What makes life worth living?

There are times in which people don't ask such questions. They accept life as it is, even if they are not happy with it. It seems to them that no other life is possible, so why ask whether or not it is worth living? They leave such a question to Hamlet and forget it upon exiting the theatre. But those times—some call them “happier”—are now gone. The question is back: What makes life worth living?

We are not alone in facing the challenge of this question. French philosopher Bernard Stiegler dared to answer it some fifteen years ago in a book: What Makes Life Worth Living. On Pharmacology. In a close reading of selected chapters, we will dive under the surface of contemporary life experience to critically deal with phenomena like consumerism, toxic economy, new proletarization, spiraling rates of mental illnesses, advertising technologies, the limits of today’s capitalism, etc. The question about our relation to technical objects—crucial for Stielger’s “pharmacology of the spirit”, which is what he calls the cure for our malaise—will not be avoided either.

We will dive deep, hopefully to the ground, to discuss his final answer: “The only thing that, at bottom, is worth being lived—in this life that must constantly be critiqued in order for it to be, in fact, worth living—is the struggle against stupidity?” We will join Stiegler in this struggle and, needless to say, try not to be stupid.

Readings:

Bernard Stiegler, What Makes Life Worth Living. On Pharmacology, Polity Press: Cambridge 2013.

Consists in active participation and contribution (discursive, textual, and performative).

The module grading is based on the mentioned contribution, active in-class participation and

• - submission of written assignments (word minimum of 500 total)

 “Students from other departments or universities will be given a place on the course subject to room capacities.”