his group will focus on reading key Moral and Political philosophical texts. This year we are reading Hegel's Philosophy of Right published in 1821. This work has been described by Stephen Houlgate as 'one of the greatest works of social and political philosophy ever written.' The book traces the true realization of freedom and free will via Hegel's immanent process of dialectics. Arguably, this book is still pertinent and relevant for our times: not only does it acknowledge that freedom can be enhanced by economic opportunities, but, moreover, it recognizes that unregulated capitalism is a cause of alienation, inequality and poverty.

Everybody welcome! Please contact Andrew Paull for further information.

Subject: Imagination

The study of Chinese thought in the West has often been mired with misinterpretation. The causes of this misunderstanding range from simple lack of knowledge and accurate translations to blatant ethnocentrism. This reading group proposes to study early Chinese thinkers on their own terms, without imposing Western concepts on them. It is our goal to create a space of exchange and learning that will enable all to join and get something from it. Therefore, everyone is welcome. No previous knowledge of Chinese thought and languages is required, as we will use English translations of the classics. It will however be one of the goals of the reading group to develop an awareness of the particular meaning of certain Chinese terms, so as to not lose too much in translation.
 
This term, we will be reading the Daodejing 道德經, "The Classic of the Way and Virtue". There are far too many translations, and of too varying outlooks (and quality), to unquestionably recommend any one of them. D.C Lau's 1963 "Tao Te Ching" and Roger T. Ames & David L. Hall's 2003 "Dao de jing: a philosophical translation" are both good starting points, but crossing sources will be very important to grasp all the complexity of this often obscure text.

Everybody welcome! Please contact Thadee Chantry-Gellens for further information.

his group will focus on reading key Moral and Political philosophical texts. This year we are reading Hegel's Philosophy of Right published in 1821. This work has been described by Stephen Houlgate as 'one of the greatest works of social and political philosophy ever written.' The book traces the true realization of freedom and free will via Hegel's immanent process of dialectics. Arguably, this book is still pertinent and relevant for our times: not only does it acknowledge that freedom can be enhanced by economic opportunities, but, moreover, it recognizes that unregulated capitalism is a cause of alienation, inequality and poverty.

Everybody welcome! Please contact Andrew Paull for further information.

The study of Chinese thought in the West has often been mired with misinterpretation. The causes of this misunderstanding range from simple lack of knowledge and accurate translations to blatant ethnocentrism. This reading group proposes to study early Chinese thinkers on their own terms, without imposing Western concepts on them. It is our goal to create a space of exchange and learning that will enable all to join and get something from it. Therefore, everyone is welcome. No previous knowledge of Chinese thought and languages is required, as we will use English translations of the classics. It will however be one of the goals of the reading group to develop an awareness of the particular meaning of certain Chinese terms, so as to not lose too much in translation.
 
This term, we will be reading the Daodejing 道德經, "The Classic of the Way and Virtue". There are far too many translations, and of too varying outlooks (and quality), to unquestionably recommend any one of them. D.C Lau's 1963 "Tao Te Ching" and Roger T. Ames & David L. Hall's 2003 "Dao de jing: a philosophical translation" are both good starting points, but crossing sources will be very important to grasp all the complexity of this often obscure text.

Everybody welcome! Please contact Thadee Chantry-Gellens for further information.

'The Biopolitics of Mobility'

Guest Speaker: Martina Tazzioli (Goldsmiths)

his group will focus on reading key Moral and Political philosophical texts. This year we are reading Hegel's Philosophy of Right published in 1821. This work has been described by Stephen Houlgate as 'one of the greatest works of social and political philosophy ever written.' The book traces the true realization of freedom and free will via Hegel's immanent process of dialectics. Arguably, this book is still pertinent and relevant for our times: not only does it acknowledge that freedom can be enhanced by economic opportunities, but, moreover, it recognizes that unregulated capitalism is a cause of alienation, inequality and poverty.

Everybody welcome! Please contact Andrew Paull for further information.

Afterword and Summary

Wittgenstein is one of the 20th century's most influential philosophers and the source of many divergent reactions and interpretations. This reading group will focus on a close-reading of Philosophical Investigations in the first term (where appropriate dipping into secondary texts in order to interpret certain sections.) Depending on how far we get in the first term, we will try to read another Wittgenstein text (up to the groups preference). We will be focusing on reading Wittgenstein's philosophy in itself, rather than his relation to other thinkers and disciplines. We hope to meet weekly, but want to be as flexible as possible. For the first week, we will try to read §§1-45. We suggest the dual language Revised Fourth edition by P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, but feel free to use whatever copy is available to you.

Contact Thomas Williams for further information.

Below are the details for our first session of the academic year...

 Week 2: Friday 15 October 2021 - In Memory of Charles Mills (1951-2021) and in celebration of Black History Month: Charles Mills, 'Toward a Black Radical Liberalism'

 For more information (and if you need help joining the Team), contact Eileen John (eileen.john@warwick.ac.uk).

