Humanism, Philosophy and the Arts day conference
| Venue | Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL | Starting at / on | 26th June 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start time | 10am-5.30pm |
Following on from our enormously successful 2009 day conference on Darwin, Humanism and Science, 26 June 2010 sees our day of events on Humanism and the Arts at Conway Hall in London.
How does art create meaning in our lives? Is it a secular replacement for religion, or something more? At this special day conference on "Humanism, Philosophy and the Arts", distinguished speakers will discuss questions ranging from the value of art as a whole, to the way we think about film, architecture, literature and the causing of offence. The day includes music and poetry and opportunities for questions from the floor.
Tickets
Tickets are £15 (or £10 for members of SPES or the BHA, or £5 for students).
Tickets may be purchased on the door. (Tickets are no longer available to buy online or by phone.)
Contributors
|
Julian Baggini is a writer and co-founder of The Philosophers' Magazine. On Should You Judge This Book by its Cover? – "Should you really do as the Romans do when in Rome and practice what you preach? Is the grass always in fact greener on the other side of the fence, and is there ever smoke without fire? Is beauty always in the eye of the beholder and is it actually better to be safe than sorry? Baggini's approach is as witty and deeply thought provoking as ever." |
 |
|
Alan Brownjohn, for many years a teacher and lecturer, has published twelve volumes of poetry including a Collected Poems (2006) and four novels. On Ludbrooke & Others – "These 13-line poems - described by the poet Peter Reading as 'sonnets for the unlucky' - broadly cover three years of his day-to-day life in multicultural 21st-century Britain: a batch of near-love affairs, worries about the figure he cuts among friends, battles with work and alcohol - but finally a determination never to give up." |
 |
|
Richard Norman is a member of the Humanist Philosophers Group, a Vice-President of the BHA, and Chair of East Kent Humanists. His books include On Humanism (Routledge, 2004). He is Emeritus Professor of Moral Philosophy at the University of Kent. "On Humanism is a timely and powerfully argued philosophical defence of humanism. It is also an impassioned plea that we turn to ourselves, not religion, if we want to answer Socrates' age-old question: what is the best kind of life to lead? Although humanism has much in common with science, Richard Norman shows that it is far from a denial of the more mysterious, fragile side of being human." |
 |
|
Martin Rowson is an award winning cartoonist whose work appears regularly in The Guardian, The Daily Mirror, The Independent on Sunday, New Humanist, Index on Censorship and many other publications. His books include Fuck: The Human Odyssey and The Dog Allusion: Gods, Pets and How to be Human. On The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman – "Here Rowson travels with his faithful companion Pete through the tortuous paths of Laurence Sterne's infinitely digressive world interpreting the great novel in a new way." |
 |
|
Nigel Warburton is senior lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University and author of a number of books including Philosophy: The Basics, Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction, The Art Question, and Ernö Goldfinger: The Life of an Architect. With David Edmonds he makes the popular podcast Philosophy Bites (www.philosophybites.com). His monthly column 'Everyday Philosophy' appears in Prospect Magazine. Nigel regularly teaches courses on aesthetics at Tate Modern. On The Art Question – "With help of carefully chosen illustrations and photographs, from Cezanne and Van Gogh to Francis Bacon, Andy Warhol and the Osmond family, Nigel Warburton brings a philosopher's eye to art in a refreshingly jargon-free style." |
 |
|
Ken Worpole, the author of many books on architecture, landscape and public policy, is a Professor in The Cities Institute at London Metropolitan University. www.worpole.net On Modern Hospice Design – "The hospice has become an iconic building for today's culture. This is not a book about hospitals as such, but about what lessons the hospice movement has for new ideas about buildings and healthcare across the globe." |
 |
Programme
10.30-11.30
The Arts and the Meaning of Life
When humanists are asked how they live without religion, they are liable to make some rather perfunctory noises about the enjoyment of the arts – music and literature and painting and so on. Richard Norman argues that we are in danger of fostering the suspicion that this is a sort of second-best – a rather inadequate effort to plug the gap left by religion whereas in fact the arts, in all their forms, are central to human life. They are not a second-class substitute for religion. They enhance our experience and shape our lives, and religion is a more limited way of doing what the arts can do for everyone.
11.30-12.00
Musical Interlude with the British Humanist Association Choir
Now is the Month of Maying - Thomas Morley
My True Love - Ian Assersohn
Fear No More - William Morris
Sumer Is Icumen In - Trad, Arr William Morris
Do You Realise - The Flaming Lip, Arr Chloe Clifford-Frith
All the songs are either part of our humanist cultural heritage or newly composed songs, written to embody the humanist spirit.
12.00-12.50
Defending Man at His Weakest: Humanism and Architecture
In the contemporary world of bling architecture and corporate monumentalism, Ken Worpole provides an alternative 20th century history of modern architecture, describing a tradition which has espoused the cause of human scale, social justice, playfulness and personal dignity. 'Architecture should defend man at his weakest,' Alvar Aalto wrote, and Ken agrees.
12.50-13.30
Break for Lunch
13.30-14.30
Hollywood v. Philosophy
Are there important aspects of ethical thinking that film can do better than written philosophy? Julian Baggini argues there are and he'll be explaining how movies can and can't contribute to ethical reasoning.
14.30-15.30
Searching for meaning in Tate Modern
Is it misguided to expect modern art to give us insights into the human condition? Nigel Warburton explores this question in relation to one of the world's most popular museums.
15.30-16.00
Questions
16.00-16.30
Poetry and Other Convictions
Reading from his latest book of verse, Ludbrooke and Others, Alan Brownjohn links his poems with the themes of the day.
16.30-17.30
Giving the Gift of Offence: how cartoons keep us free
Guardian and New Humanist cartoonist Martin Rowson gives an illustrated guide to how visual satire helps arm us with the greatest weapon against political and religious authority: mockery.
Come along and discuss the role of the arts in creating meaning in human lives, in conveying value, and any other issue you want to raise from the floor as we explore these sometimes neglected topics.
This event is jointly hosted by the British Humanist Association and the South Place Ethical Society.
