Presentation of Philosophical Encounters of Monaco 2021/2022 season

The programme for the Philosophical Encounters of Monaco 2021/2022 season will feature five dates, opening on 13 and 14 October with “Health Days”, focusing on the themes of “Fatigue and breakdown”, “Care and feminism” and “Art and madness”.

The highlight of these days will be a conversation between historian and philosopher Georges Vigarello and philosopher Eric Fiat at 7 pm on 14 October in the Théâtre Princesse Grace. The conversation will be hosted by Robert Maggiori, a philosopher and founding member of Philosophical Encounters of Monaco, and will tackle the theme “Fatigue and breakdown”.

There’s undoubtedly a “good” kind of fatigue, the kind that follows, compensates and rewards effort, that allows a mind and body exhausted by work, excessive concentration or a sporting challenge to “rally”, refresh and regain their energy. Everything we do in life brings its own level of fatigue, and while we can become tired from doing things, having too much to do or having nothing to do, there’s also a “bad” kind of fatigue that is not justified by any expenditure of energy: the fatigue associated with being in the world, the nausea of being or not being where you are supposed to be, the feeling of absurdity, or that exhaustion of existence to which we are reduced by bereavement, despair, the caresses that we’ve missed out on, the words we wanted to hear, solitude, or the betrayal of trust. This kind of fatigue comes from the deepest part of a person’s soul. Can it be shared? To put it another way, is there also a type of social fatigue that exists in human communities facing a series of political, economic, health and environmental crises that are undermining their present and even harming their future?

In partnership with the Monaco Multimedia Library, Joseph Cohen, a philosopher and founding member of Philosophical Encounters of Monaco, will introduce a presentation on “Caring and feminism” by Marie Garrau, a philosopher, lecturer in social and political philosophy at the University of Paris 1 Panthéeon-Sorbonne and researcher at the Sorbonne Institute of Legal and Philosophical Sciences (ISJPS). The presentation will be given at 12.30 pm on Thursday 13 October at the Multimedia Library.

How can we rethink ethics? What hypothesis can we use to redefine ethics in light of the moral dilemmas of our time? Does the impetus for these questions come from a renewed relationship with the universality and legislation of the values of Western rationality? Might the perspective of care, developed according to a feminist approach, be able to revive the question of ethics and develop an alternative outlook on giving, recognition and even community?

In partnership with the Bosio Pavilion Monaco Art School, a dialogue on “Art and madness: artistic depictions of madness”, introduced by Raphael Zagury-Orly, a philosopher and founding member of Philosophical Encounters of Monaco, and led by Arnaud Labelle-Rojoux, an artist, essayist and performance historian, will be held at the Bosio Pavilion at 2 pm on Thursday 14 October.

“A certain 'madness' must watch over thinking,” said Jacques Derrida. Shouldn’t this same madness also watch over art? And if so, how do we distinguish it from illness, suffering or indeed insanity? Then, having considered this distinction, how do we rethink the relationship between this unique kind of madness that watches over art, and illness, suffering and insanity? Can madness chart an undreamed of and at the same time creative path for art?

Health” – a summary of the programme for the opening Philosophical Encounters of Monaco events:

Thursday 13 October:

Monaco Multimedia Library – 12.30 pm / 1.30 pm

Presentation: “Caring and feminism”

Presented by Joseph Cohen, with Marie Garrau, philosopher

Friday 14 October:

Bosio Pavilion – 2 pm / 4 pm

Dialogue: “Art and madness: artistic depictions of madness”

Presented by Raphael Zagury-Orly, with Arnaud Labelle Rojoux, artist

Théâtre Princesse Grace – 7 pm / 9 pm

Conversation: “Fatigue and breakdown”

Presented by Robert Maggiori, with Georges Vigarello, historian and philosopher, and Eric Fiat, philosopher