Preludes to philosophical thinking: (1) Loafing with Clara-Clara, (2) Whitehead, Trigonometry
Gordon C.F. Bearn brings the opening preludes of a work-in-progress.

Gordon C.F. Bearn will be bringing the opening preludes of a work-in-progress whose motivating experience is what Whitman called merging: attending affectionately to things, a melting merging. Such things, in Whitehead's terms, are unconceptualised concrete, "devoid of numeracy" (MT, 96–7). Schools teach us to think with abstractions, clean-cut or vague concepts with clean-cut or vague relations from which we can deduce various consequences (SMW 58). However, abstractions are the result of in-attention, thinking constrained, their justification can only be pragmatic. Remembering Gertrude Stein, perhaps philosophical thinking takes place not in algebraic calculation beforehand, but in the open between pen and paper.
This event will be particularly useful for those interested in philosophy of education and philosophical thinking of Derrida, Cavell, Deleuze, Foucault and Wittgenstein in general.
Please note this is a hybrid event and can be joined either in-person or online. To book your place, 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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Image
Giammarco Boscaro via Unsplash.
Gordon C.F. Bearn
Stewardson Professor of Philosophy
Lehigh University
His publications have been stimulated by Cavell's reading of Wittgenstein, Derrida's pursuit of the consequences of iterability, and Deleuze's intimation of an aesthetics of existence. He has written a book on Wittgenstein and Nietzsche, Waking to Wonder (1998), and a book inspired by reading Deleuze, Life Drawing (2014). He is now beginning a book whose idea was the energy in every smaller thing he has written for some time: Inklings and Algebra: Preludes to Philosophical Thinking.
Further information
Ticketing
Pre-booking essential
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes