The meaning of love will be the subject of a free talk in Aberdeen next week.
The University of Aberdeen’s new Café Philosophique series will launch on Monday (June 2) with a discussion led by Dr Carrie Ichikawa Jenkins, Chair in Theoretical Philosophy at the institution, detailing her research into the notion of romance.
The event takes place at the Blue Lamp and begins at 7pm.
Dr Jenkins said: “The nature of romantic love is a serious puzzle. Fortunately, philosophers love serious puzzles! There are several philosophical theories out there that purport to tell us what love is. As yet, there is no consensus on the question. But love is important, and understanding love is important, and so the search continues.”
This Café Philosophique series runs throughout June and encourages participants to tackle philosophical topics together with philosophers and other participants in an informal environment.
The organiser of Café Philosophique, Dr Federico Luzzi from the University’s School of Divinity, History and Philosophy said: “Following the popularity of previous series we are looking forward to Café Philosophique returning for 2014.
“People enjoy the hands-on approach of philosophy—you don’t need any background knowledge to understand philosophical puzzles, and it’s easy to form a view on these hotly debated questions. What’s tricky is backing up your view with good reasons—that’s what philosophy encourages.”
The second event in the series takes place on Monday June 16 at the Blue Lamp, when Dr Beth Lord from the University of Aberdeen’s School of Divinity, History and Philosophy will explore whether equality is good for society.
The series will conclude with a talk by Professor Roy Cook from the University of Minnesota on June 27, examining the meaning behind the structure of the film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. This event will take place at Belmont Filmhouse and will be followed by a screening of the film.
Both events are free to attend and begin at 7pm.
The Café Philosophique series is organised by the Philosophy Department at the University of Aberdeen, with support from the Public Engagement with Research Unit.
The full schedule of events is available at: www.engagingaberdeen.co.uk