When the prisoner in Plato's cave is released and turns around, the light of the fire is painful and terrifying. Running back to their seat, it makes no sense at all and they have no language to even speak about it. When we experience something that does not fit in the framework within which we make sense of our reality, can we even call it "experience"?
Ernst van Alphen calls trauma "failed experience". In this episode, we discuss the Holocaust in relation to trauma, experience, memory, archives and affect. We focus particularly on his essay Testimonies and the Limits of Representation, a chapter in his book Caught By History: Holocaust Effects In Contemporary Art, Literature, and Theory (Stanford U.P 1997). Ernst was so kind to make an older version of this chapter (Symptoms of Discursivity) available here.
About Ernst van Alphen:
Ernst van Alphen is professor of Literary Studies at Universiteit Leiden. His publications include Shame! And Masculinity (ed., Valiz 2020), Failed Images:Photography and Its Counter-Practices (Valiz 2018), Staging the Archive: Art and Photography in the Age of New Media (Reaktion Books 2014), Art in Mind: How Contemporary Images Shape Thought (University of Chicago Press 2005), Armando: Shaping Memory (NAi Publishers 2000), Francis Bacon and The Loss of Self (Harvard U.P 1995).
Episode 27 - Michel Serres’ Philosophy with Aldo Houterman
Episode 26 - Dealing with Collapse with Chris Julien
Episode 25 - Conversation Analysis with Mike Huiskes
Episode 24 - Extinction Rebellion with Hannah Prins
Episode 23 - How Science Works with Vincent Icke
Applied Philosophy for Health Professions Education - Megan Brown, Mario Veen & Gabrielle Finn
Episode 22 - World-Centered Education with Gert Biesta
Episode 21 - Image-Thinking & Travelling Concepts with Mieke Bal
Episode 20 - Being Better Earthlings with Marcia Bjornerud
Episode 19 - Love and/of Philosophy with Jeanne Proust
Episode 18 - How Doctors Think with Camillo Coccia
Episode 17 - Racism & Blackness with Ian Partman
Episode 16 - Visual Politics with Mark Reinhardt
Episode 15 - Bernard Stiegler’s Philosophy with Daniel Ross
Episode 14 - Food & Spirituality with Ilanta Sa
Episode 13 - Flat Earth & Science Communication with I Can Science That
Episode 12B - Plato’s Cave is Getting Hotter (discussing episodes 1-11)
Episode 12A - Travelling through Plato’s Cave
Episode 11 - Biology, Technology & Human Evolution with Pieter Lemmens
Episode 10 - Social Media & Infinite Distraction with Dominic Pettman
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