The Telos Press Podcast: Kyle Baasch on Adorno and Foucault in San Francisco

In today’s episode of the Telos Press Podcast, David Pan talks with Kyle Baasch about his article “Critical Theory in the Flesh: Adorno and Foucault in San Francisco,” from Telos 196 (Fall 2021). An excerpt of the article appears here. In their conversation they discussed how Foucault’s aversion to Marxism relates to his notion of the individual as endlessly transfiguring itself through acts of creative self-invention; how Adorno interprets the freedom of the subject within the context of consumer culture and exchange society; the influence of Adorno’s experience as a heartbroken lover on his conception of happiness, particularly in Minima Moralia; how Adorno’s notion of happiness relates to the conception of harmony that Foucault criticizes; and the extent to which the two thinkers can be put into conversation. If your university has an online subscription to Telos, you can read the full article at the Telos Online website. For non-subscribers, learn how your university can begin a subscription to Telos at our library recommendation page. Print copies of Telos 196 are available for purchase in our online store.

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The Telos Press Podcast: Nir Evron on Hannah Arendt, Thinking, and Metaphor

In today’s episode of the Telos Press Podcast, David Pan talks with Nir Evron about his article “Hannah Arendt, Thinking, Metaphor,” from Telos 196 (Fall 2021). An excerpt of the article appears here. In their conversation they discussed how Arendt understands the difference between a metaphorical and a literal view of the world; her view of metaphor as a bridge between the thinking ego and the social and political world that it inhabits; the tension in Arendt’s The Life of the Mind between her desire to move beyond metaphysical assumptions and her unwillingness to let go of the philosophical tradition; the consequences for morality of her conception of metaphor; the impact of the Eichmann trial on Arendt and how it prompted her to explore the connection between thoughtlessness and evil; and her belief that the individual’s ability to think in a critical fashion might serve as a check on the descent into totalitarianism. If your university has an online subscription to Telos, you can read the full article at the Telos Online website. For non-subscribers, learn how your university can begin a subscription to Telos at our library recommendation page. Print copies of Telos 196 are available for purchase in our online store.

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The Telos Press Podcast: Matthew Sharpe on Albert Camus, Political Engagement, and the Contemplative Life

In today’s episode of the Telos Press Podcast, David Pan talks with Matthew Sharpe about his article Solitaire/Solidaire: Camus, Contemplation, and the Vita Mixta from Telos 196 (Fall 2021). An excerpt of the article appears here. In their conversation they discussed the ways Albert Camus engaged himself politically during his life; how Camus justified his aesthetic work in relation to his political activity; how he responded to critiques of his focus on contemplation rather than political engagement; and how he understood the relationship between aesthetic contemplation and philosophical contemplation. If your university has an online subscription to Telos, you can read the full article at the Telos Online website. For non-subscribers, learn how your university can begin a subscription to Telos at our library recommendation page. Print copies of Telos 196 are available for purchase in our online store.

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The Telos Press Podcast: Lillian Hingley on Adorno, Ibsen, and the Feminine Character

In today’s episode of the Telos Press Podcast, David Pan talks with Lillian Hingley about her article “The Feminine Character: The Allegory of Ibsen’s Women in Adorno’s Modernist Literary Theory” from Telos 196 (Fall 2021). An excerpt of the article appears here. In their conversation they talked about Adorno’s idea of the “feminine character” and how it relates to his broader critique of capitalist society; Adorno’s reasons for focusing on the women of Ibsen’s plays; the ways that Adorno uses the idea of allegory to interpret Ibsen’s work; how Adorno links individual tragedy to more general structures of alienation; and whether Adorno is trying imagine a world without tragedy or, alternatively, if tragedy for Adorno is just a part of human existence. If your university has an online subscription to Telos, you can read the full article at the Telos Online website. For non-subscribers, learn how your university can begin a subscription to Telos at our library recommendation page. Print copies of Telos 196 are available for purchase in our online store.

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The Telos Press Podcast: The Causes and Consequences of the U.S. Failure in Afghanistan

Today’s episode of the Telos Press Podcast features our recent panel discussion on the causes and consequences of the U.S. failure in Afghanistan. With presentations from Telos editors Mark Kelly, Adrian Pabst, Marcia Pally, David Pan, and David Westbrook, the discussion covered various aspects of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as its implications for the future of the region, the promotion of liberal democracy and human rights, and the influence of the United States and the West more generally. We were also delighted to be joined by our listeners from around the globe, who posed thoughtful and provocative questions to the panel following the presentations.

The discussion picked up on a number of arguments addressed at greater length in the “Forum on Afghanistan” featured in Telos 196 (Fall 2021), our new issue, which is now available in the Telos Press store. Links to the individual articles are also provided here. If your university has an online subscription to Telos, you can read the articles at the Telos Online website. For non-subscribers, learn how your university can begin a subscription to Telos at our library recommendation page.

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The Telos Press Podcast: Matthias Schwartz on Populism, Nationalism, and Virtual Reality in Ukraine

In today’s episode of the Telos Press Podcast, David Pan talks with Matthias Schwartz about his article “Servants of the People: Populism, Nationalism, State-Building, and Virtual Reality in Contemporary Ukraine” from Telos 195 (Summer 2021). An excerpt of the article appears here. In their conversation they talked about the history of the Euromaidan and how it contributed to nationalism in Ukraine; the election of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who previously portrayed the president of Ukraine in the hit TV show Servant of the People; the way that Zelensky’s presidency undercut the nationalist form of politics by decoupling nationalism from populism; and the changes that Zelensky has (or has not) brought to Ukrainian politics. If your university has an online subscription to Telos, you can read the full article at the Telos Online website. For non-subscribers, learn how your university can begin a subscription to Telos at our library recommendation page. Print copies of Telos 195 are available for purchase in our online store.

Listen to the podcast here.

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