“The Arcades of Paris and Walter Benjamin’s Philosophy of Cities”

Glad to see Frank Cunningham is coming back to SFU next Tuesday (Room 7000, SFU Harbour Ctr. 7pm) to give this talk. I heard him speak last year on philosophy of the city. The Institute for Humanites organize some fine events & talks in Vancouver, some of my favourites and there’s no old bullshit about them, which is uplifting. Anyone can ask questions without being made to feel like a dimwit. The Institute welcome public attendence and engagement in my experience.

“The Arcades of Paris and Walter Benjamin’s Philosophy of Cities”
Abstract: In the 1920’s and 30’s the German philosopher Walter Benjamin began a philosophical study of urban life inspired by the Paris arcades (passages). This paper revisits the still existing arcades referred to by Benjamin to explicate his urban-philosophical methodology and conclusions and to take account of continuities and changes in the arcades, their uses, and environs between his time and that of present-day Paris.