70th ICREA Colloquium – What would Karl say? Two ICREA professors engage with Marx

ABSTRACT

Speakers: Prof. David Block (ICREA/UdL) and Prof. Santiago Zabala (ICREA/UPF)

When: 19th of April 2016 at 6pm

Where: ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 6^th floor

Abstract: What would Karl say? Two ICREA professors engage with Marx

Although Marxist scholarship in the social sciences and humanities has never entirely disappeared, certainly since the current economic crisis began in 2007/2008 there has been a renewed interest in it. In this colloquium, a sociolinguist (David Block) and a philosopher (Santiago Zabala) discuss what Marxist thought provides in their respective academic activity.

David Block will argue that a Marxist framing of issues related to language in society can lead to understandings of how the use of language and other semiotic modes is embedded in ongoing political, economic, social and cultural processes, showing how class struggle and class warfare are both materially and discursively constructed.

Santiago Zabala will discuss the return to communism as a route to political emancipation, proposing a “hermeneutic communism” which embraces the ecological cause of degrowth and the decentralization of the state bureaucratic system in order to permit independent counsels to increase community involvement.

The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from very different angles. Open to all ICREAs and their guests. There’s wine and munchies at the end, please book in advance!