Starting in week 9 of Michaelmas term, as a Royal Institute of Philosophy a Local Partner, the Richard Wollheim Centenary Project will mark the centenary of Richard Wollheim’s birth in 1923 with a series of events and talks about Wollheim’s philosophy.
Professor Derek Matravers (Open University) will give the Wollheim Centenary inaugural lecture entitled ‘The role of psychoanalysis in Richard Wollheim’s philosophy of art’. The conveners will be Paul Tod, Louise Braddock, Niall Gildea.
Abstract
Richard Wollheim was, according to Malcolm Budd, ‘one of the most original, creative and courageous philosophers of his time.’ This unusual collection of epithets is explained, at least in part, by Wollheim’s championing the relevance of psychoanalytic thought to philosophy. In particular, Wollheim thought the subject matter of modern philosophy of art (depiction, expression, creation, criticism) could only be properly accounted for by appeals to aspects of ourselves that lay deeply within our psychology. I will argue that this gave a unity to Wollheim’s thought; a unity which also explains some otherwise prima facie puzzling claims.
To attend please register at wollheimcentenary@gmail.com. Please confirm your status as academic (includes students), mental health practitioner, or other (please specify).
