Reading Groups

Semester 2 2015

Philosophy and Critical Theory

Theoror W. Adorno: Negative Dialetics

The reductive schema of enlightenment, “This is man,” is stripped of its omnipotence as man recognizes himself as the object of his insatiable reductions. Causality, however, is nothing but man’s natural origin, which he continues as control of nature. Once man, the subject, knows the moment of his own equality with nature, he will desist from merely equalizing nature with himself. This is the secret and perverted truth content of idealism. For the more thoroughly the subject follows the idealistic custom to make nature equal to itself, the farther will it be removed from all equality with nature. Th. W. Adorno. Negative Dialectics. Routledge 1973, p. 269.

We invite you to come along to read and discuss passages from Adorno's Negative Dialectics which resonate with you (and those which resonate with us) in an informal and relaxed environment that will help you develop your critical skills and share your views with other likeminded scholars. The five sessions correspond to the five sections of the book. Please join us also if you did not read the entire section prior to the session.

We will meet at the Gordon Greenwood Building (#32), Room 314, from 2.00pm - 3.45pm on the following Tuesdays: 

• 18 August
• 1 September
• 15 September
• 6 October
• 20 October

For more information, please email:  Stephan Atzert: s.atzert@uq.edu.au Carles Gutierrez-Sanfeliu:c.gutierrezsanfeliu@uq.edu.au

Semester 1 2015

Minima Moralia

Minima Moralia. Reflections from a damaged life (published in 1951) is a collection of aphorisms by Theodor W. Adorno, ordered chronologically in three sections. They show reflection aimed at understanding, the process of thinking as being in opposition to obfuscation and dishonesty. We invite you to come along to read and discuss the aphorisms which resonate with you (and those which resonate with us) in an informal and relaxed environment that will help you develop your critical skills and share your views with other like-minded scholars. The first three sessions correspond to the three sections in the collection, the fourth session will allow us to consider the collection as a whole. Please join us also if you did not read the entire section prior to the session.

We will meet at the Gordon Greenwood Building (#32), Room 316, from 2-4 pm on the following Tuesdays:

• 31st March
•  21st April
• 12th May
• 2nd June

For more information, please email:
Stephan Atzert: s.atzert@uq.edu.au
Carles Gutiérrez-Sanfeliu: c.gutierrezsanfeliu@uq.edu.au

If you are interested in starting a reading group and think it might interest our community, please contactlanguages-cultures@uq.edu.au for possible inclusion on this page.