The New Image of the Human Being In Western Philosophy of the 20th century

Françoise Dastur

(Practical details at end of abstract).

In order to understand the deep modifications of the image that the Western human being has developed in the last hundred years, it is necessary to go back to the end of the 18th century and to the French Revolution, which introduced a fundamental rupture in Western history. But in the following period, the high self-conception of the modern human being has profoundly been questioned. Three thinkers in particular have prepared the basis of the contemporary way of thinking through their critique of this idealised idea of the Western human being : Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. Taking their critique as a point of departure, the lecture intends to show that a new image of the human being has developed in the 20th century on the basis of three main axes: first as a new self image, secondly as a new image of the relations between human beings themselves, and finally as a new image of the relations of the human being with the divine and the sacred.

Public Transport: Trams: 109 (to Box Hill), 12 (to Victoria Gardens): Tram, stop 13 (Landsdowne St. ACU).

Buses: From City: 302, 303, 304, 305, 309, 318, 350, 905, 906, 907, 908. Stop: ACU.

Nearest Train Station: Parliament Station. Exit Macarthur St, go north until Victoria Parade, Turn right, 400 metres (CTC building corner of Victoria Parade and Eades St, - the Southern Side of Vic Parade, located across from what was until very recently - the Dallas Brooks Hall).

Parking along Vic Parade and at the ACU (on Young St).

Wheelchair accessible - all on ground/street level, with a disabled/wheelchairable toilet close to the boardroom.