‘Zum-Buch-Sein’: On literature as educational space beyond authenticity and alterity

"Being-towards-the-book" – Wiebe Sieds Koopal will dive into the idea of physical book-reading as an educational, depolarising space.

Two students in the Library. Credits: Tony Slade

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‘Zum-Buch-Sein’: On literature as educational space beyond authenticity and alterity

20 Nov 2024, 17:30 – 19:15

Room 417
IOE, 20 Bedford Way
London
WC1H 0AL
United Kingdom

Departing from two curious recent findings regarding the relationship between young people, literature, and physical book-reading, Wiebe's presentation explores the pedagogical potentiality of the notion of zum-Buch-sein (“being-towards-the-book”), as introduced by Belgian philosopher Rudi Visker, in his reading of the tensions between Heideggerian authenticity and Levinasian alterity.

With the additional help of Maurice Blanchot’s phenomenology of literature — which sees literature as a strangely (de-)subjectifying ‘space’ where solitude and community meet – he will develop the idea that physical book-reading constitutes a fundamentally educational, ‘depolarising’ space where we can at once become at home in alterity and uprooted by authenticity.

This event will be particularly useful for those interested in literacy and literature education and philosophy of education more broadly.

Please note this is a hybrid event and can be joined either in-person or online. To attend online, please email Yuxin Su: stnvysu@ucl.ac.uk.

PESGB seminar series

This event is part of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain (PESGB) seminar series. PESGB is a learned society that promotes the study, teaching and application of philosophy of education. Its London Branch hosts seminars every Wednesday in conjunction with the Centre for Philosophy of Education. These seminars are led by national and international scholars in the field, covering a wide range of issues of educational and philosophical concern.

All are welcome to attend.

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Tony Slade for UCL.

Wiebe Sieds Koopal

PhD Researcher Assistant

He was born in Brussels and studied theology and philosophy at KULeuven (Belgium). After his studies he worked in primary education and the non-profit sector for several years.

His doctoral thesis was an educational-philosophical study of the idea of public music education and the public-educational significance of Western classical music. Next to his interest in general educational theory and music education, he has developed a strong interest in literacy and literature education.