Paraspar, an initiative of the Office of Communications (OoC) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), is a platform for conversations about knowledge systems, particularly science.
PARASPAR
Invites you to a webinar series on
Reading the Past
Understanding the past often leads us to interpret why and how the present has evolved. This series will explore the historical underpinnings that have shaped the various facets of the modern world.
In Defense of Ordinary Criticism (Poster)
Abstract: It is possible to distinguish between two modes of social criticism: the one exemplified in our intellectual and political-ideological statements about society (foundational criticism) and the other in our everyday goings-about the world (ordinary criticism). We could criticise a social practice, say child marriage, by saying that it violates freedom of choice and self-determination (a foundational criticism), or, by saying that most people wouldn’t do it these days and so it is an abnormal thing to do (an ordinary criticism). Foundational criticism has an explanatory depth and systemic character that ordinary criticism lacks. However, at a second glance, ordinary criticism seems to track the nature of our moral lives better and more wholesomely. This talk tries to map the implications of pursuing these two modes of social criticism, even if the end results were to turn out to be similar. It hints that foundational criticism, despite its philosophical charm, is violative of our experience.
Speaker: Dr. A. P. Ashwin Kumar
Centre for Learning Futures
Ahmedabad University
Date: 9 November 2021 (Tuesday)
Time: 4.00 pm
Click to join: https://bit.ly/3Gc5j8O
All are welcome
For any queries, please contact Bitasta Das (bitasta@iisc.ac.in), Office of Communications, Indian Institute of Science.
