Bertolt Brecht: Philosophical Inquiry through Epic Theatre
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Location
Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
Start Date
5-4-2016 1:30 PM
End Date
5-4-2016 3:00 PM
Subjects
Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956), Philosophy
Abstract
The division between academic expertise in philosophical thinking and the engagement of the lay philosopher leaves much to be desired. This is unaided by the medium for engagement in academic circles and the ostentatious vernacular deployed by academics that further insulate their field from lay persons interested in engaging in the philosophical lexicon. Yet to suppose that philosophy presents a semblance of expertise is to suppose that it creates better intuition, better judgment, perhaps greater clarity of thought and argumentative structure – this ought not to be the case. Brecht, in both his plays and writings, sought a middle ground between the ethereal realm of theatrical artistry, academic philosophy, and the audience. In this mélange of fields linked together by its Brechtian architecture there is to be found a bridge between philosophical expertise and the intuitions, judgments, and thoughts of the lay person. In this presentation I argue that what Brecht sought and ultimately elucidated was structure of engagement that bridges the aforementioned divide and in so doing provides academic philosophy with a dynamic approach toward engaging lay persons.
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Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/19827
Bertolt Brecht: Philosophical Inquiry through Epic Theatre
Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
The division between academic expertise in philosophical thinking and the engagement of the lay philosopher leaves much to be desired. This is unaided by the medium for engagement in academic circles and the ostentatious vernacular deployed by academics that further insulate their field from lay persons interested in engaging in the philosophical lexicon. Yet to suppose that philosophy presents a semblance of expertise is to suppose that it creates better intuition, better judgment, perhaps greater clarity of thought and argumentative structure – this ought not to be the case. Brecht, in both his plays and writings, sought a middle ground between the ethereal realm of theatrical artistry, academic philosophy, and the audience. In this mélange of fields linked together by its Brechtian architecture there is to be found a bridge between philosophical expertise and the intuitions, judgments, and thoughts of the lay person. In this presentation I argue that what Brecht sought and ultimately elucidated was structure of engagement that bridges the aforementioned divide and in so doing provides academic philosophy with a dynamic approach toward engaging lay persons.