Practice, Thought and Judgment - Hannah Arendt 100 years: Anniversary
Symposium
The Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies in cooperation with the
Department of Political Science, The Christina Institute for Women's
Studies, The Department of Philosophy and The Department of Social and
Moral Philosophy
Date: November 24 - 25, 2006
Location: University of Helsinki, Finland
Hannah Arendt is one of the most prominent philosophers and political
theorists of the 20th century. Her writings cover many diverse topics of
which the most known are the Christian caritas, the critique of
totalitarianism, the analysis of practice, freedom and authority, the
question of the banality of evil, the nature of the faculties of thinking,
willing and judging, the history of philosophy, and the relationship
between natality and indeterminism. As a thinker of multidimensional
argumentation Arendt draws inspiration from Aristotle, Augustine, Kant,
Nietzsche, Marx, Jaspers, Heidegger and Kafka just to mention a few.
Moreover, her thought has had a great impact on various contemporary
philosophers and thinkers, such as Jürgen Habermas, Alasdair MacIntyre,
Seyla Benhabib, Giorgio Agamben, Jean-Luc Nancy, Adriana Cavarero, Julia
Kristeva, Richard J. Bernstein and Grace M. Jantzen. The amount of interest
in her theories is remarkable in Finland as well, not only among political
scientists but also among philosophers, jurisprudents, sociologists,
anthropologists, feminists and theologians. The reason for this interest is
simple: Arendt's innovative concepts and conceptual distinctions have not
lost their significance and are thus highly useful for the analyses of
contemporary philosophical, social and political questions and problems.
For these reasons, we organize a symposium to celebrate and honour the
100th anniversary of Hannah Arendt.
Free admission, welcome!
SYMPOSIUM PROGRAM
Friday, 24 November 2006
Morning session at the University Main Building, Auditorium XIII
(Unioninkatu 34)
10:15 am. Opening words
Professor Juha Sihvola, Director of The Helsinki Collegium for Advanced
Studies
University of Helsinki
Plenary lecture and discussion:
Hannah Arendt: the Autonomy of the Political Reconsidered
Dana Richard Villa, Packey J. Dee Professor of Political Theory
University of Notre Dame (USA)
12:00 - 1:15 pm. Lunch
Afternoon Session at The Collegium for Advanced Studies (Fabianinkatu 24,
Seminar room 136)
Chair: Sara Heinämaa, Ph. D., research fellow at The Collegium for Advanced
Studies
University of Helsinki
1:30 pm.
Plurality as Fact and Value in Arendt's Political Philosophy
Kristian Klockars, Ph. D., Docent, University lecturer, Department of
Social and Moral Philosophy
University of Helsinki
2:15 pm.
(Im)mortal Action: Arendt and Aristotle
Jussi Backman, M.A., D.E.A., researcher, Department of Philosophy
University of Helsinki
3:00 pm.
Arendt's Conception of the Sense of Realness
Julia Honkasalo, M.A., Department of Philosophy
University of Helsinki
Coffee service at the Collegium
4:15 pm.
The Abyss of Freedom and the Totalitarian Lure
Iivi Masso, D. Soc. Sc., researcher
5:00 pm.
The Janus Faced Juno of Arendt's Politics of Life
Markku Koivusalo, researcher, Department of Political Science
University of Helsinki
6:00 pm.
Reception dinner party at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies
Saturday, 25 November
Morning session at the University Main Building, Auditorium XIII
(Unioninkatu 34)
10:15 am.
Plenary lecture and discussion:
What St. Augustine Taught Hannah Arendt about "how to live in the world":
Caritas, Natality
and the Banality of Evil
Joanna Vecchiarelli Scott, Professor of Political Science
Eastern Michigan University (USA)
12:00 - 1:15 pm. Lunch
Afternoon Session at The Collegium for Advanced Studies (Fabianinkatu 24,
Seminar room 136)
Chair: Marja-Liisa Honkasalo, M.D., Ph. D., research fellow at The
Collegium for Advanced Studies
University of Helsinki
1:30 pm.
Hannah Arendt and the Question of Conscience
Mika Ojakangas, D. Soc. Sc., Docent, Academy research fellow/The Collegium
for Advanced Studies
University of Helsinki
2:15 pm.
Infinity and Unpredictability: Descartes and Arendt on Will and Action
Martina Reuter, Ph. D., Academy research fellow/Department of Systematic
Theology
University of Helsinki
3:00 pm.
Perspectivism and Corporeality - Nietzschean Themes in Arendt
Krista Johansson, M.A. degree student, Department of Philosophy
University of Helsinki
Coffee service at the Collegium
4:15 pm.
Between Action and Existence. On Meaning and Finitude in Arendt and
Heidegger
Miika Luoto, Phil. Lic., researcher, Department of Aesthetics, Institute
for Art Research
University of Helsinki
5:00 pm.
Arendt on the Sublime
Susanna Snell, researcher, Department of Social and Moral Philosophy
University of Helsinki
Closing of the Symposium
http://www.helsinki.fi/collegium/eng/events2006.htm
http://www.hannaharendt.org/centenary/centenary.html