Universität Wien

180122 VO-L Karen Barad: Philosophy-Physics (2020W)

Time / Process / Mattering / Relationality

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 18 - Philosophie

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

Language: German

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Digital concept

Preliminary note: Due to the conversion of the course to e-learning, it is important that all participants register for the course in order to gain access to Moodle, as communication about the course takes place via the Moodle platform. In addition to the usual teaching materials, you will also find audio recordings of the courses on Moodle.

E-learning procedure due to the conversion of the course to "digital learning":

1.)The communication about the course will take place via Moodle until further notice.

2) We will tell you weekly via Moodle what you should read until the next course date.

3) The course leader Univ. Doz. Arno Böhler will give a lecture on Collaborate every Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. On Moodle you will find a "Collaborate" symbol next to the title "Philosophy Physics_Datum", which you can use to log in to the video conference. Up to 250 course participants can take part. We will record the video conference and make it available to you on Moodle. We will also upload an audio file of the recording to the philosophical audio library.
Here is a guide to Collaborate for students: https://wiki.univie.ac.at/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=101484831

4) The tutor Cristina Chitu will repeat some central points of the lecture content of the last session every week at the beginning of the Collaborate Session. You can also find these minutes in writing on Moodle.

Digital examination modalities

The exam will consist of a digital written exam that will be handled via Moodle according to the format “digital written exams with open questions using an exam sheet for download” according to the specifications of the CTL. The students can download the examination form (Word document) at the beginning of the examination period and have to upload the processed examination form as a PDF back to Moodle within 2 hours. In the exam, three essay questions, each with three sub-points, are asked, which the students should address in their answers. The exam takes place in the open book format. Direct quotations are to be shown.

In the event of technical problems: If you cannot download the Moodle exam form, please send an email to cristina-maria.chitu@univie.ac.at. You will then receive the examination form by email. If you cannot upload the edited exam questionnaire as a PDF to Moodle, please also send the PDF to the email address cristina-maria.chitu@univie.ac.at before the end of the exam

Graduation key: The digital written exam consists of 3 essay questions, each with 3 sub-points, which are to be incorporated into the respective essay (max. 36 points, max. 12 points per essay, max. 4 points per sub-point): 0-18 points = insufficient . 19-22 points = sufficient. 23-26 points = satisfactory. 27-31 points = good. 32-36 points = very good.

Dealing with quotations and literature: These are exams based on the open book format. If you should quote a passage from the literature or the literature on the slides directly in your essay, please either state the name, abbreviation of the book and book page (e.g. (Ronell, FT, p. 3)) or state the Foil side on (e.g. (Foil 17)). If you paraphrase or refer to what was discussed in the lecture, you can simply write “For Nietzsche” or “As discussed in the lecture”, in order to save time.

Tuesday 13.10. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 20.10. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 27.10. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 03.11. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 10.11. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 17.11. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 24.11. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 01.12. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Wednesday 02.12. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital
Tuesday 15.12. 18:30 - 20:30 Digital

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This semester I will offer you an introduction in contemporary schools of thought, which have been repeatedly coined as "New Materialism". I will focus in particular on Karan Barad's concept of matter, which she developed on the basis of Niels Bohrs interpretation of quantum physics in combination with post-structuralist readings (Michel Foucault, Judith Butler).
In a second step I will compare Barad's post-structuralist concept of "matter/mattering" with Katja Diefenbachs conception of a Speculative Materialism, that is to say, with a post-marxist reading of Spinoza to finally ask how these two contemporary concepts of matter/mattering are linked with Schelling's Philosophy of Nature, which also considers itself to be a speculative form of physics (Iain Hamilton Grant).

Assessment and permitted materials

Written examination. The first examination date will take place at the end of Jannuary 2021. Further examination dates: first week of March, end of April, end of June 2021 (dates will be announced during the course of the semester)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Written examinations will comprise of four main questions with sub-questions (max. 40 points)
0-20 points = insufficient, 21-25 points = sufficient, 26-30 points: satisfactory, 31-35 points = good, 36-40 points = very good.
At the written exam, one needs to reach > 50% of the points in order to pass the exam.

Examination topics

Only texts that will be explicitly discussed in the lecture during the course of the semester, will be relevant for the exam. These texts will be part of the power point slides which will be made accessible on Moodle by tutor Cristina Chitu.

Reading list

Barad, Karen (2007): Meeting the Universe Halfway, Durham & London: Duke University Press

Barad, Karen (2012): What Is the Measure of Nothingness? Infinity, Virtuality, Justice / Was ist das Maß des Nichts? Unendlichkeit, Virtualität, Gerechtigkeit, Kassel: Hatje Cantz Verlag

Diefenbach, Katja (2018): Spekulativer Materialismus. Spinoza in der postmarxistischen Philosophie, Wien, Berlin: Turia + Kant:.

Schelling, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph (1804): System der gesamten Philosophie und der Naturphilosophie insbesondere. in F. W. J. von Schelling: Sämmtliche Werke. Electronic Edition., Band IV, Schriften zur Identitätsphilosophie: 1801-1807, http://pm.nlx.com.uaccess.univie.ac.at/xtf/view?docId=schelling_de/schelling_de.04.xml;chunk.id=div.schelling.531;toc.depth=100;toc.id=div.schelling.531;brand=default

Schelling, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph (1966): Zur Geschichte der neueren Philosophie. Leipzig 1966, S. 21. in Schelling: Sämtliche Werke, hg. v. K.F.A. Schelling, Stuttgart 1856 ff. Permalink: http://www.zeno.org/nid/20009265651

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Fr 12.05.2023 00:18