Edinburgh women in philosophy

The Edinburgh Women in Philosophy Group (EWPG) began the New Enlightenment Lectures in 2012 as a prestigious, annual event for a philosopher to deliver a lecture on a topic of her choice.

This year’s 2019 New Enlightenment Lecture will be delivered by Professor Lucy O’Brien (University College London), preceded by a roundtable discussion. Professor O’Brien works in the philosophy of mind and action, focusing on self-consciousness and self-knowledge. She is also presently co-editor (with A. W. Moore) of the journal MIND.

Professor Lucy O’Brien

Title: What are we doing when we laugh at others, and ourselves?

Abstract: This talk will address the question: How should we think about what is happening in cases where X laughs at Y – where X and Y are both human animals. A standard kind of answer to this question becomes puzzling when we think about the case in which we invite others to laugh at us, and the case in which we laugh at ourselves. The talk will use the case of ‘laughing at’ to make a methodological point about the individuation of the kinds of actions involved, and will seek to bring out the very different kinds of affective social exchange that can be brought about by our ‘laughings at’.

Schedule

• 14:15 – 15:15: Roundtable Discussion with Professor Lucy O’Brien
• 15:15 – 16:00: Tea/Coffee Break
• 16:00 – 17:00: New Enlightenment Lecture - “What are we doing when we laugh at others, and ourselves?” by Professor Lucy O’Brien
• 17:05 – 17:30: Q&A

Venues

• Roundtable Discussion: Room 7.01, Dugald Stewart Building, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD
• Tea/Coffee Break: 7th Floor Common Room, Dugald Stewart Building, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD
• New Enlightenment Lecture and Q&A: Room 1.20, Dugald Stewart Building, 3 Charles Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9AD

Contact

Emma Husband

Further information

The event is open to all, and is followed with pub drinks nearby and dinner (signup details for dinner TBA).