Radboud Annual Continental Philosophy 2025: Canon and Critique

Continental philosophy is not conceivable without its history—one of its distinctive features is that it explicitly acknowledges the historical conditions of knowledge. Researching and teaching continental philosophy is not possible without engaging with the canon and the canonical thinkers who have helped shape the continental tradition. This engagement can take an affirmative form, by being influenced by the canonical authors, ideas, and arguments and by developing and improving their thought and seeing its continued relevance for contemporary questions and debates. Or, it can take a critical form: recognizing problematic or antiquated aspects of canonical authors’ thought, and analyzing the exclusions and blind spots that have been part of constructing this canon. Rather than adhering to the stark dichotomy of either uncritical celebration or outright dismissal ('canceling') of the canon, our starting point is that both approaches are equally crucial to continental philosophy and can go hand in hand. At the same time, this raises the question of the relation between commitments to the canon, the critique of the canon, and attempts to expand or revise the canon. The conference will reflect on this rich and ambivalent relationship between canon and critique from different perspectives and will address the positive as well as problematic legacies of the tradition.