More on the Confrontation/Representation Distinction
Thursday, 19 November 2026, 16:00-18:00
Senate House, Room 243
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There is a distinction which is not clearly captured in ordinary language. It is in the area of the distinction between our experiencing the world face-to-face and our experiencing the world via a representation. In this talk I will attempt to clarify the nature of this distinction and why it matters for philosophy and the philosophy of art. In particular, clarifying the distinction radically undermines much contemporary philosophy of fiction and also enables us to see Kendall Walton’s work (in both ‘Transparent Pictures’ and Mimesis as Make-Believe) in a new light.
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Following NHS guidance, all attendees are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated (including boosters) against Covid-19, unless medically exempt. Our group is diverse; please continue to be considerate of those who wear face coverings and those who don’t. Thank you.