David Bowie and Ideas -  On Difference

What’s on offer?

Warwick Institute of Engagement (WIE) present three public lectures on philosophical ideas of Difference, Authenticity and Love. All will be delivered by Warwick’s Professor Alex Sharpe.

Each will draw on David Bowie, one of the most significant artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Bowie will function as a conduit, a lightening rod, serving to bring the ideas to life. The lectures promise to be an audio-visual feast, accompanied by Bowie text, images, and music from his back catalogue. Each will be of 45 minutes duration and will be followed by a Q&A with Alex. 

What’s it about?

Scary Monsters: the hopeful undecidability of David Bowie

 This lecture will take up the idea of the Monster. While the Monster has been explored across a range of academic disciplines, the lecture will provide an account based on the writings of three French philosophers (George Canguilhem, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Derrida). The lecture will be about three things: monsters, hope and David Bowie. Monsters: because the monster is the legal and social outsider par excellence. Hope: because monsters are quintessentially hopeful. Bowie: because he is the hopeful monster writ large, a mama papa coming for you. In terms of subject matter, the lecture will pay particular attention to two distinctions the monster brings to crisis: gender and sexuality.

Who’s leading the event?

Professor Alex Sharpe

Open to

All welcome