Mladen Dolar and Oxana Timofeeva: THE OWL OF MINERVA Traditionally, owl has been a philosophical animal par excellence. It is a symbol accompanying Athena, or Roman Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, and as such the animal antidote to spiritual aspirations within philosophy. And why an owl? How is philosophy related to animalism, why have so
Mladen Dolar and Oxana Timofeeva: THE OWL OF MINERVA
Traditionally, owl has been a philosophical animal par excellence. It is a symbol accompanying Athena, or Roman Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, and as such the animal antidote to spiritual aspirations within philosophy. And why an owl? How is philosophy related to animalism, why have so many philosophers decided on animal depictions as metaphors of their doings?
In his famed Preface to the Philosophy of Right, Hegel wrote: “The owl of Minerva, takes its flight only when the shades of night are gathering.” The quote was usually interpreted to say that philosophy is always too late, arriving at a time when the world has been completed, too late to change it, and can thus only get to know it. Marx contrasted this with his famous quote that philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways, but the point is to change it. How can we therefore understand the mission of philosophy through the symbol of an owl? Could the owl be communicating something else as well?
Organised by Aufhebung Association and Center urbane kulture Kino Šiška. The event will be held in English.
Photo collage is made by Russian artist Nikolay Oleynikov (“Chto Delat?”)