Wittgenstein is one of the 20th century's most influential philosophers and the source of many divergent reactions and interpretations. This reading group will focus on a close-reading of Philosophical Investigations in the first term (where appropriate dipping into secondary texts in order to interpret certain sections.) Depending on how far we get in the first term, we will try to read another Wittgenstein text (up to the groups preference). We will be focusing on reading Wittgenstein's philosophy in itself, rather than his relation to other thinkers and disciplines. We hope to meet weekly, but want to be as flexible as possible. For the first week, we will try to read §§1-45. We suggest the dual language Revised Fourth edition by P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, but feel free to use whatever copy is available to you.

We meet in person, but people who are not able to come to campus are welcome to join via teams (With this link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3achIBNXEVzbScpcKNlyGY3OczMIMvSc_3PBgAV6YVa3g1%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=06aa190c-4ffb-4ad3-a9b6-bd6a20ae5761&tenantId=09bacfbd-47ef-4465-9265-3546f2eaf6bc )

Please contact Thomas Williams for further information

Thomas.Williams.1@warwick.ac.uk

Contact Andrew Cooper for further information.

Please contact Andrew J Paull for further information.

Wittgenstein is one of the 20th century's most influential philosophers and the source of many divergent reactions and interpretations. This reading group will focus on a close-reading of Philosophical Investigations in the first term (where appropriate dipping into secondary texts in order to interpret certain sections.) Depending on how far we get in the first term, we will try to read another Wittgenstein text (up to the groups preference). We will be focusing on reading Wittgenstein's philosophy in itself, rather than his relation to other thinkers and disciplines. We hope to meet weekly, but want to be as flexible as possible. For the first week, we will try to read §§1-45. We suggest the dual language Revised Fourth edition by P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, but feel free to use whatever copy is available to you.

Please contact Thomas Williams for further information

Thomas.Williams.1@warwick.ac.uk

Contact Andrew Cooper for further information.

Week 4: Friday 29 October 2021 - Charles Mills, '"Ideal Theory" as Ideology'

For more information (and if you need help joining the Team), contact Eileen John (eileen.john@warwick.ac.uk).

Law and Morality in Early 20^th Century Marxism 

In this reading group, we examine the relationship of law and morality through the eyes of early 20th century Marxist literature. This was a time of acute crisis in Western political history. The workers’ movement was in tumult, with the ruination of the 2^nd International, the repression of revolutionary fervour in Europe, and the rise of fascism. As old powers crumbled and others arose, the moral status of law came into focus. A new radicalism asked out loud: Is there anything inherently good about the legal order?

In each session, we relate the selected literature to philosophical problems surrounding state, law, and morality. Among other things, we will discuss the critique of natural law, examine the link between history and moral judgments, and have a closer look at the Marxist notion of ideology.

No prior knowledge is required; open debate is highly encouraged. Each session will focus on one text (see below). Digital copies of the texts will be provided on Teams, some also in an abridged version (at least one week in advance). Ross or Simon will provide a brief introduction to each text, then there is roughly one hour for discussion.

1^st session: 3 November 2021

Karl Marx (1843): “On the Jewish question.” In Marx and Engels Collected Works, vol. 3, 146–174. London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1975.

Ross Ferrara (ross.ferrara@warwick.ac.uk)

Simon Gansinger (simon.gansinger@warwick.ac.uk)

Please contact Andrew J Paull for further information.

Wittgenstein is one of the 20th century's most influential philosophers and the source of many divergent reactions and interpretations. This reading group will focus on a close-reading of Philosophical Investigations in the first term (where appropriate dipping into secondary texts in order to interpret certain sections.) Depending on how far we get in the first term, we will try to read another Wittgenstein text (up to the groups preference). We will be focusing on reading Wittgenstein's philosophy in itself, rather than his relation to other thinkers and disciplines. We hope to meet weekly, but want to be as flexible as possible. For the first week, we will try to read §§1-45. We suggest the dual language Revised Fourth edition by P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, but feel free to use whatever copy is available to you.

Please contact Thomas Williams for further information

Thomas.Williams.1@warwick.ac.uk

Contact Andrew Cooper for further information.

Please contact Andrew J Paull for further information.

Wittgenstein is one of the 20th century's most influential philosophers and the source of many divergent reactions and interpretations. This reading group will focus on a close-reading of Philosophical Investigations in the first term (where appropriate dipping into secondary texts in order to interpret certain sections.) Depending on how far we get in the first term, we will try to read another Wittgenstein text (up to the groups preference). We will be focusing on reading Wittgenstein's philosophy in itself, rather than his relation to other thinkers and disciplines. We hope to meet weekly, but want to be as flexible as possible. For the first week, we will try to read §§1-45. We suggest the dual language Revised Fourth edition by P. M. S. Hacker and Joachim Schulte, but feel free to use whatever copy is available to you.

Please contact Thomas Williams for further information

Thomas.Williams.1@warwick.ac.uk

Contact Andrew Cooper for further information.