Second lecture | by Prof. Galili Shahar

A lecture series moderated by Dr. Raef Zreik

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The number of seats is limited

Walter Benjamin, the German-Jewish thinker, literary critic, and flaneur, portrayed in his works a rare figure of thought, which gathers at the threshold of German philosophy. We will discuss Benjamin’s association with the philosophical tradition in accordance with this figure, which flits from door to door, hesitates on the threshold, and disappears. Its momentary appearance also presents a (Jewish-German) uncanny formulation of the question of philosophy.

In this lecture series we will consider current global issues with the help of metaphors of home and exile, identity and nonidentity, hominess and estrangement. We will ask questions about the meaning of home, and what do people desire when they want to be at home, what are its constituents, the relation between being at home and the question of identity, between home and property, between home and homeland, homeland and populism, homeland and sovereignty, homeland and hospitality, exile and critique. We will further reflect on the morality of being at home, politics of identity, the problem of refugees, immigration, and xenophobia. We hope that through these series of questions we will touch upon the way these themes can shed a light on the way we perceive the reality in Israel-Palestine and how it can shape our political imagination.

Participants

Prof. Galili Shahar, Tel Aviv University

Chair: Dr. Raef Zreik, Tel Aviv University, Ono Academic College, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute