Kurt Borg

18 September | 4 PM (UTC+1)

11 AM New York
12 PM Brasilia
4 PM Lisbon
5 PM Berlin
For other locations click here.

Abstract

The essay (l’essai) is the living substance of philosophy, wrote Foucault in the introduction to The Use of Pleasure. This talk will unpack this statement by considering the intersecting genealogies of the essay and of philosophy as a way of life, focusing on their mutual concern with self-formation and self-transformation. The talk will highlight some of the characteristics associated with essayism and essayistic practices, zooming in on Montaigne’s attitude towards writing his Essais. It will be shown that various of these characteristics significantly resonate with how Foucault describes his outlook towards writing to the extent that it can be said that, as a philosopher and a writer, Foucault embodies an essayistic ethos. The talk will also reflect on the various strands of Foucault’s work on writing as a practice of the self, including his reflections on ancient self-writing, his remarks on Montaigne, and his unpublished work on techniques of the self. Ultimately, it will be argued that Foucault’s work sheds light on how the essay can be situated within broader traditions of self-writing and of philosophy as a way of life. The talk will conclude by reflecting on the im/possibilities of embodying the virtues of essayism and philosophy as a way of life within the contemporary neoliberal academy.

Bio

Kurt Borg is a Lecturer in the Department of Public Policy at the University of Malta. His research interests are in poststructuralist thought, contemporary continental philosophy and social theory. He completed a PhD in Philosophy & Humanities at Staffordshire University, with a thesis on the ethics and politics of narrating trauma in institutional contexts. He has published articles and book chapters on Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, the politics of trauma, narratives of illness and disability, public happiness, and the essay. He also writes creative nonfiction in the Maltese language, and a collection of his essays is forthcoming in 2024.

Registration required via email to mapping.pwl@gmail.com.

Event supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e para a Tecnologia) of the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science within the scope of the CultureLab research project “Mapping Philosophy as a Way of Life: An Ancient Model, A Contemporary Approach” (2022.02833.PTDC).