Details
Guest presenter:
Professor David Konstan (New York
University)
Title of Masterclass:
Animal Psychology and Human Nature:
A Historical Perspective
Time and Date:
10am -4pm on Thursday 23rd August
Venue:
Old Senate Room, IAS, UWA
Cost: Free but registration is essential.
Registration closes on 16 August (or until full)
Register Now
Masterclass Flyer
Further enquiries: 08 6488 1340 or ias@uwa.edu.au
The IAS Masterclass provides an opportunity for postgraduate
students
and early career researchers to meet and discuss their
research with a
distinguished visiting scholar. Participants
will present short papers within the framework of the stated topic,
which will then be opened for discussion by the group. Places are
available for those who wish to participate in the discussion, but
do not wish to give a paper. Interested postgraduate
students, early career researchers and academics from all relevant
disclines at all Perth universities are invited to attend, as well
as those working in relevant fields.
Overview:
How we view animals has a lot to tell us about how we view
ourselves, as
human beings. In classical antiquity, it was widely
supposed that animals
lacked reason (what the Greeks called logos),
and that consequently they did not even have emotions in the full
sense of the word. But what is reason, and can we use it to draw a
boundary between ourselves and other species?
In this Masterclass,
we will begin by examining the ancient arguments, and
then proceed
to consider how they may help illuminate (or not) modern
views of
human versus animal nature.
Perspectives from a wide variety of
modern disciplines will be most
welcome.
David Konstan Biography:
David Konstan is Professor of Classics at New York University and
Professor
Emeritus of Classics and Comparative Literature at Brown
University.
His research focuses on ancient Greek and Latin
literature, and on classical and Hellenistic philosophy. In recent
years, he has investigated the emotions and value concepts of
classical Greece in Rome.
Professor Konstan is a visiting UWA
Institute of Advanced Studies Professor-at-Large. His
is a member of the CHE International Advisory Board.
