This is a chance to hear two leading continental thinkers and public intellectuals debating the aesthetic both as a way of understanding the modern world and as a problematic category within that world. Jacques Rancière (Emeritus Professor, Université de Paris VIII) and Peter Sloterdijk (Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Philosophy and Media Theory, Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung, Karlsruhe) will share a platform at this event, which promises a confrontation of German and French traditions and modes of thought in assessing the role of the aesthetic in the digitalised and globalised world.

Their personal presence at Warwick is especially valuable as they both have major works still not translated into English. Since their thinking connects philosophy, literature, history, art, politics, sociology and psychology, this event should have a wide appeal to staff, students and people with an interest in humanities and social studies.

The debate is sponsored by the Social Theory Centre, The Centre for Research in Philosopy, Literature and the Arts, and the Instititute of Advanced Studies at Warwick University.