Alexandra Dias Fortes is a member of NOVA Institute of Philosophy (IFILNOVA) and holds a PhD in Philosophy — Aesthetics from NOVA University Lisbon (FCSH/UNL, 2016). Her PhD thesis, “The importance of aesthetics for Wittgenstein (Philosophy, method and style)”, focuses on Wittgenstein’s philosophy and defends the possibility of an internal relation between methodological practices and the expression of thought, with the goal of showing how philosophical activity as a kind of Dichtung can create new movements of thought (Wittgenstein). Additionally, it defends that Wittgenstein shares this with Nietzsche, while pointing out the affinities and differences between these authors.
After obtaining her BA in Philosophy in 2005 (Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Porto), she taught “Introduction to philosophy” in several high schools in the Lisbon area (2005-2010). Subsequently she enrolled in the doctoral studies program in FCSH/UNL and received a PhD scholarship from FCT (SFRH/BD/81290/2011). With an abiding interest in Wittgenstein and aesthetics, she now also investigates questions related to the experience of the city as part of her activities in the research group “Art, Critique and Aesthetic Experience” — CultureLab (The Culture and Value Laboratory) at IFILNOVA.
She has presented and discussed her work at the annual International Wittgenstein Symposia in Kirchberg, Austria, at Birkbeck College, London, at the Nordic Wittgenstein Society Conference in Odense, Denmark, and in Lisbon at IFILNOVA, where she also co-organized two conferences/graduate workshops dedicated to Wittgenstein, aesthetics, culture and values.
