. Stanford University Press. Stanford, June 1997.
Butler, Judith. Bodies that Matter: On the Discursive Limits of 'Sex'. Routledge. London, New York, October 1993.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: