Philosophy and Art Talk: Are You Seeing What I’m Seeing? with Will McNeil

Event Information

Join leading philosophers from the University of Southampton for a series of engaging talks that open up ideas and questions related to present exhibits. Together, we’ll explore how philosophical thinking can illuminate some everyday questions, and raise some deeper questions too.

Our programme of talks is as follows:

Sat 18 April: Are You Seeing What I’m Seeing? – Will McNeil
We can experience a sunset together. But it may seem very plausible that we cannot experience each other’s experiences of the sunset. For one thing, those experiences might differ, for example, if only one of us is colourblind, or short-sighted. The picture this paints is of a peculiar loneliness. Yet while it can feel intuitive that we’re cut off from each other in this way, it can also seem deeply intuitive that experiences can be profoundly shared. Can we make sense of that?

Sat 2 May: The Nature and Value of Art – Brian McElwee
What makes something art? Is there something that all art has in common? And how do different answers to these questions help in thinking about the value of art?

Sat 16 May: What Does it Mean to be a Woman (Self)-Defining Womanhood? – Fiona Woollard
Lots of people want a simple definition of ‘woman’, but often what it means to be a woman is complex and personal. Can philosophy help us make sense of this complexity?

The University of Southampton are providing these talks for free, with an opportunity to choose a donation amount to the Art Gallery amount below. The more you feel able to donate, the easier it is for us to offer an exciting programme for as many people as possible. Thank you in advance for your support, which really does make a huge difference.

Cancellations

In the unlikely event that we cancel a session, we will offer a full refund. Unfortunately tickets are otherwise non-refundable. Please contact us if you wish to transfer your ticket to a friend if you cannot attend for any reason.

If you have any questions about the event please contact us at museums@southampton.gov.uk or give us a ring at 023 8083 4536 (emails and phones are staffed weekdays 9am-5pm).