Political Phenomenology in Debate: Eco-Phenomenology

Continuing the debate between political and critical phenomenology, the lecture series focuses on pertinent current crises and political issues in the domain of ecological studies. It thereby tries to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of the dynamic relationships between human experience and the natural world, using classical and contemporary phenomenological resources and confronting them with issues such as the more-than-human world, environmental policy-making, or activism. Ecological theories have often made reference to phenomenological concepts such as embodiment, lifeworld, or dwelling, using the descriptive and analytic tools of phenomenology to investigate how subjects are embedded and orient themselves in their surroundings. The recent emergence of the “eco-phenomenology” has deepened this interest. Apart from the theoretical reflection on and critique of traditional dualisms (e.g., between nature and culture), eco-phenomenology also tries to provide a philosophical foundation for ethical considerations regarding the environment. It emphasizes the intrinsic value of natural entities and informs sustainable practices in domains like agriculture, urban planning, and conservation. The invited speakers will each develop their ideas for a collaboration between phenomenology and ecology in a lecture. Each talk will be accompanied by a response and then opened to public discussion: In this way, both fields will be “in debate.”