9th International Colloquium on Dialogical Practice & Dialogical Philosophising: Reason Meets Emotion 11 to 14 September 25
The aim of the colloquium is to create space for dialogue amongst participants, with a focus on group discussion and other collaborative activities. Numbers will be limited to about 35, and all participants will be expected to stay for the full event, engage actively in the colloquium and have experience of, and a commitment to, dialogical practice.
About the theme: Reason Meets Emotion
Dialogical philosophising traditionally focuses on reasoning and rational inquiry into our topics of interest. And yet, we cannot omit emotions as a major influence in philosophical dialogues - we may experience satisfaction when reaching a consensus, anger when listening to opinions we do not share, or emotional connection while exploring someone's experience. So what happens when reason meets emotion?
Questions we may address during the Colloquium include:
What is the role of emotions in philosophical dialogue? Are emotions or emotionally loaded questions a suitable topic for philosophical dialogue?
What is the connection between our emotions, our bodies, and our thinking? Are emotions "just emotions" or are there elements of rationality embedded in them? What do emotions reveal about my values?
When do emotions help us gain knowledge, and when do they blind us? When do they stand in the way of reason? How can we cope with strong emotions to make dialogue possible? When do emotions in dialogue bring us closer together, and when do they separate us?
What different types of philosophical dialogues are capable of working with emotions? What are the boundaries between philosophical dialogue and therapeutic dialogue/self-awareness groups?
About the colloquium
The colloquium will comprise a variety of dialogical activities, usually undertaken in small groups, which may include Socratic Dialogues, short dialogical exercises, dialogical and arts-based workshops, an outdoor dialogue, sharing methods and challenges in working with specific communities (e.g. medical professionals, business people) and poster-focused activities. There will be a free afternoon on the Saturday