Dear students, on this course we will all dive into the body-mind, with (broadly speaking) aesthetics as our framework, companion and methodology - accompanied by notes 'raked' from other disciplines and practical exercises.
We will read. Please note that you should read one text already before the course, and then more during it. But... do not fear this: dive into these texts like any Substack or essay in Harper's Bazaar, taste the thoughts, look for what interests you, and then, be ready to share.
Because we will discuss - with good, open, respectful and curious atmosphere.
We will also do body-mind practices, but do not fear, they will be moderate - and, again, we will approach them in our own way, each individual in their own key.
And we will reflect, philosophize. Feel free to come in with your own thoughts.
Every evening is divided into two approximately 90 minute sessions, but in the end I am not interested in minutes, nor how you 'perform' - but in sessions that work, were we exchange thoughts, so if people look devastatingly tired (and we have absolutely no fun), we'll cut a bit, or if there's too much energy, we'll try to look if we could carry that on to next session.
Note that there are readings for day 1 (session 1), day 2 (session 4), and day 3 (session 5).
Day 5, i.e. Friday, you present. It can be you reading out a small text, telling us something, sharing something - whatever, from a video to a performance.
MONDAY 19.10
1 Somatic Film
For the first session, please read "Somatic Film," which is Chapter 1 of my book Bodily Engagements with Film, Images, and Technology: Somavision (Routledge, 2022). Although it should not be too tricky theoretically speaking, please note that this is a bit of a longer text, so start reading in time!
This text drags you in to the very heart of this course's interest in body philosophy, so its a good way to start, I believe. Be also ready to share a body-mind film experience of your's!
The main thing about the text is, besides the dive into the problematics of body and image, and themes like who is active and who is passive, or what do mirror-neurons do for us, that this shows a model for us. Many discourse and discussions lack the body in a way, which is quite remarkable. We search for the gaps and insert the body into some discussions during this course.
We will, though, first present ourselves, and check course details as much as needed.
Looking at classics in aesthetics and cultural philosophy, and the examples they ride on, one can for sure ask frankly: do philosophers not eat? And when they do, i.e. when they write about food, what do we have to learn from it - from a body-mind point of view?
The sessions builds on an introduction into a variety of somatic philosophies and ways of philosophizing in need of the soma. We will discuss phenomenology, somaesthetics, Chinese, and Indian classical philosophy from this point of view.
TUESDAY 20.10
3 Yoga, Martial Arts, and the Body-Mind
We will start with a some practical exercises, which we do to 'wake up' our body-minds, and our ability to reflect on them.
Then we will discuss meditation, its somatic extensions, and classical martial arts exercises, which aim to bridge the body, the mind, and even objects/tools into one experience and tacit understanding.
We will discuss how these practices and ways of thinking became a part of the martial arts - which actually, in many countries in Asia, changed a bit like painting and music when they became modern arts, making the practice more philosophical starting from the 17th century.
In the end we will discuss the discursive, philosophical side of this through some key thinkers and topics.
For this session, please read Junichiro Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows (1933), which could be easily read as an old man's nagging about the fact that times are a-changing, which it is, but there's more to it. Where's the body? And, we'll take a look at that and think about our own time, what we are leaving behind, and what of it is in the somatic, not just visual (this Tanizaki is forgetting), then leap into Indian classical philosophy, and its rasa theory, which we will then apply (too) to our lives, cultural production, and architecture. While the rasa theory was originally meant for theater, its focus on strong, awesome experiences makes it a perfect companion when we try to make sense of the maelstrom of contemporary cultural production and use.
WEDNESDAY 21.10
5 Lost and Found - Read and Discuss!
While we discuss nature and natural experiences often through the visual, and only marginally through the olfactory sense or the auditive sense, the body stays often even more overshadowed by the visual. We walk in the forest to breath differently, to sense grass, feel mushrooms and to hear birds. Also, we have bodily performativity staged in various situations from the shrink (the whole choreography with the sofa) to business (with its greetings and group photos) - and, of course, dance and traffic too. Craft has its somatic sense, without forgetting various films (already discussed, of course).
Choose one text for this session, from the link list on the right side, and read the bodily extensions from it or think what is missing somatically speaking. Then tell the rest of us something that you found in the text or reflected about.
6 Disgust, the Inorganic, and Other Contemporary Challenges
Contemporary culture feeds us with a lot of disgust (and horror) through reality TV and various types of works of art and popular culture - like Instagram feeds, where touch spiders or jump into rivers. Fast cuts, slapstick, and other forms of body-culture have taken over new territories in cultural production. Also, the amount of production and consumption of objects has become overwhelming, to the extent that objectifying oneself is a norm more than ever in Western societies. These margins, and some others, are the topic of our session 6, where we dive into new forms of experiences we have - through lecturing, and a task for you.
THURSDAY 22.10
7 Body-Mind Lab A
In the Body-Mind Lab we do exercises, and discuss what we can learn from them. Lab A works from body to mind. We do exercises and 'translate' into words/philosophy (as much as needed). More on this soon / on-site.
8 Body-Mind Lab B
Lab B works from the mind to the body. How to affect the body with the mind - maybe even philosophy? More on this soon / on-site.
FRIDAY 23.10
9 Presentations and Feedback
This day is for you to present something based on the week we spent together. It does not have to be academic, but it can be a text you read or give, something you show - a practice / photo / film - or whatever. Surprise us? We will listen, watch and learn from each other - and again, discuss. You can also conduct an exercise for us.
10 Closing the Topic
We might extend session 9 in here, but then we close the course and the topic. What did we learn? I will also reflect on the week - as I have learned a lot from you. How to go forward with what we are interested in? Teacher (c'est moi) will share some of his ongoing projects in this territory. You too? What's next?
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